Welcome to your guide to intellectual freedom and privacy at ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition 2024, June 27 – July 2! With censorship on the rise, this year’s conference lineup includes sessions and meetings that tackle these critical issues. This guide is crafted to help you find conference sessions focused on intellectual freedom and privacy.

We also include essential ALA committee meetings. If you are committed to upholding the right to access information freely, please join us. These meetings are open for all attendees.

Making the Most of ALA 2024

You can use this guide to focus your conference experience in the following ways:

• Targeted Learning: Tackle censorship and enhance privacy with actionable strategies from leading experts.
• Network: Build connections with peers and join open ALA committee meetings to influence key discussions.
• Join the Dialogue: Select sessions that align with your advocacy goals.
• Drive Change: Help ensure libraries remain centers for free expression and information access.

Programs & Events

Please note that schedule and location are subject to change. Please check the ALA Annual Conference scheduler or the app for the latest updates.

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Event	Description
FTRF Board Trustees and Liaisons Meeting 9:00am – 4:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 10 Meeting	Everyone is welcome! The Freedom to Read Foundation will be holding its semiannual Board Trustees and Liaisons Meeting. Discussion will include a review of the current and pending lawsuits we are involved in, a review of our financial status and a summary of the educational programs that took place over the last fiscal year.

Friday, June 28, 2024

Event	Description
Library Insights Summit: Building Bridges to End Book Bans 10:45am – 11:45am San Diego Convention Center, Room 6F Program	How are librarians and libraries coping with book banning efforts? How can publishers support their ability to choose books without threats or undue pressure? As a publisher, how can you help librarians as advocates for free and open access to books? A panel of librarians and experts share their challenges and process ideas with the audience.
Round Table Coordinating Assembly (RTCA) Meeting 10:30am – 12:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 11A Meeting	Everyone is welcome! Meeting for leaders of the round tables.
Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) Meeting #1 2:30pm – 3:30pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 14B Meeting	Everyone is welcome! The charge of the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is to recommend such steps as may be necessary to safeguard the rights of library users, libraries, and librarians, in accordance with the first amendment to the United States Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights as adopted by the ALA Council. To work closely with the Office for Intellectual Freedom and with other units and officers of the association in matters touching intellectual freedom and censorship.
Rally for the Right to Read Reception 7:00pm – 8:00pm Hilton Bayfront, Sapphire Ballroom CDGH Special Event	We once again honor the courage and resilience of America’s librarians and their work to protect the freedom to read! Join us for the 2nd Annual Rally for the Right to Read, featuring an acclaimed author, ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Awards, and a snapshot of incredible work by new and veteran advocates who exemplify what it means to Unite Against Book Bans. The Intellectual Freedom Awards include the FTRF Roll of Honor Award, Eli M. Oboler Award, Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award, and John Phillip Immroth Award. We are pleased to invite you to a pre-rally reception from 7-8:00 p.m., with cash bar and light hors d’oeuvres. Program begins at 8:00 p.m. Celebrate conference opening night with your fellow intellectual freedom fighters and be inspired to action. All conference attendees are welcome; badges are required. ALA and Unite Against Book Bans gratefully acknowledge Premier Sponsors of this year’s event, Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.
