Intellectual Freedom News
Intellectual Freedom News
March 23, 2016
Office for Intellectual Freedom
- FREE Webinar Choose Privacy Week 2016: Raising Awareness in Your Library and in Your Community. March 24, 1:00pm CST. Featuring speakers Erin Berman, Michael Zimmer, and Jamie LaRue. Recording is now available
- CALL FOR BLOGGERS ON FILTERING CONFIGURATION – The Federal Communication Commission has significantly increased erate funding. Some libraries will find the near certainty of getting new money very appealing. The funding comes with strings, however: the requirement to install filters to attempt to block child pornography, obscenity, and content that is harmful to minors. I’d be curious to find out from our readers who has actually installed a filter, which filter they chose, and what decisions they had to make as part of installation. Blogging about that process could prove most helpful to other librarians. Interested? Contact Jamie LaRue at jlarue@ala.org, or call 312-280-4222.
- Applications are now open for the 2016 Conable Conference Scholarship sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation. (FTRF). The Conable Conference Scholarship provides funding for an LIS student or recent graduate to attend the American Library Association’s Annual Conference. The 2016 ALA Annual Conference will be held in Orlando, FL, June 23-28, 2016. Application deadline: April 8, 2016 5pm CST. Winners will be announced in early April, 2016. To apply visit: http://www.ftrf.org/page/2016_Conable
- Applications for the BBW Krug Fund Grants are now open! Since 2010, the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund has disbursed grants to organizations to assist them stage “Read-Outs”, other events, or programming during Banned Books Week. The 2016 Banned Books Week: September 25 – October 1, 2016. Grant application deadline: May 15, 2016 https://ftrf.site-ym.com/page/2016_KrugBBW
Censorship
- Global Politics: Engaging a Complex World; Textbook Destroyed | Inside Higher Ed
Libraries and Intellectual Freedom
- This One Summer; VICTORY in Florida: This One Summer Unrestricted in Seminole County High Schools | CBLDF
- After a challenge to Paper Towns by John Green; Panel looks to tweak policy of challenging instructional materials |Crossville Chronicle TN
- The Fact Police: When patrons challenge the veracity of books | American Libraries
- Delicate line between protecting civil liberties of library patrons and the safety of vulnerable children | Edmonton Journal Canada
- Tell your lawmaker: approve the amazing, copyfighting, surveillance-hating new Librarian of Congress! | BoingBoing; Please tweet at your senators in support of Dr.Hayden #hayden4loc
Legislation
- FOIA; FOIA reform unanimously passed by Senate faces final hurdle | District Dispatch
- VA HB516; Editorial: Censorship, or judgment? | Richmond Times-Dispatch
- VA HB516; Editorial: What about those racy books? | Richmond Times-Dispatch
- VA HB516; Veto ‘Beloved’ bill, expand Medicaid | The News Leader
- VA HB516; Column: ‘Explicit books bill’ shows legislators disconnect with today’s teens | Fredericksburg
Privacy
- Encryption: A Matter of Human Rights | Amnesty International (Full Report)
- Black Americans and Encryption: The Stakes are Higher than Apple v. FBI | The Guardian
- The FCC’s Internet privacy rules: What you need to know | The Hill
- Judge suspends Apple’s San Bernardino case pending FBI hack | The Verge
- Amazon risks market backlash after removing encryption on Kindle Fire tablets | Computer Business Review
- Google Expands ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ in Europe | Top Tech News
- First-ever Tor node in a Canadian library | BoingBoing
- Privacy Concerns Raised About New York City’s Free Wi-Fi | Fast Company
- Editorial: Chipping away at privacy in the name of safety | The Virginian Pilot
Around the Web
- Lifelong Learning and Technology | Pew Research Center
- Facebook Is Eating the World | Columbia Journalism Review
- Will apps become the next disability lawsuit target? | Tech Crunch
- Head defends ‘gay play’ at her primary school and stands up to homophobic comments on social media | The Bolton News UK
- Parents Shouldn’t Let Schools Force Kids To Read Smut | The Federalist
ALA News
- Celebrate National Library Week – Monday, April 11 is the release of the 2015 Top Ten Most Challenged Books!
- “The Library Juice Press Handbook of Intellectual Freedom” named 2016 Eli M. Oboler Award winner
- Transgender teen activist Jazz Jennings is Auditorium Speaker at 2016 ALA Annual Conference
- Committee on Professional Ethics Presents “No Room at the Library: The Ethics of Diversity” – In support of ALA’s multiyear campaign of Libraries Transform, we want to foster dialog about inclusion and ethics in libraries. Key speaker, Loida Garcia-Febo, and a panel of thoughtful leaders will facilitate audience discussion after the Ethics committee performs three different skits. In the tradition of “What Would You Do?”, we will shed light on ethical dilemmas involving religious, cultural and LGBTQ issues. Reflecting on the recent resolution to ALA council, one skit will address potential Islamophobia and the ethical responsibilities of librarians to promote libraries transforming to a global and inclusive space. Co-sponsored by International Relations Round Table and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table
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