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The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association

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Author: Lisa Rand

April Dawkins

School Librarians Can Protect Intellectual Freedom, an interview with April Dawkins

I felt fairly prepared to handle a materials challenge, but as I talk with other librarians, I see this is an area of great concern.

January 25, 2021January 22, 2021 Lisa Rand Authors, Education, Intellectual Freedom Issues, School Libraries
Sandra Cisneros

Happy Birthday, Sandra Cisneros

Author, poet, and artist Sandra Cisneros celebrates her birthday today.

December 20, 2020December 17, 2020 Lisa Rand Authors, Banned and Challenged Books
A colorful welcome sign painted on wood

Library Access Beyond English

Access is part of the intellectual freedom equation. Whether access is impaired by economic inequalities, print disabilities, physical challenges, or language differences, librarians should work to dismantle barriers.

December 9, 2020February 13, 2021 Lisa Rand Access, Diversity, Professional Development
BBW events at CWU Libraries

Celebrating Banned Books Week at Central Washington University, Freedom to Read Foundation Grant Winner

When we looked at ALA’s Ten Most Challenged Books of 2019 and saw that 8 of the 10 most banned books were challenged for LGBTQIA+ themes, we knew that we should center LGBTQIA+ themes in our Banned Books Week programming.

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020 Lisa Rand Banned Books Week
Hand holding sign that reads “My ethnicity is not a virus”

Fighting Anti-Asian Racism: Tools for Libraries

When we provide library patrons with books that tell a fuller story about Asian American experience, we can help eliminate the conditions in which ignorance and fear flourish.

May 21, 2020February 13, 2021 Lisa Rand Hate Crimes, Information Literacy
Photo of author Elizabeth Acevedo

Fighting Censorship & Challenges to Powerful Teen Texts

Literature can provide youth and their teachers with meaningful tools for coping, discussing, and understanding. Library professionals have a duty to protect that access.

April 23, 2020April 21, 2020 Lisa Rand Authors, Banned and Challenged Books, Censorship
Votes for Women button

Voices for a More Complete Women’s History

This year many libraries will be marking the anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The anniversary presents an opportunity for uplifting and highlighting voices that have gone mostly unheard.

March 10, 2020March 2, 2020 Lisa Rand Education, Information Access, Social Justice
portrait of Virginia Woolf in 1902 by George Charles Beresford 1902

Happy birthday, Virginia Woolf

Woolf had a keen sense of the need for equitable access, access to both a physical space for thinking and to intellectual nourishment, in order for women to be empowered to create.

January 25, 2020January 19, 2020 Lisa Rand Authors, Banned and Challenged Books, Censorship
Microphone with Stage Lights

Community Theater & Artistic Freedom: An interview with Leena Devlin

“I believe theater is there to broaden your mind, to really look at the way you view the world to explore the idea that maybe you’re not looking at it as widely as you can.”

January 9, 2020December 31, 2019 Lisa Rand Academic Freedom, Banned and Challenged Books
Ellie Diaz

Supporting Intellectual Freedom Year-round: An interview with Ellie Diaz

Censorship happens every day. The more we draw attention to how these texts are challenged, the more we can position libraries as community cornerstones where differing points of view can exist in one place.

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 Lisa Rand Banned Books Week

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Participation on this site is regulated by ALA’s Online Code of Conduct, available at https://www.ala.org/online-code-of-conduct.

The Intellectual Freedom Blog’s purpose is to educate and encourage discussions about intellectual freedom principles and promote the value of libraries, librarians, and professional membership in the American Library Association (ALA). The blog is managed and edited by staff of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) to raise awareness of time-sensitive news, issues in the field, upcoming events, helpful resources, and the work of members.

Our writers represent a broad range of types of libraries, backgrounds, viewpoints and passions. Publication by the Intellectual Freedom Blog does not constitute an endorsement of the content or represent the official position of OIF or ALA. Content will align with ALA policy or will be clearly stated otherwise. All writers are required to consent to the policy and purpose of the Intellectual Freedom Blog.

Lively commentary and reactions to posts are welcome but are moderated by OIF staff. Comments should be relevant to the specific post to which they refer. OIF reserves the right to remove, or not to publish, comments unrelated to the topic of the post or purpose of the blog. Spam, flaming, personal attacks, and off-topic comments are not permitted.

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