ALA 2011: Intellectual Freedom

Gordon G. Conable Conference Scholarship  An annual scholarship for library school students and new professionals to attend ALA annual, sponsored by FRTF.  The goal of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship is to advance the principles of intellectual freedom and mentoring.  I attended a variety of sessions related to intellectual freedom, including Freedom to Read Foundation meetings, IF committee and round table meetings, and related panels, discussions, and presentations.

What is Intellectual Freedom (IF)? “The rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” - American Library Association  The idea that a democracy is dependent upon free and open access to ideas” –Cooperative Children’s Book Center, UW Madison  "Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate, and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of work, and the viewpoints of both the author and the receiver of information.“ - Intellectual Freedom Manual, 7th edition  Privacy, censorship, book banning, collection development policy, and technology are all part of intellectual freedom.

Why is IF important?  The free exchange of ideas is essential to a functioning democracy and a core value of the library profession.  It is an essential component of the First Amendment.  This means that libraries have a responsibility to make available information on ideas that are unpopular, controversial, or personally offensive. It’s about access, not content.  Everybody in the library – not just librarians – plays a critical role in making it a place where anybody can access any kind of information without feeling judged or censored.

Emerging Issues in IF  Lower Privacy Expectations How do we continue to promote privacy in a social media society where privacy is often not expected? How do our newest practices (i.e. self-service holds) and technologies (i.e. e-books) impact user privacy?  Cloud computing What happens to our users’ information when they or we use cloud services? Are we letting commercial vendors control or bias our digital collections?  Rating Systems (i.e. CommonSense Media) Are we cutting people off from information and literature because of out-of-context assessments of “objectionable” material? What happens when a “voluntary” system becomes mandatory (i.e. videogames in CA)

IF Resources  Intellectual Freedom Manual  Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF)  IF Committee (IFC) and IF Round Table (IFRT)  Freedom to Read Foundation (FRTF)  Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)  LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund  First Amendment Center