Coming UpUnited for Libraries and the Freedom to Read Foundation to Offer Webinar for Trustees: Law and the Right to Read: What Your Trustees Need to Know June 5, 2024, 1 p.m. central / 2 p.m. eastern FTRF members attend for FREE Trustees have a special role in upholding the right to read. Many elected and appointed trustees seek out their role because of their love of the library or their local school district, but they may not understand why it is critical to uphold the First Amendment right to access information for their fellow community members or students. In this session, trustees will learn the basics of intellectual freedom related to their role, and how First Amendment rights are related to policies and access in our public and public-school libraries. They will be given the tools needed to support staff and patrons’ rights, including their own, and tackle challenges that arise in their community. Learning Objectives: An understanding of publicly funded libraries’ responsibilities to protect the right to read and access the library under the First and Fourteenth Amendment. An understanding of proposed laws, ordinances, and administrative rules intended to censor materials or restrict library workers’ ability to provide information to their community. Strategies for effective advocacy to preserve the right to read, including networking with local and statewide groups. Resources through the American Library Association, United for Libraries, and the Freedom to Read Foundation that help fight censorship.
Presenters Deborah Caldwell-Stone is Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. For over twenty years she has worked closely with library professionals and library trustees on a wide range of intellectual freedom issues related to library service in the United States. She has served on the faculty of the ALA-sponsored Lawyers for Libraries and Law for Librarians workshops and is a contributor to the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. She has contributed articles on law, policy, and intellectual freedom to American Libraries and other publications. Theresa Chmara is an attorney in Washington, DC. She also is the General Counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is the author ofPrivacy and Confidentiality Issues: A Guide for Libraries and their Lawyers (ALA 2009). She has been a First Amendment lawyer for over thirty years and is a frequent speaker on intellectual freedom issues in libraries. She is a contributing author for theIntellectual Freedom Manual published by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. She also served as an instructor for the Lawyers for Libraries training seminars and an instructor for the American Library AssociationFirst Amendment and Library Services E-Course.
Pricing and Participation
Registration is free for Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Members Go to this address,https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=1180and click the registration button. Enter the coupon code or contact us atftrf@ftrf.org to receive a code, then include it in the appropriate box on the shopping cart page. Purchase registration. Return here to the ALA eLearning site to locate your signup code. Click on the drop-down menu below your name in the upper right corner of your screen. Select the option for "Signup Codes" and locate your signup code for this course.
Redeem your signup code to be registered in the course and receive your Zoom link via email. To learn more and to register, visit this page.https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=1180 Contact
If you have a question or need to make arrangements for additional assistance or accessibility, please contact Jillian Wentworth (jwentworth@ala.org). |
Past WebinarsFreedom to Read Foundation Virtual President’s Program Continuing the Conversation: Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice February 22, 2024 3:00pm Eastern, 2:00pm Central, 1:00pm Mountain, 12:00pm Pacific 90 Minutes Please Register Here. Freedom to Read Foundation and National Associations of Librarians of Color leaders will share how our organizations are responding to challenges to intellectual freedom and the right to access information. A significant number of the challenges in the past two years have been to works by or about persons of color. Through this conversation we will identify ways our organizations can support one another in fighting censorship. Through Education, Litigation, and Advocacy the Freedom to Read Foundation works to protect First Amendment rights. A commitment to social justice is fundamental to the work of the Foundation. Learn more Here Panelists include: Sukrit Goswami, President of the Freedom to Read Foundation Stacy Wells, Executive Assistant for the American Indian Library Association (AILA) Amy Breslin, Member at Large, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Nichelle Hayes, President of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Ray Pun, Immediate Past President of the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Loida Garcia-Febo, International Relations Committee Chair, REFORMA – The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking Webinar Series
Defending Intellectual Freedom: Facing Challenges and Fighting Back
A
three - webinar series sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and the
American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (ALA OIF). Freedom to Read Foundation Members attend for free and ALA Members receive a 20% discount if they sign up for all three. To join FTRF and attend for free as a member visit here. If you are an FTRF member and didn't receive an email with the registration code, contact ALA eLearning at ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100 or call FTRF staff at 312-280-4223 ext. 4223 or email ftrf@ala.org.
