We recognized those who helped us protect First Amendment Rights, provided scholarships to upcoming intellectual freedom fighters, and awarded grants to groups recognizing the freedom to read during Banned Books Week.
    

FTRF 2024 Roll of Honor Recipients                   

    
Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) awarded the 2024 Roll of Honor to (L to R) Ryan W. Goellner, Kevin Shook, Thomas F. Allen Jr., and Ben A. West (not pictured), attorneys with the law firm Frost Brown Todd LLP, for their pro bono contributions to FTRF’s litigation efforts defending library users’ First Amendment rights and the freedom to read.   

Allen, Goellner, Shook, and West collaborated with FTRF’s General Counsel and staff in writing substantive amicus curiae briefs in Little v. Llano County and Book People, Inc. v. Wong, two important cases pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. They were each recognized for their contribution to the many hours of dedicated work they put into writing and researching these briefs and their commitment to supporting the freedom to read and First Amendment rights. The Freedom to Read Foundation also recognized Frost Brown Todd LLP for supporting the work of the four attorneys.

Citation for Girl Scout Kate Lindley

Freedom to Read Foundation Board of Trustees awarded a special citation to Girl Scout Kate Lindley of Hanover County, Virginia in recognition of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project, “Free to Read,” as well as in recognition of her steadfast advocacy on behalf of the freedom to read even as local elected officials censored any mention of her project at a ceremony intended to honor Gold Award winners in her community.  (Sukrit Goswami, past President of FTRF with Kate Lindley)

2024 Conable Conference Scholarship Recipients

Freedom to Read Foundation Conable Conference Committee members named two scholarship recipients, who received full scholarships to attend the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference in San Diego, California.  Etana Laing and Tif Sutherland were chosen from the largest class of applicants in the history of the scholarship.

Etana Laing is an MLIS student at the University of Maryland-College Park and a library associate at Bowie State University. She also has a book club for Black women and people with lived experience of misogynoir called Revolutionary Reads.

Tif Sutherland is Reference Supervisor at Calvert Library in Maryland and President of the Maryland Library Association, leads a team of seven librarians focused on instruction, access, and equity for a community of 100,000.

Krug Fund Banned Books Week Grants

The Judith F. Krug Fund provides grants to schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations across the country to support their local Banned Books Week celebrations that raise awareness of intellectual freedom and censorship issues during Banned Books Week. In 2024 the Judith F. Krug Fund awarded five grants to three public libraries, one academic library, and one Friends and Foundation organization. The 2024 recipients were:

    Lewes Public Library (DE)
    Frankfort Public Library (IN)
    Loutit District Library (MI)
    Hostos Community College
    Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library (NY)

Each of the people we celebrated in 2024 will have an impact on the freedom to read going forward.

This week the National Book Awards longlist came out, and one of the books listed was “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. Published in February 2017, “The Hate U Give” has skyrocketed to the top of reading lists for young adults across the country, as well as scooping up some very prestigious awards. In addition to having a record 13 publishing houses bid for the publishing rights (Harper Collins’ Balzer+Bray won), the book has been optioned as a movie (filming began last week), and has been on the New York Times Bestseller List for months.

Hearing Angie Thomas speak at the Library of Congress National Book Festival was thrilling. Immediately I noticed that the audience for her presentation was the most diverse of all the speakers I listened to that day. Readers as young as 10 were lined up waiting to enter the room, as well as senior teachers and librarians. The attendees were black, white, and all shades in between, and as Ms. Thomas spoke about what moved her to write her book, I could hear fingers snapping, “amens,” light applause and “preach, sister” in response to her words.

Ms. Thomas grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and witnessed a drug deal shoot-out when she was 6 years old. The next day her mother took her to the public library, showing her another side of her community. When she was in college, she listened to news reports about the shooting of an unarmed black man, Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by the police. From that incident, the idea for “The Hate U Give” was born. After turning in the short story for a creative writing class at university, she was encouraged to continue the story as a novel.

While working as a secretary for a bishop, she wrote the book in her spare time. Although it was initially rejected by more than 60 publishers, she was able to get the book published with the help of We Need Diverse Books, winning its inaugural award.

“The Hate U Give” is not the only recently published book about police brutality, shootings and speaking up for the truth. Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s “All American Boys” was published in late 2015, and went on to win major awards in 2016. The authors spoke at schools, communities and book festivals, and won both the Coretta Scott King Author book award and the Walter Dean Myers Award.

“All American Boys” is told by two alternating narrators: Rashad, a black boy who has been beaten by a police officer who mistakenly thought he was shoplifting, and Quinn, a white boy from school who witnesses the assault and is a family friend of the police officer.

A year earlier, Kekla Magoon’s “How it Went Down” tackled a similar subject. It was published in 2014 and features the shooting of a black teen by a white man living in the same neighborhood. The book is told from the points of view of several people who saw the event, heard about the event, or knew the shooter or the victim. Each chapter offers a different take on “what went down,” as the neighborhood navigates the after-effects from the residents, the police and the media.

When I heard Angie Thomas speak at the National Book Festival, a teacher in the audience asked her, “How can I explain to my very young students — first graders— about topics such as police brutality, Black Lives Matter, neighborhood riots and violence against unarmed citizens?” Ms. Thomas told her, “You teach them that empathy is more important than sympathy.”

