Four norwegian library associations have made this statement on WikiLeaks (unauthorised translation by Frode Bakken)
STATEMENT ON WIKILEAKS
Oslo 17th of December 2010
It is a fundamental principle in a democratic society that the people should have access to information about the decisions and the decision-making processes that affect them. Open societies are a safeguard against corruption and abuse of power. WikiLeaks has contributed to increased transparency by bringing objectionable affairs to public attention. The attempts to shut down WikiLeaks bear the mark of hasty reactions which as of today have not been sanctioned by any court of law.
This may threaten freedom of information.
Freedom of speech
Libraries consider freedom of information fundamental to promoting freedom of speech and democracy. WikiLeaks’ activities and contents have opened up for renewed debate about the role of libraries in this context. The fundamental point in our view is that libraries, among other activities, should offer information over the Internet which is critical . The library associations in Norway have through their common ethical guidelines established that as long as the contents remain within the boundaries of the law, these contents should not be subject to any special treatment but be accessible like other library materials.
Svein Arne Tinnesand, Norwegian Library Association
Kristin R?ijen, Norwegian Association of Special Libraries
Monica Deildok, Librarians’ Union of Norway
- Building Strong Library Associations training package | IFLA (ifla.org)
- Censorship is censorship, especially when it’s the Library of Congress (librarianinblack.net)
- Norwegian newspaper claims to have access to full trove of WikiLeaks cables (blogs.journalism.co.uk)