Rally for the Right to Read 8:00pm – 9:00pm Hilton Bayfront, Sapphire Ballroom ABEF Special Event	We once again honor the courage and resilience of America’s librarians and their work to protect the freedom to read! Join us for the 2nd Annual Rally for the Right to Read, featuring an acclaimed author, ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Awards, and a snapshot of incredible work by new and veteran advocates who exemplify what it means to Unite Against Book Bans. The Intellectual Freedom Awards include the FTRF Roll of Honor Award, Eli M. Oboler Award, Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award, and John Phillip Immroth Award. We are pleased to invite you to a pre-rally reception from 7-8:00 p.m., with cash bar and light hors d’oeuvres. Program begins at 8:00 p.m. Celebrate conference opening night with your fellow intellectual freedom fighters and be inspired to action. All conference attendees are welcome; badges are required. ALA and Unite Against Book Bans gratefully acknowledge Premier Sponsors of this year’s event, Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Event	Desctiption
Freedom To Read A Thon 9:00am – 4:00pm Marriott Marquis, Grand Ballroom Section Special Event	Join us for the “Freedom to Read-a-Thon,” organized by Literacy Nation and EMIERT. This event celebrates the freedom to read and promotes access to diverse literature. Participants can read from any genre they choose for 5 minutes. The event will also feature authors, adding to the celebration of literature and storytelling. Proceeds from the event will support the Merritt Fund-which provides financial assistance to librarians, Literacy Nation and EMEIRT. Join us in championing the fundamental right to access diverse literature and building a sense of community among librarians and literature enthusiasts. Your participation helps promote literacy, intellectual freedom, and access to diverse literature. “With Literacy and Justice for all”
Banned Books from the Big Chair 9:00am – 5:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Lobby E Special Event	Sage, Banned Books Week, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, and Unite Against Book Bans are teaming up to make the Banned Books Read-Out booth even bigger – with a very big chair! Anyone who wants to record a video is encouraged to come by the booth on Saturday or Sunday.
Get Students Protecting Intellectual Freedom For Youth: An Asynchronous Primer for Preservice Teachers (Poster 28) 10:00am – 11:30am San Diego Convention Center, Sails Pavilion Poster Session	As the number of book challenges and bans rises in school libraries across the country, those speaking out against censorship are primarily parents, teachers, librarians, and community members. The K-12 students who are directly affected by these challenges and bans are infrequently represented at school board meetings to defend their right to read and have access to books. These students may be fearful of a public appearance or may not be aware of the challenges, or it might be that they have not yet learned the language of advocacy. This poster will explain an asynchronous course being used in one college of education that seeks to help preservice teachers teach their own students how to advocate for intellectual freedom. By increasing their awareness of challenges, studying court cases, and becoming familiar with resources to fight book bans, these preservice teachers will be better equipped to help their future students speak out and defend their right to read. The poster will feature an explanation of the problem, show screenshots of the course and the module content, highlight students responses and reactions to the course, and serve as a springboard to a larger discussion about how to empower students to become more effective and visible advocates for issues that are affecting them, especially book challenges and bans. The poster will also have work samples of advocacy projects that students enrolled in the course have completed to spread awareness of book challenges and to encourage students to speak out against bans. Learning Objectives: -Identify strategies for engaging students in asynchronous learning about book challenges and bans -Describe how student learning translates to advocacy based on work samples -Adapt a course outline or content for their own teaching and learning purposes
LGBTQ+ and Free: Queer Books in an Era of Book Bans 10:30am – 11:20am Exhibit Hall, Diversity in Publishing Stage (Booth 2250) Program	What does it mean to be a queer reader, librarian, and writer in an era rife with bathroom bills, book censorship, and drag bans? These queer authors and publishers will talk frankly about the challenges of being in the book business, the vital role librarians play in their stewardship of queer communities, and how queer traditions of collectivism, activism, and organizing can help protect us in a quickly changing world. Author(s) / Speaker(s): Jodie Anders, author of Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice, and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens (Mango Media); Swan Huntley, author of I Want You More (Zibby Books); Danny Ramadan, Lambda Literary Award winner and author of the Salma series (Annick Press); Navid Sinaki, author of Medusa of the Roses (Grove Press); Chloe Zofia, content strategist and media producer at Red Hen Press; and moderated by Cavar, author of Failure to Comply (Featherproof Books).
Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE) Meeting 10:30am – 12:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 27A Meeting	This is the meeting of ALA’s Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE). The Council Committee on Professional Ethics shall augment the Code of Ethics by explanatory interpretations and additional statements, prepared by this committee or elicited from other units of ALA. See https://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/ala/ala-profethic. Guests are welcome to observe the work of the committee.
Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) Privacy Subcommittee Meeting 1:00pm – 2:00pm Marriott Marquis, Catalina Meeting	Everyone is welcome! Meeting of the Intellectual Freedom Committee’s Privacy Subcommittee. The charge of the Subcommittee is to monitor ongoing privacy developments in technology, politics and legislation, as well as social and cultural trends that impact individual privacy and confidentiality, both in libraries and the wider world. It is charged with identifying privacy needs and resources for librarians and library users; proposing action on resolutions, policies, and guidelines addressing privacy, confidentiality, and data security; developing educational, informational, and promotional projects addressing privacy, confidentiality, and data security issues; and collaborating with other member groups and organizations within and without ALA on matters within its charge.