That got me thinking about children’s books that address this timely topic. Here are a few that are new or upcoming for our very young readers.

“Momma, Did You Hear the News,” by Sanya Whittaker Gragg, is a picture book that features a boy whose parents decide he’s old enough to have “the talk” with him after he sees the news about a police shooting. His parents teach him to come back “A-L-I-V-E,” with each letter featuring advice on how to behave if he encounters the police. The book was published in April 2017.

Published in January 2017, “The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist,” by author Cynthia Levinson (award-winning author of “We’ve Got a Job,” about the Birmingham Children’s March) tells the story of the youngest person to be arrested at a civil rights protest. She was 9 years old.

And debuting next month (October 2017) is a picture book titled “Lovely” by Jess Hong, which features people who are “big, small, curly, straight, loud, quiet…” and helps young readers gain an appreciation for all the things that make us different from one another… and the same.

As parents, teachers and librarians, we can, as Angie Thomas challenged, instill empathy in our youngest readers, and they in turn will grow up to be the kind of teens and then adults who will appreciate the differences among us and not turn a blind eye when discrimination and oppression happen to people who “look different” to them. They will fight for the freedoms of all people, regardless of the way they look, where they live, or where they come from. Just as “dystopia” was hot in young adult books a few years ago, it appears that “diversity” is a trend that is here to stay for a while.

Deah Hester lives and works as a librarian in Virginia. After teaching abroad for ten years, she returned to the United States and became a high school librarian. In her spare time, she enjoys reading young adult literature and blogging about libraries and literacy at www.deahreads.wordpress.com.

The Power of Words by The Bookish Advocate

Applications are open for libraries and organizations to receive a grant from FTRF to host a program during Banned Books Weeks, Sept. 24-30, 2017. Grants of $1,000 or $2,500 are offered through the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund.

To see examples of the organizations and projects that past recipients have created, and to apply, please visit FTRF.org. The application deadline is May 12, 2017.

Let me emphasize that Conable was almost the perfect librarian for the cause. Publicly and privately, Conable maintained a calm, articulate, tactful, and principled demeanor. It's hard to imagine a better spokesperson for intellectual freedom. He continually emphasized the First Amendment, library policy, and the teachable moment of a community dialogue.

While there was certainly some support for him and his family, there was also almost unimaginable community nastiness. His wife said she believes the stress eventually led to his high blood pressure and untimely death.

So my thoughts turn to something this month that I believe deserves greater consideration. We — members of the Freedom to Read Foundation — are part of a values-centered community. We know that we have an obligation to stand up for the principles of the Library Bill of Rights. But I want to emphasize that we have another obligation: to notice when one of us is in trouble, and to rally not just to the defense of a book, but to the defense of our champions. Very often, when we receive reports of challenges at the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the librarians are genuinely worried. They know that speaking truth to a power that grows secretive and authoritarian is a risky business. One can lose one's livelihood, and also an underlying faith in humanity.

You'll see that we're pushing a number of opportunities in this issue. First is the Conable Scholarship, dedicated to this brave man, and to a rising generation we hope will be inspired by his example (the scholarship pays to get people to ALA conferences). We are also offering scholarships for library and information science (LIS) students around the country, and grants for Banned Books Week through the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund. Judy, of course, was another fierce defender of intellectual freedom and libraries. Of course, we also support the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, which provides direct financial aid to those fighting IF battles or workplace discrimination.

So I want to encourage you to contribute to these causes, if you can, but even more importantly, to reach out to encourage applications to scholarships and creative Banned Books Week funding. Ultimately, our investment is not just in ideas. It is in each other.

James LaRue
Office for Intellectual Freedom & The Freedom to Read Foundation

Photo: left to right, Keith Michael Fiels, Candy Morgan, Gordon Conable, Maurice Friedman, Judith Krug, and Nancy Kranich. 2003, following the oral arguments on the CIPA case.

Statement in Support of Freedom of the Press

“In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the government.”  Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black

As organizations committed to the First Amendment right of freedom of speech and the press, we are alarmed by the efforts of the President and his administration to demonize and marginalize the media and to undermine their ability to inform the public about official actions and policies.  

Such efforts include the President’s refusal to answer questions posed by a reporter from CNN because the President asserts it promotes “fake news”; charges that the media “manipulated” images of the inauguration; false accusations that the media has covered up terrorist attacks; and repeated claims that the media is “failing” and “dishonest.”  All of this recently culminated in the President calling the New York Times, CBS, CNN, ABC, and NBC News “the enemy of the American People!” and in the exclusion of representatives of various media outlets from a press briefing.  In these and other examples, the President and his designees have attempted to villainize and discredit the press for any reporting he dislikes.  However, the job of the press is not to please the President but to inform the public, a function that is essential to democracy.  

