Author: Allyson Mower
Consider nominating a defender of intellectual freedom
From these news stories, you can find many librarians and IF advocates responding courageously to these anti-intellectual freedom occurrences. From this, consider nominating an individual, group, or book for an intellectual freedom award from the American Library Association (ALA).
Happy Birthday, Rudolfo Anaya
Anaya’s pioneering authorship introduced readers to engaging aspects of contemporary Chicano culture, a world that I can’t imagine not ever becoming familiar with.
A Brief History of Time–Banned for Being Unethical?
As we were selecting the book, I came across a news article sent to me by Kristin Pekoll, Assistant Director of OIF about a school in Oregon that had banned the book along with nine other titles, including the dictionary, during the 2015-2016 school year https://theroguenews.com/19251/arts-enter/banned-books-at-ashland-high-school/
The reason listed next to Hawkins’ A Brief History of Time was “unethical context.”
Viewpoint Discrimination
Librarians might not be public officials and this case might not apply to our social media accounts, but does that automatically mean that librarians should make it a practice to block people based on differences in viewpoint?
Review of Beyond Banned Books: Defending Intellectual Freedom Throughout Your Library
Ms. Pekoll has written a very clear, useful, practical, and even a motivational book.
New Privacy Law in Utah
The privacy act stipulates that individuals retain ownership of the data they transmit electronically and not service providers or software vendors.
Happy Birthday to Frequently Challenged Author Lauren Myracle
Myracle writes about the struggles of teenagehood in the internet age and the range of bad decisions that can get made (and, unfortunately, fully documented and preserved). Her characters are compelling by virtue of both their at-times shallowness and their devotion to the ideals of friendship.
Thoughts on Andrew Curran’s Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely
Perhaps it’s selfish, but the art of thinking freely, it seems to me, is about satisfying one’s own curiosity instead of attempting to serve humanity in general. It is a laudable goal, but intellectual freedom is an individual pursuit and that seemed to be the missing piece for Diderot.
Freedom of Information Day–Thank a Reporter!
I certainly see the importance of sunshine laws like FOIA, but I also like that Bohannon’s original idea focused on celebrating the First Amendment, which has perhaps lost some of the focus.
Happy Birthday, Art Spiegelman
Through his art, Spiegelman has taken on such topics as Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, and the Crown Heights riot of 1991 and we celebrate him as a banned author.