Censorship on the Rise: Lessons from Recent Challenges (Poster 17) 1:00pm – 2:30pm San Diego Convention Center, Sails Pavilion Poster Session	This poster presents the takeaways from semi-structured interviews with seven public librarians. Three of the interviews were from library directors, and the other interviews were from librarians that worked in various positions in the library. These librarians were located in the Southeast and faced censorship challenges that made national news in 2021-2022. The interviews sought information on RQ1: What do you wish the public understood about cases of censorship? and RQ2: What recommendations do you have for others who might be facing a case of censorship in the library? Takeaways: Librarians wish the public understood loss of access, separation of church and state, serving the vulnerable, freedom of speech, and that apathy hurts libraries. Librarians must communicate, educate, be prepared (policies, talking points, etc.), have/ build community support, and have personal support. Learning Objectives: -Upon completion, participants will acquire information on what should be conveyed to the public about censorship. -Upon completion, participants will be able to compare recommendations to their own library systems and themselves. -Upon completion, participants will be able to see that censorship can happen anywhere and preparation is key.
Protecting the Right to Read in Challenging Times (NMRT) 1:00pm – 2:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 4 Program	How do you defend a book or a collection subject to removal when facing this challenging situation for the first time? How can you approach your first patron complaint about a children’s book being inappropriate for its current placement? This session will have a presentation and panel discussion featuring representatives of the Office of Intellectual Freedom, the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and a community member who chose to fight back against book censorship. After this session, you will leave with actionable steps you can take to address intellectual freedom and book ban threats, and resources to support yourself.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Takes a Stand Against Censorship 1:00pm – 2:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 7B Program	In light of the removal and review of over 1,600 books, including three Ripley’s Believe It or Not! titles, in Escambia County, Florida, Ripley’s has taken a proactive stance to ensure access to our beloved annual book. We initiated a campaign to provide free copies of our annual title to Florida residents, which has garnered an overwhelming response, with over 20,000 copies already requested. As a company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the news of our books being targeted for removal and review hits close to home. Not only does Florida boast nine Ripley’s attractions, but our books are also produced in-house in Orlando, from research and writing to design and dedication to fact-checking. We firmly believe that our books serve as magical portals to different worlds and ideas, fostering curiosity, understanding, and imagination. They enable readers to learn about new places, understand different perspectives, and imagine possibilities previously unexplored. The outpouring of enthusiasm and support from fans on social media further underscores the impact of our work in inspiring curiosity and celebrating the extraordinary. This presentation provides a platform to discuss Ripley Publishing’s efforts to combat censorship, promote intellectual freedom, and inspire curiosity. Our experience navigating recent challenges and our ongoing commitment to providing diverse and engaging content make for a compelling topic of discussion.
Soft Censorship of LGBTQIA+ Content and its Chilling Effect on the Children’s Book World 1:00pm – 2:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 23ABC Program	Book bans dominate our national literary narrative. With a record number of book challenges logged by PEN America and the American Library Association last year, and nearly half of those uniquely challenged titles written by or about LGBTQIA+ people, the targeting of certain “controversial” themes and subsequent threat to intellectual freedom are clear. (“2022 Book Ban Data,” “LGBTQ book challenges are on the rise. Here’s why.”) Harder to track, though, is the soft censorship of LGBTQIA+ children’s books and their creators. This program addresses the chilling effect around LGBTQIA+ books and the unquantifiable but real impact of the current climate on various aspects of the children’s book world, including school visits and sales. This inclusive panel features three authors addressing subtle (and occasionally overt) censorship of their books alongside a marketing director from an independent publisher who will speak to school and library market challenges. The program will be moderated by a subject matter specialist librarian. Learning Objectives: -Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to identify soft censorship of LGBTQIA+ and ancillary children’s book content. -Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to accurately identify three opportunities to incorporate LGBTQIA+ literature into library programming. -Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to articulate three resources for vetted, high-quality LGBTQIA+ kids books.
