intellectual freedom Archives | Page 2 of 23 | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Council Rescinds “Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of The Library Bill of Rights”

August 16, 2018

The motion to rescind the 2018 version was approved. Ninety of the 179 councilors were required to vote. Seventy-five percent of those voting were needed to approve the measure. A total of 146 voted on this question, representing 82% of eligible voters. The final tally: 140 voted to rescind, four voted not to rescind, and … Continue reading ALA Council Rescinds “Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of The Library Bill of Rights” →

OIF Responds to Library Bill of Rights Meeting Room Amendment

July 10, 2018

“Recent updates to Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights does not establish any new right to conduct hate speech in libraries. ALA does not endorse hate groups and does not seek to normalize hate speech,” said LaRue. “The interpretation reflects the current legal climate libraries face when providing the public with … Continue reading OIF Responds to Library Bill of Rights Meeting Room Amendment →

Emily Knox speaks at the Midwinter President’s Program. Photo: Cognotes

Are Libraries Neutral?

June 1, 2018

The Moderator ALA President Jim Neal Are libraries neutral? Have they ever been? Should they be? Can libraries be neutral as part of societies and systems that are not neutral? Are libraries, through their processes, their practices, their collections and technologies, able to be neutral? ALA has long advocated for certain principles, detailed in the … Continue reading Are Libraries Neutral? →

Hasan Minhaj at the Public Library Association Conference in Philadelphia on March 24. Photo: Laura Kinser

Newsmaker: Hasan Minhaj

By Terra Dankowski | June 1, 2018

You share some intensely personal experiences in Homecoming King about being the child of an immigrant. Was it hard deciding what to codify into comedy? In a comedy special you have only 70 minutes, so a lot of times you’re working with coffee and you need to boil it down to comedy espresso. I’m trying to … Continue reading Newsmaker: Hasan Minhaj →

How Should Libraries Respond to #MeToo?

By Shannon M. Oltmann | June 1, 2018

Yet these revelations and incidents lead to troublesome, difficult questions: What should we do about the books these authors have written? Do we remove them from circulation or pledge to no longer purchase them? Do we keep them on the shelves as if nothing has changed? Do we owe something to our patrons, our colleagues, … Continue reading How Should Libraries Respond to #MeToo? →

Institutional Neutrality Isn’t Reality

By Julie Jones | May 1, 2018

The rally was hosted by the UW College Republicans, who invited Patriot Prayer—a right-wing group based in the Pacific Northwest—as a way to exercise free speech rights. As many open-carry advocates, white supremacists, and neo-Nazis voiced their intentions to attend the rally, fears of maintaining campus safety increased. (Just last year, a protester was shot … Continue reading Institutional Neutrality Isn’t Reality →

Community-centric Advocacy

By Miranda Doran-Myers | February 9, 2018

Libraries transform lives. Libraries transform communities. Librarians are passionate advocates for lifelong learning. Libraries are a smart investment. According to the research cited by the bootcamp’s leaders, humans need to hear something up to 10 times before the message really sinks in, so let’s see how many times I can pepper these messages into my … Continue reading Community-centric Advocacy →

Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one. --Neil Gaiman

Ten Reasons Libraries Are Still Better Than the Internet

By Marcus Banks | December 19, 2017

Sixteen years ago, American Libraries published Mark Y. Herring’s essay “Ten Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library” (April 2001). Technology has improved exponentially since then—social media didn’t even exist yet. But even the smartest phone’s intelligence is limited by paywalls, Twitter trolls, fake news, and other hazards of online life. Here … Continue reading Ten Reasons Libraries Are Still Better Than the Internet →

50 years of the Office for Intellectual Freedom

50 Years of Intellectual Freedom

By Eleanor Diaz and James LaRue | November 1, 2017

This December, OIF is celebrating 50 years of fighting for intellectual freedom: half a century of championing libraries, finding allies within the literary community, and aiding librarians in times of high anxiety. It’s an evolving role to be cherished and safeguarded. Lighting the flame At the 1965 Midwinter Meeting preconference in Washington, D.C., the Intellectual … Continue reading 50 Years of Intellectual Freedom →

