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The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association

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Tag: Public Libraries

Positive Impact of Banned Books Week: A Reflection from Youth Services

We have a tremendous education task to execute as advocates for the freedom to read, and Banned Books Week is one awareness tool to assist in that effort.

October 7, 2019December 18, 2019 Lisa Rand Banned and Challenged Books, Banned Books Week, Displays
Globe, black background

The Public Library as a World Stage: An Analysis of Censorship

The common misconception that any library espouses the content of its collection and programming can lead to feelings of patron alienation. An imagining of the library as an equitable world stage can help to mitigate resulting acrimony directed at this institution.

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 Ross Sempek Censorship, General Interest, Programming, Self-Censorship
Library Due dates

The Fine Line: Ethical and Intellectual-Freedom Implications of Charging Our Patrons

Is it unethical to charge library fines? The current landscape in public and other libraries shows that there’s no one way to handle it, but trends are moving in favor of patrons.

October 8, 2018September 30, 2018 Robert Sarwark Access, Library Bill of Rights, Policies, Professional Ethics
AJ (Creative Commons)

Where Do We Stand? Libraries and Self-Published Authors

It is not uncommon for writers to choose the route of self-publishing because the traditional publishing route is difficult, if not impossible, for some writers to enter.  This is especially true if you happen to be a member of a marginalized group. Self-publishing is probably the only opportunity available to you.

May 3, 2018May 4, 2018 Andrea Jamison Intellectual Freedom Issues
Gift

An Intellectual Freedom Wish List

In this season of gift-giving, what intellectual freedom gift would public library directors most like to see in their communities?

December 6, 2017December 6, 2017 Patricia Peters General Interest
Idea

Reflection: What Intellectual Freedom Means to Us

As this first year as a contributor to the ALA OIF blog comes to a close, I’ve asked some of my system colleagues to reflect on what Intellectual Freedom means to them, personally and professionally.

November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 Linsey Milillo Information Access

The News Called…

By Dustin Fife I love when news organizations reach out to librarians. A local news agency reached out to me today to ask about internet filtering and some possible legislation […]

May 17, 2016May 17, 2016 Dustin Fife Intellectual Freedom Committee
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Participation on this site is regulated by ALA’s Online Code of Conduct, available at https://www.ala.org/online-code-of-conduct.

The Intellectual Freedom Blog’s purpose is to educate and encourage discussions about intellectual freedom principles and promote the value of libraries, librarians, and professional membership in the American Library Association (ALA). The blog is managed and edited by staff of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) to raise awareness of time-sensitive news, issues in the field, upcoming events, helpful resources, and the work of members.

Our writers represent a broad range of types of libraries, backgrounds, viewpoints and passions. Publication by the Intellectual Freedom Blog does not constitute an endorsement of the content or represent the official position of OIF or ALA. Content will align with ALA policy or will be clearly stated otherwise. All writers are required to consent to the policy and purpose of the Intellectual Freedom Blog.

Lively commentary and reactions to posts are welcome but are moderated by OIF staff. Comments should be relevant to the specific post to which they refer. OIF reserves the right to remove, or not to publish, comments unrelated to the topic of the post or purpose of the blog. Spam, flaming, personal attacks, and off-topic comments are not permitted.

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