Category: Intellectual Freedom Issues
Musk’s Twitter Deal: A Win for Intellectual Freedom?
Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter might be on the rocks, but if it does eventually go through, will he change the platform for the better? What’s his stance on intellectual freedom? Does he actually care about free speech?
The Intersection of Roe v. Wade and Intellectual Freedom
Riley points out the laws in many states requiring people seeking abortion to get “counseling” prior to the procedure is a direct violation of the patient’s and doctor’s intellectual freedom. These laws, often referred to as “informed consent,” focus disproportionately on the negative and rare side effects of abortion while ignoring the positive effects of the procedure and the negative effects of continuing the pregnancy.
A Conversation about Book Challenges
The Cranston Public Library in Cranston, RI hosts a weekly podcast titled Down Time with Cranston Public Library where they talk with librarians, library workers and community members about a variety of topics. On February 15th, 2022 they spoke with Martin Garnar, director of the Amherst College Library, and Marianne Mirando, the Librarian from Westerly High School in Westerly, RI to talk about the recent increase in book challenges across the country. They discussed what it means for a book to be challenged in a school or public library and what you can do to protect intellectual freedom in your community. This post is an excerpt from their conversation.
Talking about Manga Censorship with TOKYOPOP
Happy 25th birthday TOKYOPOP! For a quarter of a century TOKYOPOP has been bringing manga to North American readers, and so is no stranger to intellectual freedom issues around manga. But, really, what do manga publishers think about manga censorship? In February 2022, I had the chance to ask that and many more questions to one of the most notable publishers of manga in North America! So, let us meet Kae Winters and hear what TOKYOPOP has to say.
The Stakeholders of Status Quo
As coordinated censorship attempts spread across the country, understanding who and what these conservative organizations represent is an important piece toward preventing further threats to intellectual freedom in the U.S.
Addressing Challenges to Books by Problematic Authors Q&A – A Summary
A common concern among librarians and other information professionals is how to handle materials written by individuals wrapped up in some type of controversy, whether that be political statements they have made publicly, crimes or misconduct that they have been accused of, or where they have donated or invested their money. This post will summarize a Q&A that provides guidance selecting, weeding and addressing challenges to these types of materials.
Fight Censorship! Updated Resources from the Office for Intellectual Freedom
Book challenges have been a hot topic in news and politics lately. The American Library Association (ALA) Executive Board recently released a statement affirming its opposition to widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. Schools. OIF has tracked 155 unique censorship incidents between June 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021. With the high volume of challenges right now, OIF has made available a clearinghouse of resources on its Fight Censorship page.
Has the Culture War Come for Libraries?
“The Culture War Has Come for Higher Ed,” proclaimed a recent headline in The Chronicle of Higher Education, summarizing ongoing attacks on intellectual freedom and the closely related concept of academic freedom. Although the same risks apply to academic libraries and librarians, they are often excluded from this discussion about freedoms required for teaching and research. Recognizing that academic librarians have academic freedom is only the first step, albeit an important one.
Supreme Court Struggles With Campus Speech Question in Recent Decision
The Supreme Court has decided that schools have an interest in keeping an eye on what students post on social media sites in order to avoid “substantial disruption” on campus. But just where does campus end and how disrupting must speech be for schools to act and stay on the right side of the First Amendment?
“Cancel Culture” Not a Government Matter, But The Boss Can Shut You Down
The law is clear: employers get to decide whether or not an employee’s latest Tweet is grounds for termination and the First Amendment, though meant to be a shield from government overreach, is no shield from private consequence.