60 Tips for Youth Services in 60 Minutes 2:30pm – 4:00pm Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom A Program	In this timed rapid-fire presentation, ALA Editions | Neal-Schuman authors – all of whom work closely with school and/or youth populations – take turns briskly detailing one tip per minute to enhance youth services. Informed by up-to-the-minute news and information, their author-expert guidance may cover such topics as collection development, finding and spreading inspiration, library-community collaborations, early literacy programming and space design, diversity and inclusion in programming for older children and teens, readers’ advisory, school librarian leadership development, story time strategies, training and partnering with teachers, using research data to inform youth services planning, and self-care in turbulent times. Following the formal presentation of tips, all program participants are welcomed to stay through the second half-hour (3:30 to 4:00 PM) for Q&A and to bring their professional concerns and goals to each author-expert for discussion in the session room. Expected Presenters and Times: -Hilda K. Weisburg – 15 Tips for Leadership in School Libraries and Youth Services (2:30 to 2:45 PM) –Val Edwards and Maegan Coffin Heindel – 15 Tips for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges (2:45 to 3:00 PM) -Betsy Diamant-Cohen – 15 Tips to Make Your Library a Better Developmental Space for Babies and Small Children (3:00 to 3:15 PM) -Dorothy Stoltz – 15 Tips for Inspired Thinking (3:15 to 3:30 PM) -Q&A/Book Browse and Shop (3:30 to 4:00 PM)
Combating Voter Suppression in Your Library 2:30pm – 3:30pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 29D Program	With up to a quarter of the world’s population voting, 2024 is being called “the super election year” and is expected to be the biggest election year in history. In the United States, in addition to the presidential election, citizens will be voting for 34 Senate seats, 435 Representative voting seats, 11 governors, 10 attorney generals, numerous state representatives, and more. Worldwide, it is estimated that up to 49% of eligible voters, or two billion people, will be voting in one of 64 national elections. Fair elections are threatened by misinformation, doxing, and even threats of violence. In this turbulent environment, 2024 has the potential to shape world for many years to come – both good and bad.  Join the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) as we discuss ways for librarians and libraries to combat voter suppression in an age of rampant mis- and disinformation. Topics include voter suppression toolkits, helping your patrons spot misinformation, and promoting civic literacy through forums.
Train Your Trustees for Troubled Times: Intellectual Freedom Round Table Chair’s Program 2:30pm – 3:30pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 28ABC Program	Is your library board prepared for challenges to library materials, resources, or programs? A panel of library directors and Trustees will discuss what directors and board members need to know about intellectual freedom, including applicable laws and library policies, who to contact for support, and how to work together to build relationships and advocate for the library. Attendees will learn about training resources from ALA, United for Libraries, and other organizations, and find out how Trustees and directors have worked together to successfully navigate challenges. Moderated by IFRT Chair Amanda Sand Vazquez.
Survey of Texas Library Workers on Censorship in the State (Poster 70) 3:30pm – 5:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Sails Pavilion Poster Session	Efforts to censor library materials are often hindered by social, cultural, religious, administrative, and political resistance. LGBTQIA+ collections within libraries have historically encountered resistance and continue to do so today. For school and public libraries, these scenarios are familiar ones. Many have developed policies and procedures to form a defense against challenges designed to marginalize and remove perceived offensive material. In academic settings, the discussion of such challenges is not frequently found in library literature. A survey taken of Texas library employees demonstrates academic libraries, in addition to public and school libraries, are experiencing concerns regarding book and material challenges in response to recent legislation and community backlash. This poster will discuss librarian experiences in Texas based on a survey from summer 2023 and potential next steps for academic libraries. Learning Objectives: -Participants will be introduced to the concerns and experiences of Texas librarians with regards to current book and materials challenges. -Participants will interpret the impact of legislation and community sentiment on how book and materials challenges occur. -Participants will be able to navigate unique obstacles in academic librarianship with respect to censorship and what can be learned from school and public libraries.