The expressions of disdain for the press and its role in democracy by federal officials send a signal to state and local officials.  In the aftermath of an election season that witnessed outright intimidation of journalists in communities around the country, there is a compelling need for highly placed federal officials to acknowledge the crucial role of a free press under our Constitution and the responsibility of government officials at all levels to respect it. In one chilling example, multiple individuals who identified themselves as journalists were arrested, detained, and charged with felonies while simply doing their job: reporting on Inauguration Day protests in Washington, D.C. Those arrests were made by local police and pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both of which displayed an alarming lack of concern for fundamental constitutional rights.  The fact that those charges have since been dropped suggests that the arrests were unwarranted and highlights the need for our nation’s leaders to set national policy that unequivocally supports a free and independent press and the public’s right to know.

Our Constitution enshrines the press as an independent watchdog and bulwark against tyranny and official misconduct. Its function is to monitor and report on the actions of public officials so that the public can hold them accountable.  The effort to delegitimize the press undermines democracy, and officials who challenge the value of an independent press or question its legitimacy betray the country’s most cherished values and undercut one of its most significant strengths.

The First Amendment protects the right to protest, dissent, and petition government for a redress of grievances, but these rights cannot be exercised without a free press that provides information to the public.  Together, these rights represent the constitutionally sanctioned method for the public to oppose government policies and activities and to seek change.  The wisdom of this system can be seen in parts of the world where such a right does not exist, or is not honored, and violent opposition is the only available avenue to express opposition or remedy injustice.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms all efforts by elected and appointed officials to penalize, delegitimize, or intimidate members of the press. 

March 2, 2017

Endorsed by:

Alliance for Community Media

Alliance for Media Arts + Culture

American Association of Law Libraries

American Booksellers Association

American Civil Liberties Union

American Civil Liberties of the

District of Columbia

American Library Association

American Society of Business  Publication Editors

American Society of Copy Editors

American Society of Journalists and Authors

American Society of Magazine Editors

American Society of Media Photographers

American Society of News Editors

Arizona Press Club

Asian American Journalists Association

Associated Collegiate Press

Associated Press Media Editors

Associated Press Photo Managers

Association of Alternative Newsmedia

Association of American Editorial Cartoonists

Association of American University Presses

Association of Food Journalists

Association of Health Care Journalists

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

Association of Research Libraries

Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication

Authors Guild

Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending

Dissent Foundation

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy

Center for Media and Democracy

Center for Responsive Politics

Center for Scholastic Journalism

College Media Association

Colorado Press Women

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Committee to Protect Journalists

Demand Progress

Education Writers Association

Freedom of the Press Foundation

Freedom to Read Foundation

Free Press

Free Speech Coalition

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Institute for Nonprofit News

Investigative Reporters and Editors

Journalism and Women Symposium

Journalism Education Association

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library

Local Independent Online News Publishers

Media Freedom Foundation

Media Law Resource Center

Military Reporters and Editors

National Association of Black Journalists

National Association of Hispanic Journalists

National Association of Science Writers

National Coalition Against Censorship

National Federation of Community Broadcasters

National Press Foundation

National Press Photographers Association

National Scholastic Press Association

National Society of Newspaper Columnists

National Writers Union

Native American Journalists Association

New England First Amendment Coalition

North American Agricultural Journalists

Online News Association

OpentheGovernment.org

PEN America

People For the American Way Foundation

Project Censored

Radio Television Digital News Association

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Reporters Without Borders

Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law

Student Press Law Center

Sunlight Foundation

The Media Consortium

The NewsGuild-CWA

Tully Center for Free Speech

Unity: Journalists For Diversity

Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts

Washington-Baltimore News Guild

Women's Media Center

Woodhull Freedom Foundation

In the United States, following a campaign in which the winning candidate called many Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, threatened to jail a political opponent, and vowed to make it easier to sue the media, many fear that a nativist, nationalist, even authoritarian movement has returned to our shores.

I said, “returned.” In preparing for a webinar called “ALA’s Essentials in Intellectual Freedom,” I was reading about the creation of librarianship’s core document: the Library Bill of Rights. The first version was drafted in 1938 by Forrest Spaulding, then director of the Des Moines Public Library. It was occasioned by, and intended to speak out against, the “growing intolerance, suppression of free speech and censorship affecting the rights of minorities and individuals.”

A year later, that revised document was adopted by the American Library Association. It has become the most enduring and fundamental statement of our professional values.

As I’ve been exploring the landscape of intellectual freedom this year, I think the Library Bill of Rights is worth another and closer look. To that end, I’m pleased to offer this free download to a handy pocket version of the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read Statement. Print out as many copies as you like, and hand it out to as many people as you can.

I’m also excited to offer this teaser for an upcoming new product: the Library Bill of Rights poster. Suitable for framing, it will be available from the ALA Store in late December. I would like to see it proudly displayed in every library board room in the nation. Every departing board member should get one for his or her home.

It’s hard to know if the heated rhetoric of a raucous political campaign will translate once again into the turmoil that followed the late 1930s. But it’s clear that the Freedom to Read Foundation, and its willingness to stand up for the values that ground and define us, will be needed in the years to come. If you just got a renewal notice, please consider rounding that up. When you get a letter from us talking about a donation opportunity – think about what’s at stake.

And thank you for standing with us.

Jamie LaRue, Director
Freedom to Read Foundation &
The Office for Intellectual Freedom 

Since Fall 2015, Banned and its collaborative partners have presented more than 70 programs at libraries, museums, college campuses and other venues throughout Duval and St. Johns counties to inform the public on issues of censorship and free speech.

