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The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is excited to announce an educational collaboration with the San Jose State University School of Information (SJSU iSchool).

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with the Freedom to Read Foundation in our courses on intellectual freedom in our Master of Library and Information Science degree program. This topic is especially timely given our current climate,” said Sandra Hirsh, SJSU School of Information director and professor.

FTRF worked with Professor Beth Wrenn-Estes to provide materials and speakers for her YA Librarianship course, and next month FTRF staff and speakers will collaborate on a first session with Professor Carrie Gardner to offer an Intellectual Freedom Seminar. That is a 100% asynchronous course held August 21 through December 10, 2018. Gardner has taught an IF course since 2002 and covers everything from the legal foundation of the First Amendment to IF history, policies, ethics, and privacy and how these topics intersect in our libraries. There are still openings available. Students interested in the course can contact SJSU iSchool online or by calling (408) 924-2490 for more information and reference course 234.

The collaboration combines FTRF’s resources and speakers with San Jose’s renowned reputation for library science education. SJSU iSchool courses are open to students across the U.S., across the world and through the . Library science classes have been taught at SJSU since 1928 and the graduate degree program has been 100% online since 2009. For more information about the SJSU iSchool, visit

“Intellectual freedom is librarianship’s core value – with a particular urgency in today’s challenging environment. We are eager to engage with a new generation of professionals at America’s leading universities for our field,” said FTRF Director James LaRue.

The Freedom to Read Foundation is in its fourth year of a similar collaboration with the University of Illinois iSchool and professor Emily Knox. Through U of I, the foundation collaborates on an annual two-credit online course.

For more information on other FTRF news and initiatives, visit or email ftrf@ala.org.