Robert P. Holley Fund Supports Litigation and Student Memberships

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is excited to announce a new fund that will finance litigation efforts and student membership to the FTRF. Dr. Robert P. Holley, a retired Wayne State University professor and longtime intellectual freedom advocate, created the Robert P. Holley fund because of his strong belief in intellectual freedom and the foundation’s mission.

“I believe that the FTRF is the key intellectual freedom player for librarians because its status allows participation in litigation in support of this fundamental right,” said Holley “I believe so strongly in the mission of the FTRF that I have created an endowment to fund ‘free’ student memberships and to support litigation. I'm funding student memberships because creating the next generation of freedom to read supporters is a critical task.”

Holley served as chair of the Association of College and Research Libraries, Intellectual Freedom Committee, liaison to the FTRF and Intellectual Freedom Committee, and held multiple offices within the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. He has also written extensively on intellectual freedom topics.

FTRF President Martin Garnar stated that the gift is crucial to the future of the Foundation. “It’s essential to introduce our incoming professionals to the work of the Foundation so that they will understand why it’s important to receive their support,” said Garnar. “In addition, litigation defending the First Amendment is a cornerstone of the Foundation’s activities, and having dedicated support for litigation will ensure that the Foundation will be able to take an active role in future cases.”

Library and Information Science (LIS) Students are welcome to apply for their free membership by visiting FTRF.org.