This event was sponsored by FTRF's Judith Krug Fund Banned Books Week Event Grants of 2015.

Grant applications are currently open for 2016 events. Read More about Banned Books Week Event Grants HERE.

“Intellectual Freedom and Censorship” is a 2-credit course and will meet online Tuesdays August 23–October 11, 2016. It is open to any student enrolled in an LIS degree program.  As part of the collaboration, Freedom to Read Foundation staff and volunteers will lend their expertise as guest speakers, and FTRF and ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom archival materials will be made available to students. 

“Our culture is at a tipping point, a shift in its tolerance for the First Amendment. It is imperative that today’s library students have a deep and thoughtful exposure to the value of free speech. And who better to receive it from than the 2015 WISE instructor of the year?” said James LaRue, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

“I’m excited to teach the intellectual freedom and censorship class again this Fall,” said Professor Emily Knox. “The course is one of the highlights of my semester. I, like the students, enjoy listening and learning from our weekly speakers and I love our spirited class discussions.”

 Read more HERE

More info HERE.

 (A Banned Books Week Read-Out is an event at which people gather to read from books that have been banned or challenged over the years, in order to celebrate the freedom to read.)

The 2016 Banned Books Week: September 25 - October 1, 2016

Grant application deadline: May 15, 2016

Application info HERE

The film on the life of Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, will be aired on public TV this Presidential election year. Thomas Paine wrote about ideas that were so controversial he was often imprisoned and fined, and almost executed. His works were banned in Europe and anyone who distributed, read or discussed his books faced prosecution.

This is a great opportunity for libraries to support the ALA and Intellectual Freedom, AND they get a program out of it! (Libraries can also contact Ian Ruskin to book a Skype or Google visit.)

For $50, libraries get the license to show the film as an event, DVDs to circulate in their collection, talking points, an action plan, recipes, and a publicity kit with posters, social media banners, and press releases. 10% of these proceeds will go to the American Library Association/the Office for Intellectual Freedom! When people order, they can request Freedom to Read Foundation brochures free of charge for their patrons.

For more, please visit Ian’s website, or share the ALA-OIF blog

James LaRue brings a rich and diverse background to this role. He is currently CEO of LaRue & Associates, with an active career in writing, speaking and consulting. Previously, he was director of the Douglas County Libraries (Colorado) and Library Services Director at the Greeley Public Library (Colorado), with earlier positions at the Lincoln Library (Illinois) and Illinois State University.

LaRue also brings a long history of professional engagement. Among his many activities, he has served on the Bibliographic Center for Research (BCR) Board of Trustees, OCLC Membership Council, and Douglas County Youth Initiative Executive Board. He was president of the Colorado Council for Library Development (2002-2003) and president of the Colorado Library Association (1998-1999). He was named Colorado Librarian of the Year in 1998 and received the Julia J. Boucher Award for Intellectual Freedom from the Colorado Library Association in 2007. In 2004, he was awarded the National Council of Teachers of English/Support for the Learning and Teaching of English Intellectual Freedom Award.

Within ALA, he has most recently been active on ALA’s Digital Content Working Group (2011–). He is a member of the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) and Public Library Association (PLA), both divisions of the American Library Association, and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table.

A prolific writer and frequent speaker, his publications include “Self-Publishing: Does It Belong in the Collection,” in Rethinking Collection Development and Management; “The Last One Standing,” Public Libraries (January/February 2002); “Tough Times and Eight Ways to Deal with Them,” American Libraries (January/February 2010); and, The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges (2007), among others. He regularly speaks on a range of topics, from libraries in the digital world to leadership and transformation.

James LaRue has a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana) and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and English (Illinois State University).

As Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), James LaRue will work with ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) and Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE), as well as the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT). OIF provides information to individuals and organizations facing intellectual freedom challenges; plans and promotes initiatives that promote intellectual freedom, privacy and free access to information (including Banned Books Week); and, works closely with others, including the ALA Washington Office, on core information policy issues. The OIF Director also serves as the executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, an allied 501(c)(3) organization, and as secretariat for the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund.

LaRue’s appointment follows the December 31, 2015 retirement of Barbara M. Jones as the Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

#GivingTuesday #GivingfREADom

Go to www.ftrf.org to make a donation today!

Celebrate #GivingfREADom

Take an #UNselfie and share it with us on Facebook!

(Download your UNselfie sign here!)

Share the message of #GivingfREADom!

Take an #UNselfie and share it with us on Facebook!

(Download your UNselfie sign here!)

Instead of standing in lines on Black Friday or paying shipping fees on Cyber Monday to gift a book for someone you care about, donate to protect their freedom to read on #GivingTuesday by #GivingfREADom

Celebrate #GivingfREADom

Share the message of #GivingfREADom!

Take an #UNselfie and share it with us on Facebook!

(Download your UNselfie sign here!)

Instead of standing in lines on Black Friday or paying shipping fees on Cyber Monday to gift a book for someone you care about, donate to protect their freedom to read on #GivingTuesday by #GivingfREADom.