Organizing for Librarians: Skills for Successful Advocacy 4:00pm – 5:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 30ABCDE Program	In a shifting political climate, many librarians have found themselves calling on a new set of skills: advocating to justify their professional values and calling on their communities for support in the face of book banning. Effectively marshaling public support requires new tools, such as power mapping your community, making an ask to a volunteer or decisionmaker, and making an organizing plan. What can participants learn from ALA staff and members who have experience working to influence public policy? This session will attempt to demystify the nuts and bolts of political organizing, with a focus on the library context. By sharing experiences and specific methods, presenters will help participants connect to organizing both within the ALA advocacy community and in their own localities and states. This panel discussion will feature library organizers discussing and teaching the tactics they use to advocate effectively. Participants will hear presentations on these tactics in action, and practice some of these skills in small groups to build both competencies and relationships with like-minded professionals facing similar challenges. Learning Objectives: -Connect with and increase awareness of national advocacy resources such as the Advocacy Action Plan Workbook, ALA Public Policy and Advocacy email list, OneClickPolitics advocacy platform, and Office for Intellectual Freedom local organizing plans. -Build relationships within the participant group to encourage future collaboration and knowledge sharing. -Introduce participants to political organizing tactics such as drafting succinct and clear calls to action, making an ask to a decisionmaker, and capitalizing on urgency.
Merritt Fund Reception 6:30pm – 8:30pm Marriott Marquis, ALA President’s Suite Special Event	Drop in to this reception and fundraiser to benefit the Leroy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund. The Merritt Fund provides direct financial assistance to library workers who are denied employment rights due to their defense of intellectual freedom or because of discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or place of national origin. All conference attendees are welcome; badges are required. There is a suggested donation at door $10-$20. All proceeds go directly to the Merritt Fund and help librarians in need. This event is hosted by the Merritt Fund Promotion Committee, with greetings by ALA President Emily Drabinski.

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Event	Description
Banned Books from the Big Chair 9:00am – 5:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Lobby E Special Event	Sage, Banned Books Week, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, and Unite Against Book Bans are teaming up to make the Banned Books Read-Out booth even bigger – with a very big chair! Anyone who wants to record a video is encouraged to come by the booth on Saturday or Sunday.
Identity and Authentication: Enhancing the Research Experience with Responsible Use of Patron Data 9:00am – 10:00 am San Diego Convention Center, Room 11A Program	For online users, libraries play the important role of facilitating easy access to resources. The choice of authentication method directly affects the user research experience. Identity and access solutions have mechanisms for surfacing enhanced functionality in library catalogs and discovery layers. What does enhanced research functionality look like with the ethical use of patron data? This session will demonstrate practical, real-life applications for tools that go beyond plain IP authentication, including various levels of sharing and hiding patron data. Library and Vendor panelists will share recommendations, best practices, and tools available to ensure successful access and privacy in the evolving web environment. Learning Objectives: -Describe single sign-on technology options, including Federated Authentication and enhanced proxy services, particularly how they differ from simple IP and proxy authentication, connect library systems, contribute to a “seamless” and enhanced research experience, and affect patron privacy -Consider the benefits and challenges of various tools in the context of your own institution. -Develop and communicate a plan to share and obfuscate patron data and get buy-in from institutional stakeholders. Identify interim steps that your institution can take if not ready to move to federated authentication yet.
