Intellectual Freedom
Freedom to Read Celebration, Supporting the Merritt Fund, and Featuring Banned Author David Levithan
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Join the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) and the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) along with banned author David Levithan, library professionals, authors, and friends for this 2022 Freedom to Read Celebration, Merritt Fund fundraiser, and...
Library, author, bookseller groups condemn legal action attempting to censor books in Virginia
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The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) joined with Virginia librarians and booksellers, publishers and civil liberties organizations to issue a statement on June 1 condemning a Virginia political candidate’s legal action that seeks to halt distribution of...
Freedom to Read Foundation 2022 Election Results
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CHICAGO-The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ dedicated to protecting and defending each person’s First Amendment right to read, concluded its annual...
More than 25 organizations join forces with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ to Unite Against Book Bans
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Campaign urges decisionmakers to oppose book bans, protect the freedom to read The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) and a coalition of more than 25 groups are banding together to empower individuals and communities to fight censorship and protect the...
New Banned Books Week materials and more debut in spring/summer ¾«¶«´«Ã½Graphics catalog
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CHICAGO – The Spring/Summer 2022 ¾«¶«´«Ã½Graphics catalog delivers a range of exciting posters and bookmarks to inspire and encourage readers of all ages. The cover displays the new Banned Books Week poster which offers the important and timely message that...
IFRT awards 2022 Hodges Award to two Tennessee Organizations
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The Intellectual Freedom Round Table's Coalition Building Committee will award the 2022 Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award to the Tennessee Library Association (TLA) and the Tennessee Association of School Librarians (TASL). For...
GNCRT seeks information about censorship of comics in schools and libraries
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In February 2022 the Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) launched a new committee focused on preparing for and addressing bans, challenges, and other forms of censorship of comics in libraries. This...
¾«¶«´«Ã½Working Group on Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice schedules online discussions on potential alternatives to neutrality
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CHICAGO — The ¾«¶«´«Ã½Working Group on Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice will host three online sessions for members and library workers that will provide opportunities to learn more about potential alternatives to neutrality. The alternatives to...
United for Libraries and OIF to present May 11 webinar on ‘First Amendment Audits: What Your Library Board and Staff Need to Know’
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Exton, Pennsylvania — What should library staff do when self-proclaimed “citizen journalists” enter the library claiming a right to question employees and film in any space accessible to the public? The May 11 webinar “ First Amendment Audits: What Your...
National Library Week kicks off with State of America’s Libraries Report, annual 'Top 10 Most Challenged Books' list and a new campaign to fight book bans
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Book challenges top 700 – the most since 2000 CHICAGO —The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) kicks off National Library Week with the release of its State of America's Libraries Report, highlighting the challenges U.S. libraries faced in the second year...
Terri Lesley Receives IFRT Immroth Memorial Award
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The ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Immroth Award Committee is pleased to announce Terri Lesley as the recipient of the 2022 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award, which honors notable contributions to intellectual...
Large majorities of voters oppose book bans and have confidence in libraries
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First survey of its kind confirms national bipartisan support for the freedom to read CHICAGO—Amid the recent proliferation of efforts to ban books in every state across the country, a new national poll commissioned by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½...
Celebrate the freedom to read during National Library Week, April 3-9
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CHICAGO – The freedom to read is essential to holding together the fabric of our democracy. Our nation’s libraries are on the front lines, protecting that freedom in the face of threats from groups that would remove or limit access to reading materials...
¾«¶«´«Ã½ releases new privacy field guides
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CHICAGO — Privacy is a core value of librarianship, but what does it mean to put privacy in action in the library? Wading through suggested best practices, technology requirements, and the laws addressing privacy rights can be daunting and can raise more...
Jamie M. Gregory Receives IFRT Oboler Memorial Award
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The ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award is presented each year for an excellent work in the area of intellectual freedom. The 2022 award cycle marked a change for the Oboler Award. Starting this year, articles and books will be...
Make your voice heard within ¾«¶«´«Ã½at the Virtual Membership Meeting, Thursday, March 17
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CHICAGO – ¾«¶«´«Ã½members will have the opportunity to engage in real time with ¾«¶«´«Ã½leadership during the association’s Virtual Membership Meeting, at 1 p.m. Central/2 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, March 17. Virtual meetings are part of ALA’s ongoing focus to...
United for Libraries to present ‘Keeping Governance on Track’ webinars March 29 and 31
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EXTON, Pennsylvania - United for Libraries will present a free two-part webinar series, “ Keeping Governance on Track ,” March 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern and March 31 at 7 p.m. Eastern. Increasingly, library board meetings are facing disruptions, often making...
Register now for ¾«¶«´«Ã½Connect Live session focusing on sustainability and climate action for libraries and communities
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CHICAGO — This month's ¾«¶«´«Ã½Connect Live session is one you won't want to miss. It will showcase what library champions are doing to help their communities address climate change. Register now for this important discussion, which takes place at 11 a.m...
PLA responds to growing intellectual freedom challenges with virtual townhall
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CHICAGO — As libraries continue confronting unprecedented attacks on the freedom to read, the Public Library Association (PLA) will offer a virtual townhall event, Facing the Challenge: Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, on Friday, March 4, from 1–2 p.m...
New intellectual freedom resource helps librarians address challenges to problematic authors
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CHICAGO – Librarians face an increasing number of book challenges, with objections aimed specifically at the content contained in the books themselves, including LGBTQ+ content and critical race theory. But today the objections are increasingly reaching...