Intellectual Freedom
ALA's IFC Approves New Guidelines on Contact Tracing, Reopening Libraries, Video Surveillance
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Responding to health and privacy concerns during the reopening of libraries and recent discussions of video surveillance and filming in libraries, the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) and its Privacy Subcommittee have approved guidelines to assist...
Privacy During a Pandemic: Town Hall for Library, Information Workers for Choose Privacy Week
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CHICAGO – When states and local governments closed libraries and schools to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, library workers and educators responded to the emergency by quickly adopting commercial online tools and platforms to ensure continued access to...
Intellectual freedom stories from a shifting landscape
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CHICAGO — Intellectual freedom is a complex concept that democracies and free societies around the world define in different ways but always strive to uphold. And ¾«¶«´«Ã½has long recognized the crucial role that libraries play in protecting this right. But...
Connecticut Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee receives the 2020 Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award
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The Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is pleased to announce that the Connecticut Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee is the 2020 recipient of the Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award...
¾«¶«´«Ã½welcomes LinkedIn Learning’s changes to terms of service
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CHICAGO – After conversations with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) and other industry leaders, LinkedIn Learning — formerly Lynda.com, a platform used by libraries to provide online learning opportunities to library users —announced today that it...
Rebecca Ginsburg Receives Immroth Award
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The ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Immroth Award Committee is pleased to announce Rebecca Ginsburg as the recipient of the 2020 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award, which honors significant contributions defending...
Kenneth D. Crews’s authoritative copyright resource gets an update
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CHICAGO — Copyright law never sleeps, making it imperative to keep abreast of the latest developments. Declared “an exemplary text that seals the standards for such books” ( Managing Information), the newly revised and updated fourth edition of “...
¾«¶«´«Ã½opposes proposed Tennessee law that threatens state’s freedom to read
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CHICAGO - Today the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) released the following statement regarding Tennessee HB 2721, which would require a parental oversight board to replace policies and library experts in the development of library collections and...
OIF responds to Missouri legislation that proposes policies and procedures that threaten access to information
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CHICAGO – Missouri House Bill 2044, introduced on January 8, 2020, proposes the creation of five-member “parental library review boards” to identify “age-inappropriate” public library materials and restrict access to those materials. The bill proposes...
The first-ever print complement to the Creative Commons Certificate program
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CHICAGO — The figures are eye-opening: more than 1.6 billion works on 9 million websites are licensed under Creative Commons (CC). These materials constitute an extraordinarily rich repository for teaching, learning, sharing, and creative reuse. Knowing...
32 guides for teaching banned books
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CHICAGO — As standard-bearers for intellectual freedom, school and children’s librarians are in ideal positions to collaborate with educators to not only protect the freedom to read but also ensure that valued books which touch upon important topics are...
Call for nominations for the Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award
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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...
¾«¶«´«Ã½responds to county commission decision to deny digital access to New York Times in Citrus County public libraries
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CHICAGO – The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ has issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Citrus County (Florida) Board of Commissioners to not allow the Citrus County libraries to buy a digital subscription to the New York Times...
Become a copyright coach
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CHICAGO — From researching to remixing, library users need your guidance on a wide range of copyright topics. The way to move beyond “yes, you can” or “no, you can’t” is to become a copyright coach. In “ Coaching Copyright,” published by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Editions...
Image Comics is teaming up with ALA’s GNCRT and IFRT to celebrate #BannedBooksWeek
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Image Comics is celebrating Banned Books Week with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table and the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Intellectual Freedom Round Table by producing a week of Library Livestream webinars featuring creators and librarians in conversation on a number...
Nominations open for 2020 IFRT John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award
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The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is accepting nominations for the 2020 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award. This award, presented annually, honors notable contributions to intellectual freedom and demonstrations of personal courage in defense...
Libraries ‘Keep the Light On’ During Banned Books Week
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Don’t be left in the dark this Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28, 2019). The ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) offers several resources and activities for libraries and readers that highlight the Banned Books Week 2019...
Revised and new intellectual freedom policies and resources available from ALA, IFC
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In anticipation of a new edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual, the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) revised several existing interpretations and resources and created new policies, guidelines and resources to address emerging intellectual...
¾«¶«´«Ã½urges LinkedIn Learning to reconsider changes to terms of service that impair library users’ privacy rights
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CHICAGO - LinkedIn Learning — formerly Lynda.com, a platform used by libraries to provide online learning opportunities to library users — plans to make substantial changes to its terms of service that would significantly impair library users’ privacy...
IFRT Emerging Leader Videos Engage Non-Librarians
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ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is pleased to announce the publication of four videos to engage non-librarians in the fight to protect intellectual freedom. The brief explainer videos cover the basics of intellectual freedom, censorship, and...