Intellectual Freedom News 7/30/2021
“This addition to the ALA Code of Ethics supports the association’s mission to foster cultural understanding by providing library professionals with a professional framework that supports equity, diversity, and inclusion,” said ALA President Patty Wong. “On behalf of the ALA Executive Board, I would like to thank COPE, the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Advisory Committee, the ALA Committee on Diversity, and ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee for their diligence, commitment, and dedication to ensuring that library service is equitable and available to all.”
LGBTQ+ Mis/Disinformation Is a Public Health and Safety Issue
The inaugural Social Media Safety Index report from GLAAD, when combined with recent anti-LGBTQ+ education legislation, reveals that LGBTQ+ mis/disinformation has created public health and safety issues based on an unsound free speech argument.
The Value of Private Health Information
I suspect we will see more and more options to customize medical care and health efforts based on our DNA and other medical data, and we should carefully consider the potential privacy implications of these efforts, especially when they occur outside of the sanctity of a doctor’s office and are driven by a company who may have interests beyond our health. As I like to prompt my students to think about, what is the value of this information – to me and to others? And, given that value, who can/should I share it with?
Join the #BannedBooksChat With Jason Reynolds!
Join Banned Books Week and Honorary Chair Jason Reynolds on Monday, August 2, at 4:00 p.m. EDT for a #BannedBooksChat on Twitter!
Intellectual Freedom News 7/23/2021
“Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” Explore posters, bookmarks, and more with this year’s Banned Books Week theme! September 26 – October 2, 2021.
IFRT Member Spotlight – Eldon Ray James
This month we would like to highlight IFRT Member Eldon “Ray” James.
From Challenge to Recharge: Preparing Your Library Board to Uphold Intellectual Freedom
If your library were faced with an intellectual freedom challenge, would your board have your back? The United For Libraries President’s Program for ALA Annual Conference 2021, “Challenges & Crises: Preparing Your Board of Trustees,” delivered earned wisdom and practical tips to ensure your library board is willing and prepared to uphold intellectual freedom. Read on to learn how your library board can turn a library challenge into an opportunity for community recharge.
The First Joint Intellectual Freedom Awards
For the first time, the Intellectual Freedom Awards were presented in a joint awards ceremony. The awards given are: Robert P. Downs Award, the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, the Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award, the John Philip Immroth Award, and the Freedom to Read Foundation Honor Roll. Learn more about this past year’s intellectual freedom powerhouses here.
Pride Month and Censorship: A Resource Guide
In light of recent attacks on the rights of LGTBQIA+ individuals and an increasingly toxic political environment, it’s doubtful that these concerted efforts to censor the speech of others will fade away anytime soon. Furthermore, librarians and their professional commitment to creating learning environments free from censorship almost certainly guarantees that they will face further challenges. Thus, the intention behind this list, even if it’s not entirely successful in communicating the breadth of ALA resources, is to provide a starting point for further exploration of intellectual freedom and the ways in which we, as librarians, can better advocate not only ourselves, but our communities as well.
Intellectual Freedom News 7/09/2021
American Libraries spoke with Garnar and Magi, as well as several of the manual’s contributors, about the latest challenges to intellectual freedom that library workers face. First published in 1974, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Manual has become an essential reference for library workers who need dependable answers to thorny questions about book challenges, patron privacy, and policy development for their institutions.