Navigating Book Challenges in Rural America
Speakers: Heather Hutto and MacKenzie Ledley
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 2:30pm Eastern/1:30pm Central/12:30pm Mountain/11:30am Pacific Challenges to books, displays, and other library resources are on the rise in all areas of our country, including rural areas. While it may seem that a “one size fits all” approach can be used in all libraries, it’s important to understand
the differences in our communities and consider the best approach when working through a book challenge. In this new webinar, Heather Hutto and MacKenzie Ledley will share knowledge and perspective from their experience living and working in rural areas. They’ll provide insight into successfully addressing topics of censorship, intellectual
freedom, and privacy in small and rural communities. By participating in this event, libraries workers will learn: - How to factor in differences in community location, size, and needs when addressing book challenges.
- Effective strategies to directly address challenges at school and public libraries.
- How library board members, trustees, and community members can support libraries and library workers in their mission to serve the information needs of everyone in the community.
FTRF Members Register Here with your code: Navigating Book Challenges in Rural America - Wednesday, January 4, 2023: https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=695 About the Instructors During an internship in San Francisco, Heather Hutto noticed several key gaps between the technology and information literacy levels of Bay Area residents compared to those back home in rural Oklahoma. After a decade
of service in tribal-rural public schools and libraries in northeastern Oklahoma, she now serves as executive director of a tribal-rural public library in northeastern Oklahoma serving 12,000 people. In this role she tries to bridge
digital inclusivity gaps and foster awareness about this, and intersecting issues. MacKenzie Ledley has served as the Executive Director at the Pulaski County Public Library since 2009. She holds an M.L.S. from Indiana University and believes that any community, including rural communities, can embrace
intellectual freedom. MacKenzie has served on a variety of IFRT committees and was a past co-chair of the Legislative Committee for the Indiana Library Federation. This event will be hosted in Zoom. Automatic captions will be enabled for this event. This event will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to the recording within a day after the event ends. If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact us at ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100. Reproductive Health and Libraries: Navigating the New Information Landscape
Speakers: Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Theresa Chmara
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 2:30pm Eastern/1:30pm Central/12:30pm Mountain/11:30am Pacific Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. V. Wade, librarians in states where abortions are now illegal have faced confusing directives, concern for their jobs, and threats from those who say that libraries, and librarians,
are no longer permitted to have and share information related to abortion. In this timely webinar, our presenters will share practical guidance on the protections librarians have when providing access to information about abortion. After participating in this event, libraries workers will: - Understand how laws addressing abortion access and reproductive health do and do not impact libraries.
- Gain a basic understanding of how courts have dealt with similar situations in the past.
- Understand strategies and best practices for responding to threats or potential accusations of aiding and abetting a crime.
FTRF Members register here with your code: Reproductive Health and Libraries: Navigating the New Information Landscape - Wednesday, January 11, 2023: https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=696About the
Instructors Deborah
Caldwell-Stone is Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. For over twenty years she has worked closely with library professionals and library trustees on a wide range of intellectual
freedom issues related to library service in the United States. She has served on the faculty of the ALA-sponsored Lawyers for Libraries and Law for Librarians workshops and is a contributor to the 10th edition of the Intellectual
Freedom Manual and other publications. Theresa Chmara is an attorney in Washington, DC. She also is the General Counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is the author of Privacy and
Confidentiality Issues: A Guide for Libraries and their Lawyers (ALA 2009). She has been a First Amendment lawyer for over thirty years and is a frequent speaker on intellectual freedom issues in libraries. She is a contributing author
for the Intellectual Freedom Manual, published by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. She also served as an instructor for the Lawyers for Libraries training seminars and is an instructor
for the American Library Association First
Amendment and Library Services eCourse. This event will be hosted in Zoom. Automatic captions will be enabled for this event. This event will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to the recording within a day after the event ends. If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact us at ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100. Dealing with Challenges, Misinformation, and Disinformation About Resources for Children and Young Adults:
Speakers: Theresa Chmara and Martha Hickson
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 2:30pm Eastern/1:30pm Central/12:30pm Mountain/11:30am Pacific Across the United States, public and school librarians face parents or organized groups who accuse them of sharing content that is obscene, harmful to minors, or child pornography. But a politically-motivated declaration that material
is harmful to minors does not make it a reality.
Issues of intellectual freedom in Youth Services are carefully defined in law, and courts have set limits on when terms like “obscene” or “pornographic” can be applied to books and other information resources. In this webinar,
library staff can learn how to address these challenges from a First Amendment perspective and how to navigate issues that arise when these misleading claims are spread in a community.
After participating in this event, library workers will: - Have a basic understanding of the legal issues that address claims of obscenity, child pornography, or harm to minors and the role of the First Amendment.