Are you familiar with the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF)? On November 20, 2015, FTRF will celebrate its 46th birthday. Although holding many of the same ideals as the American Library Association, FTRF was founded in 1969 as a discrete organization to protect the First Amendment rights of library users to read and to assist librarians whose jobs were in jeopardy because of their defense of free speech. Although legal action has been a strong tool for FTRF, in recent years, it has increased its focus on educating librarians and the public about the strong connection between the First Amendment and libraries and the need to fight censorship (FTRF Foundation Activities).

Read the full blogpost here.

This year, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Freedom to Read Foundation is participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.

Last year, more than 27,000 organizations in 68 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday.  Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday has inspired giving around the world, resulting in greater donations, volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real change in communities.  We invite you to join the movement and to help get out and give this December 1.  Some ideas include:

• Get your workplace and local government officials, nonprofits, and small businesses involved in #GivingTuesday.  Encourage them to officially sign up as partners on the website (www.givingtuesday.org)

• Help spread the word about #GivingTuesday.  Use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to talk about charity and the causes and organizations you support.

• Give your support to FTRF’s programs that GIVE:

The Judith F. Krug Fund

The Gordon M. Conable

There are many ways to get involved in #GivingTuesday.  We encourage you to join the movement and make a difference!

Brown Girl Dreaming

Sunday, November 1, 2015 2-3 PM
First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, Sanctuary
77 W Washington St, Chicago, IL , 60602

• Members: Free
• Public: Free
• Students and Teachers: Free

Event and ticket information

Chicago Humanities Festival 2015

For 25 years, the Chicago Humanities Festival has celebrated the questions that shape and define us as individuals, communities, and cultures. For the curious at heart, CHF's vibrant year-round programming and robust Fall Festival offer the opportunity to engage with some of the world's most brilliant minds. Collaborating with leading arts, cultural, and educational organizations, it presents scholars, artists and architects, thinkers, theologians, and policy makers that change how we see the world, where we're from, and where we're going.

BASIC INFORMATION

Dates: The 26th Chicago Humanities Festival, Citizens: October 24-November 8, 2015

Location: In and around Chicago, with full days of programming in Evanston, Hyde Park, the Loop, North Michigan Ave, UIC, and Pilsen

Schedule:  chicagohumanities.org/citizens

Ticketing: Tickets are available at chicagohumanities.org or by calling the CHF Box Office at 312-494-9509 Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM. 

Follow on Twitter: @chi_humanities | #CHF2015

Visit chicagohumanities.org for more information.

Here are the winners that have been revealed so far in 2015:

SUNDAY: Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. Artwork by Libby Fosso

MONDAY: The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck. Art by Colleen Barclay

This year, more than 100 entries were submitted and the winning set features works of collage, watercolor, and pen and ink inspired by authors including John Steinbeck, Maya Angelou, and William Faulkner.

Check out one of this year's winners!

Chapel Hill Public Library

Banned Books Week Trading Cards Sneak Peek and Artists’ Reception

Friday, September 25th, 7 – 9 PM

Banned Books Trading Cards have become a Chapel Hill tradition. Join us for a chance to see the winning artwork, meet the artists, and get a first look at ALL of this years’ entries.  (There were 101!) Here are the details:

More info....

Assistant Professor Emily Knox is the 2015 recipient of the Illinois Library Association (ILA) Intellectual Freedom Award. The award, presented by the ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee, recognizes an individual or group for outstanding contributions in defending intellectual freedom or the advancement of these principles. The award is sponsored by Quality Books Inc. (QBI).

READ more....

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation and a broad coalition of educational, human rights, legal, and media organizations.   It challenges the National Security Agency's "Upstream" surveillance program.  According to NSA, the "Upstream" surveillance program involves copying Internet traffic—including e-mails, chat, web browsing and other communications—as the data traverses the fiber optic backbone of the Internet. 

This means that the NSA is looking over every reader's shoulders while they're online, compromising the privacy of every library user and bookstore patron who searches a library's or bookseller's online catalog, obtains an e-book, or consults online databases and journals for research, and deterring individuals from exercising their First Amendment right to obtain and read materials that are controversial or reflect deeply private concerns.

The amicus brief, written by the Electronic Frontier Foundation on behalf of the library and bookseller organizations, explains the importance of privacy to the unfettered exercise of First Amendment rights and argues that libraries, booksellers, and similar organizations can assert the rights of their users   related to privacy concerns associated with government access to, and surveillance of, users' reading habits.  It further emphasizes the chill on First Amendment rights that results when the government has unrestricted access to the records of what users read and view online.   

The Electronic Frontier Foundation provides more information on their website, and the full brief can be read online at this link.   The ACLU has full details about Wikimedia Foundation v. NSA on its website, linked here.    Other amici on the brief include the American Booksellers Association, the Association of Research Libraries, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. 

Read more HERE

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2015​

Location: Moscone Convention Center, 747 Howard St., San Francisco
Outside room 131 N

Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

This year's Conable scholars are Amy Steinbauer and Gretchen LeCheminant. Amy (@merbrarian) is a librarian in California while Gretchen (@gretchenalice) is a student at the University of Texas School of Information.

In addition to shmoozing, we'll have appetizers and you'll get a chance to learn more about FTRF's activities.

You can RSVP for the reception on Facebook or just show up! Bring your friends who aren't yet members, and we'll be happy to do the recruiting for you.

