Calling someone out in public

There are times, when you just have to call someone out publically. Someone says something incredibly offensive online. You cannot let it go, so you speak up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

What I want to address is not that blatant, in-your-face offense, but the unintential. The “I thought I had all the bases covered” or “That never crossed my mind” offense.  I’ve got a couple of examples to share that go in slightly different directions.

1. Book lists are published for an annual event. This particular event has separate ES, MS, and HS book lists. One of our members didn’t like a list and emailed the chair. I cannot say thank you enough to librarian #1 for reaching out to the chair to get answers. The chair explained the process and the nuances of working with the other committees. Librarian #1 then took her information to a national blog and published it without further inquiry - without offering to help the committee make the next list better - without talking to someone else in the organization. Without engaging the chair in deeper conversation. 
2. Librarian #2 didn’t like the conference lineup, so this librarian goes to twitter to mention it instead of emailing anyone on the conference committee. The reasons are valid, and if it had been brought to the conference committee’s attention before conference, a change would have occurred. Months later, no one can do anything except regret the oversight. 

My plea here is, if you think something could possibly be fixed, call or email the person who can implement change. If you don’t know who that person is, start with someone, anyone to find out. If you think it was just an oversight and not vindictive, call or email. If you don’t like the first answer, try to engage the person in conversation, offer to help, or at least give them some time for your questions and advice to sink in - that sinking in may take some reflective time - before you call the person or organization out publically. Calling someone/place/thing out publically may actually slow the change you hoped would happen. And you are taking a chance that someone - the right someone - will see it. 

Please give people the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. The people planning events are mere humans who may be in need of help. Many are willing to listen and change what can be changed. We truly are better when we work together.