censorship Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Left to right: Susan Harris, Ross Ufberg, Jamie LaRue, Inci Sariz, and Peter Blackstock

“If People Don’t Read It Here, It Doesn’t Help Much”

By Carrie Smith | June 27, 2017

On Monday, June 26, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), the Association of American Publishers, and the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative brought together for the program “Banned Abroad: Stories of International Censorship” panelists who have worked as publishers, translators, editors, and researchers to discuss their experiences with works that have been censored … Continue reading “If People Don’t Read It Here, It Doesn’t Help Much” →

A volunteer with Books to Prisons Seattle searches the donated books to fulfill prisoner requests.

The Freedom of Reading

By Kaitlin Throgmorton | October 31, 2016

Books-to-prisoners programs across the country are doing their best to address this need by taking book requests from prisoners by mail, then having volunteers match those requests to books that have been donated by the public or purchased with monetary donations. Volunteers also prep books for shipment, assess and sort donations, keep track of the … Continue reading The Freedom of Reading →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Banned Books

October 5, 2016

James LaRue, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and the executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. James and Phil talk about the difference between a challenge and a ban, the reasons behind books bans in the US, and more. Sara Stevenson, a librarian at O. Henry Middle School in … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Banned Books →

Forget Me Not

By Joseph Janes | May 31, 2016

A few days ago brought a minor news item describing refinements Google has made to the process to request the removal of links in search results that are “inadequate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant,” popularly known as the “right to be forgotten,” in response to a 2014 ruling by the European Court of Justice. Ever … Continue reading Forget Me Not →

Safe and Sound

By Joseph Janes | March 1, 2016

I had the opportunity to indulge a while ago. My former doctoral student Elisabeth Jones invited me to come and be part of a session she was doing with her first-quarter graduate students on the future of libraries. They had done some initial readings, and naturally had their own ideas, many of which brought them … Continue reading Safe and Sound →

Scholarly Communication

By Karen Muller | October 30, 2015

Some aspects of the scholarly cycle have persisted for centuries: Scholars write to one another discussing their work, present findings at departmental colloquia or conferences, publish an article, and when there’s a body of research, revamp it into a book. In Scholarly Communications: A History from Content as King to Content as Kingmaker, John J. … Continue reading Scholarly Communication →

Banned Books Week Roundup 2015

By George M. Eberhart | September 29, 2015

Kristin Pekoll, assistant director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, says that librarians and teachers often feel frustrated by these efforts to restrict the scope of reading. “More and more, they are reaching out to our office for support because they’re feeling silenced by their administrations,” she says. “While the fear of … Continue reading Banned Books Week Roundup 2015 →

Challenges by Initiator, 2014: Who challenges books?

Don’t Take the Freedom to Read for Granted

September 22, 2015

Banned Books Week, September 27–October 3, celebrates the idea that the freedom to read and access ideas can transform lives, but when books are banned, readers are blocked from seeing all viewpoints and perspectives. Because so many books that include racial issues and diverse characters are challenged, it is particularly important that we create public … Continue reading Don’t Take the Freedom to Read for Granted →

Gloria Steinem: Rescued by Librarians

By Amy Carlton | June 28, 2015

True to form, Steinem wanted to use her Auditorium Speaker Series presentation to upend the traditional notion of an author speech. She opened by saying, “We have something very special this morning: an hour in this room with a combination of people that has never happened before and never will happen again.” She then expressed … Continue reading Gloria Steinem: Rescued by Librarians →

Newsmaker: Judy Blume

By Claire Bushey | April 15, 2014

Judy Blume’s books have been favorites of children and teenagers for three decades. Her 25-plus titles include classics like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and the Fudge series, featuring put-upon 4th-grader Peter Hatcher and his irrepressible younger brother. Blume is also an outspoken opponent of censorship, a result of attempts through the years … Continue reading Newsmaker: Judy Blume →

Latest Library Links

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Chris Hoffman writes: “Windows contains a variety of system utilities that are useful, but well-hidden. Some are buried deep in the Start menu, while others you can access only if you know the right command to run. You can launch most of these tools easily if you know their names—just search your start menu for the name of the tool, and you’re good to go. Regardless of how you launch them, these tools can help you do everything from diagnose crashes to examine system performance to improve security.”

How-To Geek, July 24
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Cory Doctorow writes: “People flying home from San Diego Comic-Con on July 23 got a rude surprise when they spotted signs at the United check-in warning them not to put comics in their checked bags—and most assumed it was the TSA’s doing, a reasonable assumption. United blamed the TSA, but now the TSA denies any involvement.” A TSA spokesperson said there is “no restriction on anything related to putting comics or any type of books” in baggage, and TSA never put out any guidance to that effect.

Boing Boing, July 24
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PLA is teaming with its legacy partners to celebrate the launch of a research report on the role of information access in development of sustainable societies around the world. Development and Access to Information (DA2I) is a joint project between the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the Technology and Social Change Group that demonstrates how access to information and libraries contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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PLA, July 24
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Louise Lareau writes: “If I could go back in time, I would never have watched Jaws. I cannot say that I was a big fan of sharks to begin with, but watching that movie changed my view of the ocean forever. It’s sad really, because sharks are fascinating. People are more likely to be killed by a disease-carrying mosquito, lightning, a toilet, a bee sting, a vending machine, a tornado, or the flu than they are a shark. The library has dozens of children’s books about sharks. Here is a short list to get you started.”

New York Public Library Blogs, July 24
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Kareem Shaheen writes: “Syria is the greatest humanitarian tragedy of our time. Around half a million people have been killed in the civil war that began as a peaceful uprising against the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, and half the country’s population has been displaced. It spurred a massive and ongoing refugee crisis. It’s an awfully complicated war, but to begin to grasp its threads, I’ve put together a list of books that can help you make sense of it.”

Book Riot, July 24
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Twice a year, the Freedom to Read Foundation trustees and liaisons meet to discuss emerging intellectual freedom topics in our libraries, schools, and government offices. Often these topics overlap with issues of privacy, censorship, and the First Amendment. Join FTRF Developing Issues Committee members Carolyn Caywood and Ray James in a free August 4 webinar that will provide an overview of newsworthy intellectual freedom topics.

Freedom to Read Foundation
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Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser writes: “Many of us working with kids and teens spend our reading time catching up on the books we’re excited to recommend to our readers. We encourage patrons to continue reading and learning all through the summer so they can start the school year ready to grow. What if we did the same for ourselves? What if we carved out a little time over the summer to educate ourselves on improving management skills? Here are some titles to start your reading journey.”

ALSC Blog, July 21

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