Keynote presentation from LITA Forum 2016. Presentation is licensed CC-BY but the interview quotes must be used unedited.

1. Not all information wants to be free:
ethical considerations for digitization
Tara Robertson
@tararobertson
LITA Forum
November 20, 2016
http://bit.ly/taraslides

4. Thank you
Carolyn Arthur
Safia Noble
Baharak Yousefi
Emily Drabinski
Elaine Miller
Vanessa Kwan
Eli Manning
Christina Harlow
Francis Kayiwa
Mark Matienzo
Patricia Cia
Annette DeFaveri
Shirley Lew
Gwen Bird
Anne Olsen
Lindsay Tripp
Sarah Hunt
Carmen Suchy
Lynn Carter
Lia Friedman
Beth Davis
Jane Schmidt
Alison Macrina
Amy Buckland
Lisa Sloniowski
Jess Mitchell
Chanelle Gallant
Amber Dawn
Devra Polack
Sam Bradd
Stuart Yeates
Stephen Blaeser
Ruth Koleszar-Green

6. Montreal Out Games, 2006

8. Reflect
By yourself think about a time when you felt
shame.
You will not be asked to share these
thoughts with others.

9. On Our Backs

10. Quote #1

11. “When I heard all the issues of the magazine
are being digitized, my heart sank. I meant this
work to be for my community and now I am
being objectified in a way that I have no control
over. People can cut up my body and make it a
collage. My professional and public life can be
high jacked. These are uses I never intended
and I still don't want.”
–Annonymous #1

12. Quote #2

13. “It's one thing to have regrets over what you've
published, but I actually never consented to
have this photoshoot published by On Our
Backs in the first place, let alone digitally”
–Annonymous #2

14. Quote from Amber Dawn

15. “What was once a dignified choice now feels
like a violation of my body, my voice and my
right to choose. In no small way is the
digitization a perpetuation of how sex workers,
survivors and queer bodies have been
historically and pervasively coopted. How
larger, often institutional, forces have made
decisions without consulting us or considering
our personal well-being.”
–Amber Dawn

16. Ethics of care

17. Reveal Digital takes down OOB
”Reveal Digital has temporarily removed open
access to the publication On Our Backs.
Given the nature of the material contained
within On Our Backs, we can no longer
provide access without specific controls in
place that restricts access to minors.”

18. Zine Librarians’ Code of
Ethics
http://bit.ly/zinelib

19. Delgamuukw Trial Transcripts

20. Mukurtu

21. Traditional knowledge (TK)

22. TK labels
http://localcontexts.org

23. Moko: or Maori Tattooing
(1896)
http://bit.ly/moko-report

24. Spare Rib
http://www.bl.uk/spare-rib

25. Generate examples
In pairs discuss:
What are some other examples of culturally
sensitive materials in libraries, archives and
museums?

27. Problem Solve
In groups of 4 discuss:
How can we do a better job of digitizing and
providing access to culturally sensitive
materials?
Add your ideas to this document:
http://bit.ly/LITAshare

29. Image credits
All images are CC-BY except for The Land of Giants, fingerlove, and the
Spare Rib covers.
• Choi+Shine Architects. The Land of Giants.
http://www.choishine.com/Projects/giants.html (used with permission)
• Umbrella Trees: https://flic.kr/p/kAT3Ws
• Occupied http://imagicity.com/2011/10/27/occupied/
• fingerlove: https://www.photocase.com/photos/236919-hand-love-
emotions-happy-funny-couple-photocase-stock-photo
• Spare Rib cover image March 1973 ©Estate of Roger Perry CC-NC
(https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/spare-rib-magazine-issue-009)
• Spare Rib cover image October 1978 by Lynn Duncombe
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/spare-rib-magazine-issue-075
• M42 Orion Nebula: https://flic.kr/p/dSHFUN
• Microphone: https://flic.kr/p/axnVcw