The words “Freedom to Read Foundation: Grants for Banned Books Week” in read on a gray background with the FTRF’s logo, a book with a torch on the cover, in front of the word freedom

Freedom to Read Foundation Banned Book Week Grant Recipients

Every year the Freedom to Read Foundation awards libraries with grants to facilitate programming, outreach, displays and other promotional work around Banned Books Week. These grants are funded out of the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund. This year’s banned book week theme is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” and will take place at libraries, schools, and booksellers around the country on Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2021. This year four public libraries and one school library were awarded grants.

Intellectual Freedom Awards

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.

Be the Change Humble Book Bundle ALA

Be the Change: How to Support BIPOC Librarians and Writers of Color

Although there is no one way to support emerging BIPOC librarians, we can all agree: It is transformative when you exercise the opportunity to do so. If you want to support social justice and intellectual freedom education, the “Be the Change” Book Bundle is for you. Revenues from the “Be the Change” eBook Bundle will go to ALA general fund initiatives, including the Spectrum Scholarship Program.

Intellectual Freedom Heroes

Intellectual Freedom Heroes

While at ALA’s Midwinter conference, I was thrilled to hear the news that two very distinguished and prominent awards honored two very deserving and courageous freedom fighters. The Freedom to Read Foundation and Office of Intellectual Freedom proudly congratulate David Levithan on receiving the Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award and Pat Scales on being the 2016 recipient of the ALSC Distinguished Service Award.