Incoming

During my presentation to the Hamilton Public Library Board Chief
Librarian Ken Roberts and Robert Plant the library's manager of
communications and community development made an interesting comment.
They concurred that parents taking pictures of their children need not
fill out the library's permission form. So, I'm asking them, "Why
not?" Will let you know what comes of this.

Dear Ken and Rob:

I appreciate the opportunity I had to present to the Board last night.
Thank you.

I think that having the photography forms available to staff at desks
is a step closer to the Metro Toronto Reference Library process, which
is a good thing. Not an ideal thing, but a good thing.

Clearly, right now, your process, as outlined to me by Rob on December 10:

“Anyone wanting to take pictures in an HPL facility must gain permission
from my department, outlining the reason why they wish to take photos,
schedule when the photo will be taken (so Security can be notified), and
indicate how the photos are going to be used.”

isn’t working well, as demonstrated by my experience (being told I
could not take pictures). By the way, other photographers I’ve spoken
to who have had the same experience.

So, I’m glad to see you open to improving access to, and awareness of,
the forms on the part of your staff. It was interesting that the
librarian on the Board who spoke last night was unaware of the form.
It is no wonder I was told “No”.

CORRECTION: The person who was unaware of the form was not a librarian, she was a citizen member of the board.

As I mentioned in our discussion, I disagree Rob that your process is
much like the Metro Reference Library’s or the Wisconsin ones. A
simple side-by-side reading demonstrates that, as does my two very
different experiences at the Hamilton Public Library and the Toronto
Metro Reference Library. No does not mean yes.

However, I am especially puzzled by one aspect of our exchange last
night. Ken, you said, and Rob concurred, that the process you have in
place now is not onerous and that one of the reasons is that many
parents take pictures of their children in the Children’s Area and
they are allowed to do that without having to fill out the form or
gain other permission.

So, here’s my question.

Why?

They are taking photographs in the library. Why don’t they have to
fill in the form, outline the reasons for the photos etc.? The rest of
us do.

You might say. “Because they are taking pictures of their children,
not strangers that may not wish to be photographed.”

Okay. So, does that mean, without filing in the form, and with your blessing:

I could come in to the library and take a photograph of my wife
reading if no one was in the background?

2) I could come in to the library and take a photograph of my friend
if no one recognizable were in the background?

3) My wife or friend could step out of the frame and I could just take a
picture of the architecture without anyone recognizable in the
background?

You see the clear problem here. If neither 1 nor 2 nor 3 is possible without
going through your process, but parents can take pictures of their
children without going through the process you are applying your own
rules arbitrarily. You would have one set of rules for adults with
progeny and another set of rules for everyone else.

I would rather you considered the library a public place and be done
with the form altogether. However, if you are going to have the form,
surely you must apply it across the board. Either parents taking
photographs in the library must fill it out or no one. I am unclear as
to how having children releases you from the requirement.

If you could provide some clarity to me about this I would appreciate it.

All the best,
Wayne MacPhail