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Posted By Jonathan M. Kelley,
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
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 After discovering the main character in her debut novel Salvage had been labeled a "slut" on Goodreads, Alexandra Duncan was inspired to turn the word (and sentiment) around by initiating a giveaway of Salvage and other books that have been "banned, challenged, or generally derided for including mention of sex and sexuality." Duncan also has offered to donate up to $1,000 to the Freedom to Read Foundation as part of this effort—a dollar for every entrant. And her agent agreed to match the donation! The "Slutshelf Giveaway" started April 19 and will run through May 19. Well over 900 people have already entered, meaning she's very close to maxing out her donation. Duncan has encouraged other bloggers and writers to start their own "Slutshelf Giveaways," and several have taken her up on the idea. The Freedom to Read Foundation sincerely thanks Ms. Duncan (who is also a librarian!) and her agent Kate Testerman for their generosity. You can follow Alexandra Duncan on Twitter at @DuncanAlexandra.
Tags:
Alexandra Duncan
banned books
Salvage
Slutshelf Giveaway
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Posted By Jonathan M. Kelley,
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
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Please help us spread the word! The deadline for applications for the 2014 Judith F. Krug Fund Banned Books Week event grants has been extended to Monday, May 5.
Also, please note that we have heard reports of several applicants unable to complete the process when using the Internet Explorer browser. Please use another one, such as Firefox or Chrome. If you encounter any troubles, or have any questions, contact Jonathan Kelley at jokelley@ala.org or (312) 280-4226.
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Banned Books Week
Judith Krug Memorial Fund
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Posted By Jonathan M. Kelley,
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
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 A hearty congratulations to John "Mack" Freeman on his selection as the 7th recipient of FTRF's Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship. We invite all FTRF members (and prospective members!) to meet John at the FTRF Member Reception on Thursday, June 26, following the FTRF Board of Trustees Meeting. Mack is a librarian at Tifton-Tift County Public Library in Tifton, Georgia. He is active in the GLBTRT and GGRT. This will be his first ALA Conference. You can follow Mack on Twitter at @johnmackfreeman (and, of course, follow FTRF at @ftrf).
Tags:
ALA Annual Conference
Conable Scholarship
GLBTRT
John Mack Freeman
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Posted By Jonathan M. Kelley,
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
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 Yesterday the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus, a case in which the Freedom to Read Foundation submitted an amicus brief in February. The case involves the right to challenge laws, prior to their enforcement, that potential plaintiffs feel could infringe on their First Amendment rights. FTRF wrote about the case in our most recent newsletter. Yesterday's arguments involved whether Susan B. Anthony List had standing to challenge the constitutionality of an Ohio law on "false" campaign-related speech. Our friends at Media Coalition have compiled an excellent list of resources to help you understand the case, and the importance of FTRF's involvement: - Transcript of oral arguments
- Q&A with Media Coalition Executive Director David Horowitz
- SCOTUSBlog has a thorough overview of the oral argument, pointing out that the justices seemed more intent on questioning the constitutionality of the Ohio law than addressing the "standing" question
- Slate's coverage
- Wall Street Journal article on Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, whose office defended the Ohio elections commission in court even though he submitted a brief challenging the law's constitutionality, as "a representative of the people and the public interest"
- "And lastly, the case caught the interest of satirist Andy Borowitz, who wrote on his New Yorker column, 'Supreme Court Calls Lying by Politicians an Expression of their Religion.'"
For more information on this case, visit FTRF's Current Litigation page and Media Coalition's SBAL v. Driehaus page, which includes an interactive map of where facial challenges have been brought in federal court.
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litigation
Media Coalition
SBAL v Driehaus
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Posted By Jonathan M. Kelley,
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
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We were saddened to learn of the death yesterday of highly esteemed library school educator Eliza T. Dresang. Eliza served on the Freedom to Read Foundation board of trustees from 2002 –2004, and again in 2005 when she served out the expiring term of Gordon M. Conable following his death.
For more on Eliza's life and legacy, please see her obituary at School Library Journal.
Tags:
Eliza Dresang
LIS
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