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Do you know of a state chapter or organization that has:

• bravely defended the freedom to read or access information;
• successfully promoted intellectual freedom issues;
• or demonstrated exemplary coalition-building efforts?

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is accepting nominations for the 2020 .

The Gerald Hodges Award recognizes an intellectual freedom-focused organization that has developed a strong multi-year, ongoing program or a single, one-year project that exemplifies support for intellectual freedom, patron confidentiality and anti-censorship efforts. This award consists of a citation and $1,000. The IFRT will present the award during the 2020 ¾«¶«´«Ã½Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Past recipients include the and the . Learn more about past recipients, programs and projects on the .

The award is named after Gerald Hodges, who joined the ¾«¶«´«Ã½staff in 1989 as director of Membership Services and the Chapter Relations Office. Hodges was the associate director of Communications and Marketing at his death in 2006, but intellectual freedom and chapter relations were still his passions. A charter member of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Legacy Society, he willed a portion of his estate to support ALA's intellectual freedom efforts. Memorial contributions in recognition of Hodges came from many friends, colleagues and ¾«¶«´«Ã½chapters following the establishment of the Gerald Hodges Fund.

The award is sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA). An online nomination form and printable PDF nomination form . The deadline for nominations is Jan. 1, 2020.

Members of the are: Chair Shane Roopnarine, University of Central Florida Libraries; Stephanie Barnaby, Fineman & Pappas Law Libraries; Heather Hopkins; Ray James; Isabel Klein, Cuyahoga County Public Library; Amanda Vazquez, Dubuque County Library.

The (IFRT) provides a forum for the discussion of activities, programs and problems in intellectual freedom of libraries and librarians; serves as a channel of communications on intellectual freedom matters; promotes a greater opportunity for involvement among the members of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½in defense of intellectual freedom; promotes a greater feeling of responsibility in the implementation of ¾«¶«´«Ã½policies on intellectual freedom.

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