The Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) has started the process for revising the 9th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual published in 2015. Rationale for a New Edition Why is a revision needed? Several… Read More ›
During the past two weeks, we have all listened to the Parkland students as they voiced their anger, pain, and frustration. On the other side, we listened to those who said that these were just kids and the #NeverAgain movement would… Read More ›
The American Library Association held its Midwinter meeting in Denver from February 9-13, 2018. As the chair of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (and a retired school librarian), I’m providing information on three important items for school librarians. Net Neutrality… Read More ›
Though panics over the Internet and social media have also affected libraries, book challenges remain a perennial issue for librarians.The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom provides an amazing selection of resources librarians can use in the event of… Read More ›
Since 1998, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Workbook for Selection Policy Writing has provided guidance to school librarians. After two decades, the document needed a makeover! Kristin Pekoll, assistant director at the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), had a… Read More ›
As a new year begins, I’m reflecting on three positive matters involving intellectual freedom and school librarians from 2017 that will continue in 2018. Intellectual Freedom & the AASL Standards: In November 2017, AASL introduced its new National School Library… Read More ›
School librarians encourage reading and protect their students’ right to read; but what if one of the students is blind, partially sighted, is physically unable to turn the pages of books, or has a reading disability that prevents reading print normally?… Read More ›
The Idea Lab held on Thursday, November 9, from 1:00-3:00 pm, was a true mall of ideas where AASL National Conference attendees shopped for innovative ideas and best practices. This shopping venue has history. Beginning as the Exploratorium in 2005, the… Read More ›
Google, Facebook, and Twitter have spent recent days sitting with Congress, explaining how Russians infiltrated our social media to purport false news stories, and an entire segment of our population has begun to utilize the term “fake news” at any… Read More ›
Kate Davis is the 2017 recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship. The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) annually awards the scholarship to a library school graduate student or new library professional, and the scholarship financially supports the recipient’s American Library… Read More ›