The authors will be signing copies of their books, which will be available on site.

The event will be held from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the headquarters of Scholastic, 557 Broadway in Manhattan, in their beautiful Greenhouse. Our thanks to Scholastic, as well as co-sponsors New York Public Library and Elsevier, for their support of this event.

Tickets for this event are $25 and are on sale now at www.ftrf.org/event/FTRF45_NYC. We hope to see you there! 

Neal, who recently retired from his position as University Librarian at Columbia University, has been instrumental in building FTRF's membership and fundraising capacity, and has been a strong public voice for the litigation and advocacy work of the Foundation.  Bloom, an attorney at Weil, Gotshal in New York, has been responsible for some of FTRF's key amicus briefs in recent years and, as counsel for the Association of American Publishers Freedom to Read Committee, has built an impressive reputation as a champion of the First Amendment.

The Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor was established in 1987 to recognize and honor those individuals who have contributed substantially through adherence to its principles and/or substantial monetary support.  

The case is ​Prison Legal News v. Kane.  (Edited to add: the ruling covered another case as well, ​Mumia Abu Jamal v. Kane​.)

In his decision, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Christopher Conner wrote, “A past criminal offense does not extinguish the offender’s constitutional right to free expression.” Judge Conner dismissed the state’s argument that the law was a mere regulation of conduct with an incidental impact on speech, and noted that even if that had been the case, the law would still be flawed:

Assuming arguendo that the Act or its history revealed a principal intention to regulate behavior and only an incidental regulation of speech, the court‟s holding would remain unaltered. The Supreme Court has held that when a law “generally functions as a regulation of conduct” it is nonetheless subject to strict scrutiny when “as applied to plaintiffs[,] the conduct triggering coverage under the statute consists of communicating a message.” Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, 561 U.S. 1, 27-28 (2012). 

As reported in the March edition of FTRF News, the Freedom to Read Foundation filed an amicus brief in the case in February, arguing that allowing judges to issue injunctions in accordance with the law constitutes prior restraint "on a limitless range of speech, including matters of public interest, such as deterring crime, rehabilitation of prisoners, prison conditions, and fundamental issues of justice."

You can find the judge's decision here. For more on the ruling, visit Volokh Conspiracy and Philadelphia City Paper (one of the plaintiffs).

The bill's sponsor has indicated he will ask about an appeal and, if the Attorney General declines, will introduce new legislation.

FTRF45/Austin Reception
Wednesday, April 15  - 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Uncle Julio’s, 301 Brazos St.

Will you be in or around the Austin, Texas area on Wednesday, April 15? If so, please consider joining the Freedom to Read Foundation as we gather at Uncle Julio's as part of our continued celebration of FTRF45!  Visit www.ftrf.org/event/FTRF45_Austin for tickets and additional details.

This event will feature award-winning Young Adult author David Levithan. David will be discussing his experiences with censorship and signing copies of Every Day and his forthcoming book, Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story, which will be available to attendees for an additional donation.

For attendees of the Texas Library Association conference: Uncle Julio's is located a block away from the Austin Convention Center

Advance tickets: $40.00 FTRF members • $45.00 non-members • $25.00 students

Tickets at the door: $50.00

If you would prefer to get tickets by phone, or have any questions, please call (312) 280-4226.

Note: Texas Library Association Annual Conference attendees can add this ticket to their TLA event registration. 

Cosponsored by Texas Women's University School of Library and Information Studies. 

Special thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group and Random House Children's Books for their support of this event!

The Conable Scholarship provides for ALA Annual Conference registration, transportation, housing for six nights, and a $300 stipend for meals and other expenses. The recipient also will receive a one-year membership in the Freedom to Read Foundation.  In return, the recipient will be expected to attend various FTRF and other intellectual freedom meetings and programs at conference, consult with a mentor/board member, and present a report about their experiences and thoughts.

The 2015 ALA Annual Conference will be held June 25-30 in San Francisco, CA.

Students currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information studies degree program or an AASL-recognized master’s programs in school librarianship and new professionals (those who are three or fewer years removed from receiving an LIS degree) are eligible to receive the Conable Scholarship.

This year, FTRF is pleased to announce we are offering four half-scholarships for students in institutions other than GSLIS. If you are - or know of - a student who would be interested in this opportunity, please spread the word!

For those who would like to make a donation to the Krug Fund, to help support the scholarships and the course, you can DONATE NOW.  Visit www.ftrf.org/?Krug_Fund for more information on this fund.

Cross-posted to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom blog.

During the week of March 11, 2013, directives were issued by administrators at Chicago Public Schools’ Fullerton school network and Lane Tech High School to remove Marjane Sartrapi’s acclaimed graphic novel Persepolis from school libraries and classrooms on the grounds that the book contained inappropriate language and images.

The directive to remove Persepolis from CPS’ libraries and classrooms became public after students at Lane Tech alerted their colleagues in the school’s journalism program. Bloggers and critics publicized the directive and the apparent effort to ban the book from CPS classrooms and students took to the streets to protest the book’s removal. As the protests mounted, CPS administrators slowly backtracked on the initial directive; CPS Chief Barbara Byrd Bennett eventually issued a letter denying that there was any effort to ban the book and limiting the directive to remove Persepolis to 7th grade classrooms.

ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation were involved from the beginning, supporting the students and organizations that sought to keep the book in CPS classrooms, publicly protesting the apparent censorship of a critically praised work of literature, and seeking information about the events leading up to the decision to remove the book. In response to a FTRF Freedom of Information Act request that asked for all correspondence and electronic communications related to the decision to remove Persepolis from CPS classrooms, we only received the directives and letters that had already been publicly disclosed, and a copy of the agenda for the chief of schools meeting on March 11, 2013.  That document contained no information at all about Persepolis or the decision to remove or recall the book. We remained in the dark about who had filed the initial complaint about Persepolis and who had made the decision to remove the book from CPS classrooms.

Then Jarrett Dapier, an intrepid MLIS candidate at the University of Illinois’ Graduate School of Library and Information Science, filed his own FOIA request in order to gather materials for his paper on school censorship. And in December 2014, CPS provided Dapier with the emails and correspondence we – and other organizations – were​ told did not exist in 2013.

Ben Joravsky of the Chicago Reader has already written about the contents of the emails. With the permission of Mr. Dapier, we are now sharing the actual emails and correspondence – which reveal that, contrary to CPS’ public statements in 2013, there was in fact an effort to remove Persepolis from all schools and libraries in CPS. The emails detail the initial complaint, the decision to remove the book, and the eventual modification of the original directive to remove the book from CPS classrooms and libraries. (It’s important to note that Persepolis remained in school libraries only because a strong reconsideration policy – CPS Policy 604.7 – prevented its removal without sufficient review and due process.) The emails are an object lesson in casual censorship, the ability of one person to pass judgment on a work of literature, and the chaotic decision-making that occurs when a school system fails to have policies in place to address demands to censor classroom materials.

Our thanks to Mr. Dapier for his initiative and perseverance in obtaining these public records.

According to David's friend, Rocco Staino, David's family has requested that donations in his name be made to the Freedom to Read Foundation. We are deeply honored by this. If you would like to make such a donation, please do so here.  

We have created a special page to honor David here.  It includes photos, a list of honors and awards, and the text of his Roll of Honor citation.  If you know of anything we can add, please let us know in the comments of this post or by contacting Jonathan Kelley at jokelley@ala.org. Also, we'd love to read your memories of David in the comments.

From FTRF Program Officer Jonathan Kelley:

My most vivid memory of David Cohen was sitting backstage with him in 2005 as he waited to receive his Roll of Honor Award. Also waiting with us was then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama went out of his way to congratulate David on his award, and they chatted for a bit. Later, during his keynote address, the senator prefaced his remarks by commenting on how impressed he was by the 96-year-old.​

I will also always remember his powerful dedication to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, including spearheading the Intellectual Freedom Round Table's ongoing committee to support the Merritt Fund.

From the OIF/FTRF 30th Anniversary Roll of Honor Book (1999):

To many of his peers and colleagues, David is known as "Mr. Intellectual Freedom." His commitment to the principles have governed his professional career, as well as his personal life. He is one of the founders of the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship, and through this organization and many other means, he has worked unstintingly to make his beliefs a reality.

This morning, FTRF president Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. presented the Foundation's biannual Report to ALA Council and gave an overview of the litigation, education, and organization building efforts of the Foundation.  The written report is available here.

On Saturday, legendary comic creator Jeff Smith gave a humorous, impassioned talk about his artistic journey and the experience of having BONE challenged in schools and libraries. It was at once FTRF's 9th annual Midwinter author event, and the second successful reception connected to FTRF45.  We have some photos of the event on our Facebook page.

On Thursday, prior to the Board Meeting, the trustees and liaisons sat down to look at the progress of FTRF's current Strategic Plan and make suggestions about how to continue its implementation in the five areas of awareness, litigation, education, engagement, and capacity building. The ideas generated will be compiled and posted to our website in the coming weeks. 

Thanks to everyone who connected with us over the past days - and we look forward to seeing many more of you at the ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco!

1. Tickets are still available. Get yours here. While there's no physical ticket, your name will be on the list at the door.
2. If you don't get your ticket in advance, you should still be able to pay at the door. However, there's no guarantee - so better to be safe than sorry!
3. How to get there: 
   • The event is at Roosevelt University Main Campus, 430 S. Michigan Ave. just north of Congress. It's 2 blocks north of the Hilton Chicago. 
   • Here are driving & transit directions
   • Here's parking information
   • The event is on the 10th floor. There will be people on the main floor to direct you to the reception
4. Refreshments, including wine and beer, are included in the ticket price
5. Sequence of events:
   • 7:00 p.m. - doors open, reception begins
   • 7:45 p.m. - program featuring Jeff Smith
   • 8:30 p.m. - book signing and more reception
   • 9:00 p.m. - doors close
6. Books: Complimentary galleys of the upcoming BONE: Out of Boneville, Tribute Edition will be available for all attendees. Additionally, a limited number of the original BONE: Out of Boneville hardcover copy will be available onsite, with an optional donation fee requested. Attendees are welcome to bring their own copies of Jeff's books to be signed.  Our thanks to Scholastic for their support of this event!
7. Our program will take place immediately after the University of Illinois' Downs Award reception at the Hilton. Again, Roosevelt is a short two-block walk from the Hilton.
8. It looks like there may be some snow tonight, so plan accordingly!