- Have concrete strategies for responding to these accusations and inviting others to support library workers in the community.
- Understand best practices for addressing challenges to books and library resources.
FTRF members register here with your code: Dealing
with Challenges, Misinformation, and Disinformation About Resources for
Children and Young Adults - Wednesday, January 18, 2023: https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=697
About the Instructors Theresa
Chmara is an attorney in Washington, DC. She also is the General Counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is the author of Privacy and Confidentiality
Issues: A Guide for Libraries and their Lawyers (ALA 2009). She has been a First Amendment lawyer for over thirty years and is a frequent speaker on intellectual freedom issues in libraries. She is a contributing author for the Intellectual Freedom Manual, published by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. She also served as an instructor for the Lawyers for Libraries training seminars and is an instructor for the American Library Association
First Amendment and Library Services eCourse. Martha
Hickson has been a librarian at North Hunterdon High School in New Jersey since 2005. Her work has been featured in School Library Journal, Booklist, KnowledgeQuest, and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog. Her defense of intellectual
freedom has been recognized with awards from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, the New Jersey Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, and the National Council of Teachers of English.
In June, the American Library Association presented Martha with the Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity in recognition of her "energy and bravery in the face of [...] persistent and ongoing hostility"
while advocating for students' First Amendment right to read. And in November, the National Coalition Against Censorship presented Martha with the Judith Krug Outstanding Librarian Award. This event will be hosted in Zoom. Automatic captions will be enabled for this event. This event will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to the recording within a day after the event ends. If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact us at ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100. FTRF Members can register for the bundle at: Defending Intellectual Freedom: Facing Challenges and Fighting Back (the bundle): https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=698
| | WEBINAR ARCHIVEManaging and Addressing Book Challenges in Your Community: Law, Policy, AdvocacyA
webinar sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and the
American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (ALA OIF)
Thursday, December 9, 2021
4 p.m. Eastern / 3 p.m. Central / 2 p.m. Mountain /1 p.m. Pacific /12p.m. Alaska /
11 a.m. Hawaii Across the country there has been an overwhelming increase in the number of materials challenges in school districts and public libraries. Librarians, school administrators, teachers, and trustees are having a hard time knowing what steps
they can take to keep books on the shelves or what resources are available to support their anti-censorship efforts. In this webinar panelists will discuss current campaigns to censor diverse books addressing racism and the experiences
of BIPOC and LGBTQIA persons, share information about the legal precedents addressing book censorship in public schools and libraries, and discuss how people facing challenges can advocate for themselves and their staff,
as well as ways to protect their collections and curriculum. Panelists:
Deborah Caldwell-Stone is Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.
For over twenty years she has worked closely with library professionals and library trustees on a wide range of intellectual freedom issues related to library service in the United States. She has served on the faculty of the ALA-sponsored
Lawyers for Libraries and Law for Librarians workshops and is a contributor to the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. She has contributed articles on law, policy, and intellectual freedom to American Libraries and other
publications
Theresa Chmara is an attorney in Washington, DC. She also is the General Counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is the author of Privacy and Confidentiality Issues: A Guide
for Libraries and their Lawyers (ALA 2009). She has been a First Amendment lawyer for over thirty years and is a frequent speaker on intellectual freedom issues in libraries. She is a contributing author for the Intellectual
Freedom Manual published by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association, an instructor for the Lawyers for Libraries training seminars, and an instructor for the American Library Association First Amendment
and Library Services E-Course. Megan Cusick is the Deputy Director for State Advocacy in ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office. She coordinates ALA's state and local advocacy efforts in partnership with ALA offices
and divisions; state chapters and affiliates; and librarians, library staff, and advocates across the country. Prior to joining ALA, Megan was a librarian in Chicago Public Schools and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center; she
is a co-founder of the Chicago Teachers Union librarians committee. She has presented and published on topics such as partnerships, library trends, civic engagement, intellectual freedom, and advocacy. When:
Thursday, December 9, 2021
4 p.m. Eastern / 3 p.m. Central / 2 p.m. Mountain /1 p.m. Pacific /12p.m. Alaska / 11 a.m. Hawaii Where:
On Zoom. A link will be provided to those who have registered the morning of the webinar. Cost:
If you choose to become a member of FTRF (individuals or organizations) your cost will cover a membership for the year and you, or you and members of your organization, may attend webinars moving forward for
free.
