Intellectual Freedom
Free Banned Books Week webinar at noon ET on Sept. 24
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CHICAGO—Travel to London, South Carolina, Texas and California to learn about efforts to un-ban books by attending the free webinar, "Regional Issues for Banned Books in 2014." In 2013, there were hundreds of reported requests for books to be removed from...
New books spotlight intellectual freedom challenges and triumphs for kids in time for Banned Books Week
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CHICAGO —The annual Banned Books Week, held Sept. 21−27 this year, celebrates the freedom to read. Two new titles published by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Editions spotlight both the challenges and triumphs of safeguarding intellectual freedom for young people: “ Intellectual...
Call for events: Organizations invited to post events for Banned Books Week, Sept. 21-27
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CHICAGO — The Executive Committee of Banned Books Week invites organizations and individuals, such as libraries, authors, publishers, bookstores and schools, to share how they are celebrating 2014’s Banned Books Week. This year’s Banned Books Week, which...
FTRF to award two scholarships for 'Intellectual Freedom and Censorship' LIS course
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CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) will provide two scholarships to interested Library & Information Science (LIS) students for “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship,” a two-credit online course taking place Aug. 26–Oct. 10, 2014. The course...
Information governance and security
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CHICAGO — Written by Alan MacLennan, “ Information Governance and Assurance: Reducing Risk, Promoting Policy,” published by Facet Publishing and available through the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Store, is a comprehensive textbook that discusses the legal, organizational and...
75th anniversary of the Library Bill of Rights
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CHICAGO — Seventy-five years ago at the 1939 ¾«¶«´«Ã½Annual Conference in San Francisco, the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council adopted the Library’s Bill of Rights, echoing the spirit of a document from the Des Moines Public Library in 1938. This document, refreshed in 1944, 1948...
Over-filtering in schools and libraries harms education, new ¾«¶«´«Ã½report finds
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Schools and libraries nationwide are routinely filtering internet content far more than what the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires, according to “Fencing Out Knowledge: Impacts of the Children’s Internet Protection Act 10...
Banned Books Week 2014 celebrates graphic novels
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CHICAGO — The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA), with the national Banned Books Week planning committee, today announced that this year's celebration of the freedom to read will emphasize a thematic focus on comics and graphic novels. This year's Banned...
John 'Mack' Freeman awarded 2014 Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship
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CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) has selected John "Mack" Freeman, a public librarian in Georgia, as the seventh recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship. The Conable Scholarship will provide for Freeman's expenses to...
NJLA Intellectual Freedom Committee receives the 2014 Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations award
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CHICAGO — The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) announces that The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is the recipient of the 2014 Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom...
Registration now open for Choose Privacy Week 2014 webinar,'Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts'
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CHICAGO — Dark forces conspire online to undermine privacy, compromise accounts, stalk, troll and just plain creep us out. Libraries have a longstanding tradition of protecting their users’ privacy and confidentiality, but often fail to take basic steps...
Privacy All Year Round: Choose Privacy Week, May 1 – 7, 2014
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CHICAGO – Each year on May 1, librarians, library users and privacy advocates come together to observe Choose Privacy Week - an annual event promoting the importance of individual privacy rights. But protecting and promoting privacy in libraries and in...
FTRF Krug Fund Banned Books Week grant applications open through April 30 (Now May 5)
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CHICAGO — Applications are now open for the 2014 Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund Banned Books Week event grants, sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF). Organizations are encouraged to apply for grants of $1,000 and/or $2,500 in support of "Read...
¾«¶«´«Ã½joins SXSW technology policy discussions
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CHICAGO — The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) will join the technology policy conversations in play at the South by Southwest EDU and Interactive conferences in Austin starting this week. Privacy and the “internet of things” will be among the topics on...
FTRF, ¾«¶«´«Ã½file amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court case on ability to bring First Amendment challenges
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CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) on Friday joined a broad range of organizations and bookstores in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court (PDF) in a case potentially affecting the right to...
¾«¶«´«Ã½ president responds to Obama surveillance speech
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Barbara Stripling, president of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA), released the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s remarks on the National Security Agency surveillance program: “After months of calling for...
Freedom to Read Foundation hosts memorial reception for Carolyn Forsman at Midwinter Meeting
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CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) will be hosting a memorial reception for Carolyn Forsman, the librarian and jeweler who passed away shortly before the 2013 Midwinter Meeting. The reception will be from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 in...
Freedom to Read Foundation and ¾«¶«´«Ã½file brief in lawsuit challenging Arizona ethnic studies ban
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CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) yesterday joined with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ and several other library, education and free speech organizations in filing an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Arce v...
John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award nominations deadline extended
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CHICAGO - The John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award honors intellectual freedom fighters in and outside the library profession who have demonstrated remarkable personal courage in resisting censorship. The award consists of $500 and a citation. Individuals...