Not Just One Thing: Intellectual Freedom and Information Literacy through a Social Justice Lens 11:00am – 12:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 4 Program	Intellectual freedom is sometimes confused with neutrality, and put in contrast with a social justice stance of promoting anti-oppressive materials. But, as two core values of the profession, are intellectual freedom and social justice in conflict? Are they dichotomous or is support of intellectual freedom an act of social justice? Information literacy instruction, which has long been a purview of librarians, further complicates this topic. Both intellectual freedom and information literacy have been analyzed from social justice perspectives, but they are not often discussed in relation to each other. How do we balance intellectual freedom and respect patrons’ experience and knowledge while facilitating the development of information literacy skills? Can we teach patrons how to think without teaching them what to think? Beginning with working definitions of the various terms and drawing on original research, and policy documents, this presentation will explore whether these areas as in conflict or mutually supporting, with attention to how they impact historically marginalized communities. Ideas for weighing these values and service areas against each other for decision and policy making will be shared. Learning Objectives: -Discuss the tensions and synergies between intellectual freedom and information literacy -Explore various conceptualizations of intellectual freedom with regard to physical, social, and intellectual access -Develop and implement strategies for promoting intellectual freedom and information literacy -Explore the social justice implications of both intellectual freedom and information literacy
Intellectual Freedom Challenges in Higher Education: Perspectives from Four Organizations 1:00pm – 2:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 32AB Program	The past decade has witnessed numerous challenges to intellectual freedom across institutions of higher education. Four organizations have taken leading roles in combating these challenges: the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Heterodox Academy (HxA), and the Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA). An informal division of labor has emerged among these organizations. The AAUP investigates and censures campus administrations that violate recognized principles of academic freedom and tenure; FIRE tracks violations of the expression rights of students and faculty and provides legal and advocacy support to those whose rights are violated; HxA funds and organizes discipline-specific initiatives and communities that embody a diversity of ideological viewpoints on campuses; while AFA provides pro bono expert legal counsel to faculty facing academic freedom challenges. This program brings together one member of each of these organizations to address the following questions. How did your personal and/or professional background and experiences lead you to become an advocate for intellectual freedom in higher education? What led you to join the organization which you represent, and what work is that organization currently undertaking to support intellectual freedom in higher education? Why do you think recent threats to intellectual freedom in higher education have come from both politically conservative and politically progressive directions, and (why) do you think both progressives and conservatives should support intellectual freedom in higher education? Do you think colleges and universities should adopt policies of institutional neutrality on social and political issues, and why or why not? And finally: what role(s) do you envision for librarians in general, and academic librarians in particular, in supporting intellectual freedom on campus? Speakers will address these questions in a roundtable discussion format. A moderated Q&A with the audience will follow. Learning Objectives: -Participants will be able to identify four organizations currently taking leading roles in upholding intellectual freedom in higher education. -Participants will be able to identify the initiatives, programs, and forms of support distinctive to each of these four organizations. -Participants will be able to identify diverse and differing forms of threat and challenge to intellectual freedom in higher education today. -Participants will be able to consider the ways in which they might involve themselves and their libraries in support of intellectual freedom in higher education. -Participants will be able to consider the ongoing debate concerning library neutrality in relation to the ongoing debate concerning institutional neutrality in higher education.
Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Meeting 1:00pm – 2:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 7A Meeting	Everyone is welcome! A meeting of the officers, directors-at-large, committee chairs, and members of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT). The IFRT Executive Committee provides oversight of round table business and planning. It carries out the formal decisions of membership and approves the annual round table budget. It makes recommendations and reports to membership through round table communication channels. Learn more at ala.org/ifrt.
Ready. Set. VOTE 1:00pm – 2:00pm Marriott Marquis, Grand Ballroom Section 06 Program	The 2024 elections will be consequential for libraries and the communities we serve. Hear from a panel of policy experts and member leaders about the key issues at stake and their implications for libraries of all types. Learn what ALA is doing to prepare and support the profession and hear how libraries are engaging with voters locally on issues of importance to them. Participants will explore available resources and consider a range of actionable steps this summer and fall so that they, their colleagues, and their partners can uphold the profession’s longstanding commitment to nonpartisan civic engagement and ensure that all communities are “vote ready.”
Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) Meeting #2 2:30pm – 3:30pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 7A Meeting	Everyone is welcome! The charge of the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is to recommend such steps as may be necessary to safeguard the rights of library users, libraries, and librarians, in accordance with the first amendment to the United States Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights as adopted by the ALA Council. To work closely with the Office for Intellectual Freedom and with other units and officers of the association in matters touching intellectual freedom and censorship.
Book Banning: The Jacob Series Authors Share Insights from the Front Lines 3:00pm – 3:25pm Exhibit Hall, Chapter One Stage (Booth 2311) Program	The panelists will discuss their experience as banned authors, what book bans mean for kids, how books build a culture of tolerance, and the devastating consequences of a culture of intolerance. Overwhelmingly, book bans target stories by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ people. The Jacob series teaches tolerance and acceptance of difference, reflecting the lived experience of tens of millions of American children. When books disappear, crucial lessons are lost. Sarah and Ian Hoffman are award-winning authors whose picture books are banned in multiple states and countries. They speak internationally on the topics of gender-expansive kids, equal access to bathrooms, and book bans. Their fourth book, Jacob’s Missing Book, will be released in September 2024.