FTRF and IFRT members:
Free
Non- FTRF or IFRT members:
$35 (this covers an individual membership
with FTRF)
$100 (this covers an organizational membership with FTRF) How to register: Fill out and submit this registration form. If you are not a member of IFRT or the Freedom to Read Foundation please go here after you register to join or make a donation. Organizations, please consider joining
FTRF as an organizational member and sharing the webinar with your staff. If you prefer to mail a check for registration, please fill out the online form and then send a check to:
Freedom to Read Foundation
225 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601 Questions:
Contact Joyce McIntosh at the Freedom to Read Foundation, jmcintosh@ala.org or 312-280-4223 ext. 4223 Privacy to Pornography: What Staff Need to Know about Intellectual FreedomMonday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. Central Time. FREE - REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Register at ALA.org/advocacy Whether you’re an educator or library director, front-facing circulation desk staff member or behind-the-scenes cataloger, understanding the First Amendment rights of your patrons is essential. In this one-hour webinar, Freedom to Read Foundation consultant Joyce Hagen-McIntosh will review best practices and ALA guidelines for topics ranging from privacy and pornography, to access and selection. Hagen-McIntosh will help librarians navigate the abundance of ALA resources and policies by providing real-world examples and addressing common issues in the library community. This 101 session is a perfect opportunity for students and new professionals to delve into intellectual freedom advocacy, and a helpful refresher for veteran intellectual freedom fighters. | | Emerging Issues in Intellectual Freedom
Friday, August 4, 2017, 1 p.m. Central
FREE - REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Register at ALA.org/advocacy
Join the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom
for “Emerging Issues in Intellectual Freedom,” a free webinar on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017 at 1 p.m. Central.
Twice a year, FTRF trustees and liaisons meet to discuss emerging intellectual freedom topics in our libraries, schools and government offices. Often these topics overlap with issues of privacy, censorship and the First Amendment.
| |
Do They Still Teach That? Ethics in LIS Curricula
Martin Garner, Presenter
Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017 1 p.m. Central
As a degree, the master of library science is regularly questioned as to whether it is still effective as preparation for professional roles in the field. Concerns range from a lack of technical proficiency and practical skills
in graduates to whether a graduate degree is even necessary to be a librarian. Defenders of the degree talk about the theoretical foundation given to graduates of library and information science (LIS) programs, including a grounding in
the principles and values that undergird the professional work of a librarian. If that is one of the primary justifications of the degree, then it is important to understand how those principles and values, including professional ethics,
are taught in library and information science programs.
More than twenty years have elapsed since the last comprehensive review of ethics education in LIS programs, so the American Library Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics decided to undertake a survey of all accredited
LIS programs to ascertain the current state of ethics education in graduate programs, compare it to historical approaches, and discover how the committee can best use its resources to support the teaching of ethics to future librarians.
This webinar will review the study’s findings, discuss future research needs, and ask participants to reflect on their own educational experiences with ethics in LIS programs
| | Libraries in the Jim Crow South and a Conversation with One of the Tougaloo Nine
Date: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 - 1 p.m. Central.
In celebration of Black History Month, the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (ALA OIF) are excited to present a unique webinar: “Libraries in the Jim Crow South and a Conversation
with One of the Tougaloo Nine,” on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, at 1 p.m. Central. Join author Cheryl Knott (“Not Free, Not for All: Public Libraries in the Age of Jim Crow”) and Civil Rights activist Geraldine Hollis (author of “Back
to Mississippi”), along with artists Michael Crowell and Chapel Hill Library Director Susan Brown, for an engaging and educational conversation on the history of libraries and life in the Jim Crow South.
The Jim Crow laws were in effect in the U.S. South from 1890 -1965. During that time, libraries were one of many segregated institutions. Geraldine Hollis (then Edwards), a student at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, was one
of nine students arrested at the whites-only public library in Jackson for attempting to read books that were not available at the colored library. The recent movie “Hidden Figures” highlighted several heroines from the Civil Rights
era and there are numerous unsung heroes who contributed to the progress we’ve seen; Geraldine Hollis is one of those heroes.
| | "IF and Minors" FTRF/OIF Joint Educational Webinar
We all have First Amendment rights, but does that include children?
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2016
Guest speakers: popular YA author Chris Crutcher and FTRF General Counsel Theresa Chmara.
Most of the challenges to the materials and services in libraries are launched by parents, and usually to protect children (some as old as 17). What freedom do they have to read, view, and check out the materials they want?
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