Intellectual Freedom News 2/15/19
Two New eCourses: Privacy and the First Amendment; Andover Public Library will keep transgender children’s books in the kids section; Lawmakers rebuff bid to criminalize use of ‘obscene’ materials in Maine schools
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.
The Life and Death of Abolitionist, Writer, and Civil Rights Activist: Frederick Douglass
A brief look into the life and death of the great Frederick Douglass, a true freedom fighter.
Dispatches from the Houghton, Part Three: Deeper into the Shadows
An academic librarian and scholar of historical book banning debriefs after his third trip to visit the holdings of Harvard’s Houghton Library — including rare books that once appeared on the Catholic Index of Forbidden Books.
Un-American Books in American Classrooms
Books are most often challenged for language, sexual content, and violence, but what about for political reasons? A perfect storm ensues when political ideologies, race-based fears, and those seeking political gain exert influence over a school’s curriculum.
Intellectual Freedom News 2/8/2019
New Library Bill of Rights Provision Recognizes and Defends Library Users’ Privacy; Council adopts revision to ‘Copyright: An Interpretation of the Code of Ethics’; 6 answers to Twitter questions about reporting censorship
Silence in Full Volume: The Censorship of an Important Public Artwork
An artwork stowed away into obscurity? Suppression and opportunities for thoughtful community conversations sidestepped? This proved to be an artwork well worth scrutinizing and exploring due to it being a paradigm example of the stifling of free speech.
A Censor Sits in a Library
By: guest contributor Emily M. Schneider, Ph.D. – I am not writing to defend Gantos and McKean’s novel. I empathize with those critics who have expressed fears that it will only stoke the fires of xenophobia and normalize suspicion of Muslims, and that children may find in the book an excuse to bully their peers who seem to conform to the exaggerated images in the book. But, like Fitzgerald, I can also hold opposing ideas, specifically, fears of censorship, and the idea that allowing a book to be published does not imply endorsement of its message.
6 Answers to Twitter Questions About Reporting Censorship
Last month, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom hosted its first Intellectual Freedom Chat (#ALAIFchat) on Twitter. One hour and 280 characters just wasn’t enough to answer all questions. Here are some answers to questions we didn’t get to, as well as some thoughtful discussions we hope will continue.
Support Freedom for Student Journalists
The critical work of journalists in a democratic society requires protecting freedom of expression. A free press cannot flourish where writers fear censorship or retaliation. How did you celebrate #StudentPressFreedom on Wednesday, January 30?