1) Librarians in France debated how to respond to the Charlie Hebdo attacks in light of their principles of neutrality. Some libraries posted "Je Suis Charlie" signs or had debates, questioning how neutral they should be. 2) The #bibenaction hashtag allowed librarians to share what actions they took in response. Nearly 150 actions were collected, ranging from posters to debates to training staff. 3) Librarians had to determine how their actions fit with being neutral in both normal situations and special crisis situations, and what political role libraries could or should play.

1. Raphaëlle
Bats
Janvier 2016
LIBRARIES AFTER
CHARLIE?
NEUTRALITY AND
ENGAGEMENT

2.  Introduction
 #bibenaction
 Neutrality & librairies: normal situation
 Neutrality & libraries: a special situation
 1/ Charlie, the libraries and and the debate
 2/ Charlie, the libraries and la République
 3/ Charlie, the libraries and the politicians
 The commitment of librarians
 Conclusion
PLAN

3.  Astonishment
 Emotion
 Powerlessness
 Post of David Lankes
 What should/have to do French libraries?
 What have done some libraries facing situation of political crises?
 What have really done French libraries? Did they do
something? And what does it means?
INTRODUCTION

4. #BIBENACTION

5.  Translation and diffusion of the David Lankes’ post, the 11th
of January,
 Launch, the same day, of a collection of « actions »,
 In using the hashtag « #bibenaction », allowing librarians to
mark their actions led in answer to the attacks in their
libraries or in other.
 + internet research, emails, oral discussion, and comments on
our blog, or on the blog « les bibliothèques après Charlie ».
#BIBENACTION

6.  Fighting the feeling of powerlessness: being inspired by
actions of colleagues, doing something (professional angle)
 Keeping tracks: for the memory and history of libraries and
librarians. mémoire et histoire des bibliothèques (archivist
angle)
 Trying to understand how these actions may enlignht the role
of libraries in our society (research angle)
 Their role in crisis times.
 Their role in a democracy in mutation.
OBJECTIVES OF #BIBENACTION

7. #BIBENACTION: RESULTS
 Almost 150 actions in our collection (non exhautive):
 poster Je suis Charlie (in the physical library or on internet)
 Message of condolence or supportExpositions
 Selection of documents
 Spaces of expression
 Debates and conferences
 But also
 Empty library: Pierres-Vives Montpellier
 Training staff: Rennes
 Citizenship projects : BML, Nancy
 Solidarity projects: Dunkerque
 Etc.
 From the 8th of January to the end of 2015, and the shosk wawe
has not finished its run.
 Every kind of libraries

8. ©Romane Volle. médiathèque de Saint-Médard-en-Jalles et du Carré-Les Colonnes

9. BM Saint-Aubin-du-Pavail (35)
BM Hérouville Saint Clair, Calvados.
BM Clermont-Ferrand
BU Droit - Besançon

10. Médiathèque Départementale – Pierres-Vives

11. #BIBENACTION: RESULTS
 1st moment: messages
 2nd moment: librarianship’s actions
 3rd temps : time for thinking, training, and positioning the
library

12. DISCUSSION

13.  How these actions can fit with the moral and professional command to
be neutral?
 What these actions are saying about our political role?
 To answer these two questions, we have to understand what is
neutrality and normal situation, and in special situation, like the
one after events of January 2015.
PROBLEMATIQUE

14.  In normal situation, the French librarian answer to a triple
injunction to neutrality:
 According to the mission of libraries : pluralism
 According to the values of the French Republic: secularism (laïcité)
 According to their status of civil servant: neutrality of public service.
NEUTRALITY: SITUATION NORMALE

15.  But January 2015 is not a normal situation.
 So how librarians dealed with these 3 aspects of their
nueutrality in this special situation :
 Questioning the vocation of the library to participate to citizen debate
 Questioning the citizen movement and the indivisibility of the French
Republic
 Questioning the political neutrality of the cultural insitution
NEUTRALITY: SPECIAL SITUATION

16.  Paradox: In claiming the freedom to expression, libraries has
to face their own censorship.
 Some actions about pluralism organized after Charlie.
Example: Lingolsheim.
 Accepting pluralism is accepting a political role, despite a
social role less conflictual.
CHARLIE, LIBRARIES, DEBATE

17. BIBLIOTHÈQUE RENNES
MÉTROPOLE / CHAMPS
LIBRES

18. CHARLIE, LIBRARIES, REPUBLIC
 Paradox: In claiming Je suis charlie, librarians defend the
laicity, but what about the « Je ne suis pas Charlie » ? What
about the indivisibilty of the Republic? , libraries has to face
their own censorship.
 Some actions about « vivre-ensemble » organized after
Charlie. Example : Dunkerque
 Accepting the solidarity has an objective, and not only the
social link. Having a proximity with the public.

19. DUNKERQUE

20. CHARLIE, LIBRARIES, PUBLIC SERVICE
 Paradox: continuity and representation of libraries as
institutions
 Some actions about new institutions organized after Charlie.
Example : Lyon
 Accepting the active role of librarians to transform the
democracy.

21. LYON

22.  The librarian is not the library
 Is our generation political?
 Propositions:
 Reconnect with a political culture of librarians
 Working on a critical view of libraries and librarianship
 Finding our heroes : héros // hérauts
FROM NEUTRALITY OF LIBRARIES
TO COMMITMENT OF LIBRARIANS

23.  Attacks of the 13th of November 2015 : a new shock
CONCLUSION