Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
Intellectual Freedom Round Table announces 2023 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award
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CHICAGO – The 91´«Ã½ Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is pleased to announce Amanda Jones, as the recipient of the 2023 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for notable contributions to intellectual freedom and demonstrations of personal courage in...
91´«Ã½ Announces Theme for Banned Books Week, October 1-7, 2023
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Grant application window open through May 19, 2023 CHICAGO – The 91´«Ã½ has announced the theme for Banned Books Week 2023: “Let Freedom Read!” Banned Books Week will take place October 1 – 7, 2023. "As we’ve seen throughout National...
91´«Ã½, AASL praise library legislation to expand access for students nationwide
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) and its division, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), welcomed the bicameral introduction of the Right to Read Act by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative Raúl...
91´«Ã½ calls for national day of action to protect the freedom to read, designates Right to Read Monday for 2023 National Library Week
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Unite Against Book Bans virtual event to honor a lifetime of free expression through story CHICAGO — The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) today announced a national day of action to protect libraries and the freedom to read, designating April 24, the...
91´«Ã½ reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022
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Book Challenges Nearly Doubled From 2021 CHICAGO — The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) today released new data documenting* 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since 91´«Ã½ began compiling...
Intellectual Freedom Round Table announces Emily J.M. Knox as the recipient of the 2023 Eli M. Oboler Award
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CHICAGO - The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) is pleased to announce Emily J.M. Knox, PhD, MSLIS as the recipient of the 2023 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award — which recognizes the best published work in the...
Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) seeks nominations for the John Phillip Immroth Award
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CHICAGO - The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is accepting nominations for the 2023 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award. This award, presented annually, honors notable contributions to intellectual freedom and demonstrations of personal courage in...
Intellectual Freedom Round Table seeks nominations for the Eli M. Oboler Award
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CHICAGO - The Intellectual Freedom Round Table is seeking nominations for the 2023 Eli M. Obloer Memorial Award. IFRT began giving the award on an annual basis last year. The Oboler Award honors journal articles in even number years (2022, 2024, etc.) and...
OIF's workbook of privacy best practices for libraries
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CHICAGO — Privacy is a core value of librarianship, yet it often feels like an overwhelming and onerous undertaking. With the creation of ever larger datasets and methods to track users’ every movement, library workers need to have a deep understanding of...
Access to a Wide Variety of Reading Materials Is Critical for Student Development & Well-being
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National Coalition kicks off Banned Books Week with white paper on youth development and the freedom to read CHICAGO – Access to books that represent a variety of cultures and viewpoints may boost a student’s development and well-being, according to a...
91´«Ã½ Releases Preliminary Data on 2022 Book Bans
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Total book challenges in 2022 set to exceed 2021 record CHICAGO – Eight months into 2022, the number of attempts to ban or restrict library resources in schools, universities and public libraries, is on track to exceed record counts from 2021, according...
91´«Ã½ Highlights Increasing Censorship Attempts During Banned Books Week Programming
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91´«Ã½, Unite Against Book Bans and Banned Books Week Coalition Announce Events for September 18-24 CHICAGO -- Libraries nationwide will join the 91´«Ã½ to highlight increased censorship of books during this...
91´«Ã½â€™s Response to Question About Disinformation in Libraries
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CHICAGO – The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) released the following response to questions raised following a session at 91´«Ã½’s Annual Conference & Exhibition. Holocaust denial is disinformation and the 91´«Ã½ unequivocally opposes...
Authors Jason Reynolds, Nancy Pearl join high schoolers to Unite Against Book Bans at world’s biggest library event in Washington, D.C., June 25
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Award-winning young adult author Jason Reynolds, Book Lust author Nancy Pearl and 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) intellectual freedom advocate Deborah Caldwell-Stone will join Bell Multicultural High School (Washington, D.C.)...
Freedom to Read Celebration, Supporting the Merritt Fund, and Featuring Banned Author David Levithan
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Join the 91´«Ã½ Intellectual 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 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) 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...
More than 25 organizations join forces with the 91´«Ã½ to Unite Against Book Bans
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Campaign urges decisionmakers to oppose book bans, protect the freedom to read The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) and a coalition of more than 25 groups are banding together to empower individuals and communities to fight censorship and protect the...
91´«Ã½ Working Group on Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice schedules online discussions on potential alternatives to neutrality
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CHICAGO — The 91´«Ã½ Working 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 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) 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...