Joint Committees Meeting of COL-COLA-IFC 4:00pm – 5:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 7A Meeting	Everyone is welcome! This is a joint meeting of the Committee on Legislation (COL), Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC), and Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA).

Monday, July 1, 2024

Event	Description
READCON: A Curriculum for Library Readiness, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment During Challenging Conditions 10:30am – 11:30am San Diego Convention Center, Room 3 Program	Join us as we discuss ways to proactively build relationships with your community. Building on the Get Ready Stay Ready Toolkit, the IMLS-funded READCON project is a curriculum equipping library workers, Trustees, and Friends of the Library groups with skills to partner with their communities more effectively for advocacy. Learn about this highly adaptable, open-source learning tool developed by experts in academic, public, and school librarianship, education and family law, crisis communications, community advocacy and relations, and youth leadership. Find out how the curriculum can help library workers, Trustees, and Friends engage in constructive dialogue on potentially divisive aspects of library programming, service, and material challenges. Learning Objectives: -Explore the crisis communications and community dialogue aspects of READCON to empower library workers, Trustees, and Friends to de-escalate confrontation situations and build trust with and between members of diverse communities. -Identify the best methods for adapting and implementing the professional development modules to their unique setting and needs. -Develop a plan to share the learning tools for teens with teens in their communities.
YALSA President’s Program and Membership Meeting 10:30am – 12:00pm San Diego Convention Center, Room 29D Program	Learn how teens have successfully engaged with and activated their communities around the freedom to read. This moderated panel discussion will feature teen advocates and address book banning, censorship, and how they engaged in civic leadership and built coalitions in the face of challenges. The panel will be preceded by a YALSA Membership meeting from 10:30-11 am. All are welcome!
Wake Up! It’s 1984. 1:00pm – 2:00pm Pacific San Diego Convention Center, Room 8 Program	In recent years, anti-government extremist groups and those who’ve adopted their positions have escalated domestic censorship attempts to previously undocumented levels. These groups’ efforts pose an existential threat to our profession as they’re attacking not only library materials and services, but also librarians and public trust in libraries and schools. Their messaging benefits from social media echo chambers, partisan media coverage, and asymmetries in the information economy that help platform extremism and fuel the engines of outrage. As a result, their talking points are gaining mainstream adoption and political traction. This session will explore the propagandistic practices and rhetorical traps utilized by these groups, the history behind their ideas and tactics, and the disparate ways media outlets cover censorship across the ideological spectrum. We’ll deconstruct the newspeak, doublethink, and disinformation strategies at play to illustrate how polarizing verbiage and concepts make their way from QAnon threads to your mom’s phone calls. Learning Objectives: -List examples of misappropriated terminology, willful misrepresentation, and rhetorical practices used by extremist groups to undermine trust in public education and public libraries. -Identify partisan news coverage and talking points through keywords. -Describe how propagandistic information strategies like exploiting data voids and manipulating metadata can shape contemporary discourse.
You Are Not Alone: Leveraging Community Advocates Against Book Bans 4:00pm – 5:00pm Pacific San Diego Convention Center, Room 23ABC Program	ALA’s Policy Corp is actively advocating for Unite Against Book Bans in the relentless book challenge crisis environment that libraries are currently experiencing. There are important lessons to be learned as librarians in all categories of libraries positioned in varied communities experience traumatic situations either in isolation or as a library entity. Parts of a successful book ban defense lie in collaboration, communication and demonstrated community support. Policy Corps members will offer specific techniques and strategies for outreach to organizations within diverse community populations, crisis communication related to adverse legislation or media, and strengthening relationships with elected officials at the local and state levels, and more. Learning Objectives: -Upon completion participants will be able to activate community partnerships representing diverse and minority communities in support of book challenge defenses. -Upon completion participants will be able to apply techniques to assist them in creating successful partnerships with public officials at the local and state level.Upon completion participants will be able to identify external networks for advocacy support. -Upon completion participants will be able to create a communication plan to reach/engage stakeholders.