37th chat, July 14 2015: environmental and labor implications of library technology

moderated by @ibeilin and @cat_lager
Storify (pdf, html) by @oksveta 

Readings:

• You’re No Fun Anymore: The Ethics of Acquiring Electronic Devices in Light of E-Waste, Sweatshops, and Globalization by Jennifer Poggiali: http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2015/Poggiali.pdf
• “Beyond Swag” by Dave Hudson. Mostly readable from the google books link, ping @ibeilin or @cat_lager for pre-pub PDF. https://books.google.ca/books?id=GTUPWhh0j9AC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA193#v=onepage&q&f=false

Discussion questions:

• Q1 What are the problems with the idea of ‘ethical consumerism’ in general and for libraries in particular?
• Q2 Does a consumerist model of library service encourage a consumerist model of environmental responsibility in libraries?
• Q2.5 Does this tendency undermine the ‘core values’ of librarianship?
• Q3 How can libraries not only be more environmentally responsible but also consume and produce less?
• Q4 How can libraries/librarians take collective approaches, rather than consumerist-individualist ones, to environmental problems?
• Q5 What are some ‘ethical quandaries’ that could become learning experiences for students, as Jennifer Poggiali suggests?