Using Our Words

By Joseph Janes | September 1, 2017

Even my amateur lexicographic interest ill prepared me for a world in which one of the more trenchant voices of political observation belongs to the Merriam-Webster Twitter feed (@MerriamWebster). If you don’t follow it yet, do so immediately, for its largely straightforward Word of the Day feature as well as its often wry and acerbic … Continue reading Using Our Words →

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Charlottesville, Virginia (Photo: Billy Hathorn/Creative Commons license)

Charlottesville Violence Poses New Challenges for Libraries

By Timothy Inklebarger | August 18, 2017

Libraries at both the public and university level historically have developed response plans for natural disasters, but the Charlottesville demonstrations and similar white nationalist rallies planned for other cities have library administrators working not only to protect patrons and library infrastructure but to assist in relief efforts. Both the University of Florida and Texas A&M … Continue reading Charlottesville Violence Poses New Challenges for Libraries →

From left: Marguerite Avery, April Hathcock, and Jamie LaRue (speaking) at the American Library Association’s 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24, 2017. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Intellectual Freedom and Open Access: Working Toward a Common Goal?

By Jennifer Putnam Davis | June 25, 2017

Marguerite Avery, senior acquisitions editor at Trinity University Press in San Antonio, Texas, spoke from a publisher’s point of view. Avery eagerly joined this conversation because, “framing intellectual freedom and open access is seldom discussed over intellectual property and open access,” she explains. Avery defines intellectual freedom as “being able to seek and receive all … Continue reading Intellectual Freedom and Open Access: Working Toward a Common Goal? →

Latest Library Links

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the digital divide now that learning, work, and much of our daily life has moved online. As a result, the imperative to pass broadband legislation in Congress is greater than ever. In recent months, the House and Senate have introduced several bills that include provisions to ensure libraries are equipped to address the digital needs of their communities, and the American Library Association (ALA) has supported many of them. Marijke Visser and Kevin Maher of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office detail the bills that library advocates should watch.
AL: The Scoop, July 15
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Cast members from the new Netflix series The Baby-Sitters Club, based on the best-selling book series by Ann M. Martin, recorded a video PSA in support of libraries. The PSA highlights how libraries offer great entertainment the whole family can enjoy together, including books, movies, music, video games, and online programs. A resource page lets libraries spread the word by sharing the video on websites and social media.
ALA Communications and Marketing Office, July 15
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Strong libraries are essential to the recovery of communities devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help guide communities, library workers, and library supporters along the path to recovery, on July 15 ALA launched a curated, online repository of tools, guides, and resources. The ALA COVID-19 Recovery website includes everything from the latest information on safely reopening libraries to funding opportunities available on the local, state, and federal level. It will be updated often and replace the existing COVID-19 Response page that has served the community through the pandemic thus far. The online resource center is arranged into four sections: Advocacy and Policy; Education; Data and Research; and Guidance Content and Protocol.
ALA News, July 15
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Laura Sackton writes: “If you’re an audiobook fan, full-cast audiobooks are like treating yourself to a Broadway show: When they’re done well, they are absolutely unforgettable. A cast of talented voice actors can bring books to life in truly remarkable ways. These are some of the best new full-cast audiobooks that have come out in the past few years.”
Book Riot, July 15
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The Summersville (W.Va.) Public Library is returning to curbside-only service after an incident involving a patron refusing to wear a mask. Staff members said a patron who was asked to wear a mask in the library allegedly became agitated and took it off before walking down the aisles coughing on books and computers, according to a Facebook post by the library. The library said the person then became aggressive and began verbally abusing staff.
WCHS-TV Charleston, July 9
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In a June 22 statement, University of Oregon Libraries promised to review its special collections, amplify marginalized voices, change its recruitment and hiring practices, and cover three New Deal-era murals in the Knight Library that contain racist content before students resume classes in the fall. Interim Dean of Libraries Mark Watson said UO Libraries has hired a professional conservator to evaluate the works and advise on how to best cover them.
University of Oregon Daily Emerald, July 14
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The Booke of Sir Thomas More, a late 16th or early 17th-century play by William Shakespeare, is almost never read or performed. But it is the only surviving example of his handwriting aside from his will. Now, the British Library has uploaded the full, scanned manuscript to its Digitized Manuscripts page.
Open Culture, July 14

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