BONE has been among the most frequently challenged books of the past few years, and Smith has been a strong advocate for the freedom to read, particularly in the comic and graphic novel world. 

For information on tickets, and to learn more, visit www.ftrf.org/event/ChicagoMW. You can also RSVP on Facebook.

Our thanks to Roosevelt University and Scholastic for their support of this event!

Joining us will be special guests:

• Leah Farrell, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Utah
• Kenneth Jones, playwright, Alabama Story
• Patricia Polacco, author, In Our Mothers' House​ (via Skype)
• Alberta Comer, Dean of University Libraries, University of Utah

The reception will be part of the #FTRF45 series of events commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Freedom to Read Foundation - of which Reed was a charter member. In fact, the event will take place on the exact 45th anniversary of the first FTRF Board Meeting, at the 1970 American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.

This event is being held in conjunction with the middle weekend of Alabama Story, a new play by Jones, that dramatizes the confrontation between Reed and segregationist legislators in late-1950s Alabama. The play, which has received great reviews (see here and here), puts Reed's story in the context of its times, and asks many questions that are still with us today. You can learn more about Jones' vision in this great podcast by KUER's RadioWest.

In addition to celebrating Reed (who was the recipient of the FTRF Roll of Honor Award in 2000), the reception will highlight work FTRF has done in Utah over the years in protecting free speech, including supporting Jeanne Layton in the 1980s and more recently, librarians in the Davis County Public Schools defending access to In Our Mothers' House.

Tickets are available at www.ftrf.org/event/FTRF45_SLC. Tickets are $25 for the general public, and $20 for FTRF members, Utah Library Association members, and anyone with a ticket to either of the two January 17 performances of Alabama Story. For an additional donation, attendees can reserve a signed copy of In Our Mothers' House and copies of The Rabbits' Wedding, one of the books at the center of the controversy depicted in the play.

Many thanks to the University of Utah Libraries, Quinney Law Library, and the Utah Library Association for their support of this event!

Bonus: Here's Toby Graham, the librarian who brought Reed's story to the attention of FTRF's Roll of Honor Committee, in a video he created that will be shown at the reception.

The Media Coailtion, which is coordinating the lawsuit for FTRF and fellow plaintiffs, has issued a  press release about the order.

Additional coverage:

• Local - Arizona Capitol Times story
• National - Reuters story
• National - Associated Press

In case you missed it, FTRF developed a fact sheet to provide a detailed explanation for our involvement in the case.

There are plenty of reasons to give: 

• You can give a gift in honor of someone.
• You can give a gift in memory of someone.
• You can use this opportunity to renew your membership for 2015.
• You can become a first-time member.
• You can give a membership as a holiday gift.
• You can give to the Krug Fund or the Conable Fund.
• You can give to support Fat Angie.
• Or you can give for the heck of it!

Your gift of $250, $100, $50, $25 – any amount – is tax-deductible.

Thanks to everyone who has made this such a successful 2014. FTRF has done good and important work in the courts, in libraries, in the classroom, and in the virtual world.  Help us continue that work in 2015!

A big thanks to the speakers, ​Chris Crutcher, Theresa Chmara​ , and Emily Knox!

Enjoy the video, and stay tuned to this page starting next month for announcements of special events and activities connected with #FTRF45!

In celebration of today's anniversary, the ALA Archives (which houses FTRF's archives) put together a blog post discussing some of FTRF's founding and achievements.

An excerpt:

The Freedom to Read Foundation’s first president was Alexander P. Allain, an attorney, and considered one of the 100 greatest library leaders. In the first newsletter put out by the Freedom to Read Foundation he outlined the Foundation’s goals:

For many years librarians have looked to the Library Bill of Rights for guidelines insuring intellectual freedom in materials selection. [...] It is, however, only a statement of principle. It has no standing in law. No “rights” accrue from it, even though it constitutes the library profession’s interpretation of the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. The Freedom to Read Foundation believes the profession must now attempt to establish legal precedents, through case law, to make the Library Bill of Rights not only a statement of principle, but a principle grounded in law and protected and supported by the nation’s judiciary system. Only when this gain is made can librarians and library governing bodies face pressures to remove materials or to restrict selection, not only with “right” on their side, but with the law as well.

Thanks to the archivists for the help they've provided with the Freedom to Read Foundation archives, and for this post!

November 20, 1969

November 20, 2014: FTRF members kick off a year-long celebration of our 45th anniversary with a special Google Hangout! 

Please join YA author Chris Crutcher, along with FTRF trustees, staff, and members as we hold the first in a series of events celebrating 45 years of defending libraries, library users, and the First Amendment to the Constitution. This event is free and open to all. 

For those unable to attend live, the Hangout will be recorded and posted to FTRF's YouTube channel.

Starting in January, FTRF will hold a number of fundraising and awareness-raising events across the country. We'll let you know about events in your area, and other ways you can help support FTRF's litigation and educational efforts. The festivities will culminate in a very special online event next fall.

Make sure to use #FTRF45 for any Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media post referencing these events over the coming 12 months.  We look forward to a great turnout!