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The library world lost a true giant last week with the passing of David Cohen on Thursday, February 5. David received the FTRF Roll of Honor Award in 2005, just one of his many, many accolades honoring a career that spanned eight decades.
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 Executive Director Barbara Jones:
In the 1970s, fresh out of library school, I wanted to get involved with ALA. Intellectual freedom was my choice for focus. Then at NYU, I called David Cohen to ask how to get involved in IFRT. Within a couple of days, I was on the ballot to run for Secretary and the rest is history. David was generous like that.
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.
The blizzard that struck Chicago this weekend did not chill the spirits of FTRF members, trustees, and new friends at the 2015 Midwinter Meeting.
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!
The event is on the 10th floor. There will be people on the main floor to direct you to the reception
Refreshments, including wine and beer, are included in the ticket price
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
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!
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.
It looks like there may be some snow tonight, so plan accordingly!
Those in the Chicago area - and attendees of ALA's 2015 Midwinter Meeting - are cordially invited to the Freedom to Read Foundation's 9th Annual Banned/Challenged Author Event and Fundraiser. This year's special guest is Jeff Smith, creator of the BONE series.
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.
This coming Saturday, the Freedom to Read Foundation will be hosting a reception in Salt Lake City to celebrate the legacy of Emily Wheelock Reed, a librarian who faced tremendous adversity and yet rose above it to defend the freedom to read - and basic human rights.
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.
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The library world lost a true giant last week with the passing of David Cohen on Thursday, February 5. David received the 
The blizzard that struck Chicago this weekend did not chill the spirits of FTRF members, trustees, and new friends at the 2015 Midwinter Meeting. 
Tonight's 
Those in the Chicago area - and attendees of ALA's 2015 Midwinter Meeting - are cordially invited to the Freedom to Read Foundation's 9th Annual Banned/Challenged Author Event and Fundraiser. This year's special guest is Jeff Smith, creator of the BONE series.
This coming Saturday, the Freedom to Read Foundation will be