Category: General Interest
15 Unforgettable Responses to the 2020 Banned Books List from Authors, Librarians, Readers
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recently released the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020. Here are some reactions and responses from authors, librarians, and readers.
Library Workers Who Saved the Day from Censorship
Today is National Library Workers Day! Library workers are crucial in defending everyone’s right to access information. Here are five stories of amazing librarians who stood up against censorship.
An Invitation to Danger: Perspectives on Intellectual Freedom and Information War
The first task of information warfare is to recognize when you’re in one, because you might not be fighting the information war, but the information war is fighting you. This essay revisits the wartime writing of Archibald MacLeish, poet-warrior, playwright-propagandist, and Librarian of Congress from 1939 through 1944. It explores whether we’re experiencing an information war now, and how the library community can respond.
Apostasy!
The Republican Right humiliated and punished all but its true believers, in a purge that left it less responsive to a changing world, and undercut broad support. Is the Left repeating the play?
Intellectual Freedom News 7/27/20
Highlight Holding Space: A national conversation series with libraries Privacy and Cybersecurity Private ways to access books on sensitive subjects at Tiffin-Seneca Public Library | Advertiser-Tribune (OH) Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech […]
Helping Privacy Survive COVID-19: Inspirational Tidbits from William Marden, NYPL Director of Privacy and Compliance
William Marden, NYPL Director of Privacy and Compliance, gives advice about privacy as we move online during COVID-19 pandemic.
Banned Books Uncensored: Free Webinar on Defending Titles with LGBTQIA+ Content
The most cited reason for challenging library materials and services is because of LGBTQIA+ content. In the free webinar, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis and banned illustrator Stevie Lewis (Prince & Knight) will be joined by censorship experts (OIF Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone, associate professor Shannon Oltmann) and librarians who have defended LGBTQIA+ titles (Stephanie Beverage, Tom Taylor) for a can’t-miss conversation that explores this censorship issue.
IFC Forms Working Group to Respond to Facial Recognition Technology
By: IFC Chair Julia Warga. The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee formed the Facial Recognition Working Group in order to better understand the issues relating to this evolving technology and how it would impact the privacy of library users. We believe the work is urgent given that there are libraries and educational institutions who are beginning to adopt facial recognition software as a means of identifying authorized users and students.
Should artificial intelligence be used to assess potential employees?
I can see the appeal – why not cut down to interviewing only the very best candidates? But until we thoroughly address potential privacy and bias issues, and thoroughly consider the impact on potential employees, I think this is one use of AI I am not excited to experience.
Common Sense Media and ‘Positive Messages’ About Youth
In Common Sense Media’s reviews, conflating the the amount of “inappropriate” content and the value of the messages within the same five-star rating system does a disservice to parents, youth, and art as a whole.