ALA | School Library Media Centers and Intellectual Freedom Dianne McAfee Hopkins Dianne McAfee Hopkins is professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is also faculy coordinator, school library media program. She is the 2001 recipient of the American Association of School Librarians/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award. Introduction As the first library that many children and young adults are introduced to and use on a continuing basis, school library media programs play a vital role in promoting intellectual freedom. Access As views on schools and schooling evolve, so does the role of the school library media specialist in preK-12 education. In the school, the library media specialist works closely with classroom teachers to make school library media center (LMC) resources an integral part of daily instruction. Today, resources available in school LMCs have expanded beyond books and basic audiovisual materials in many schools to include CD-ROM products and electronic information. Policies and Procedures
Teaching Banned Books During Banned Books Week While some parents want certain books removed from schools, teachers are remembering the important reasons to keep them in the classroom. This week is the 32nd annual Banned Books Week, described by organizers as a "celebration of the freedom to read." Books have been banned from libraries and schools for reasons that range from religious viewpoints to sexual and drug references. In 2013, the American Library Association, or ALA, recorded 307 challenges -- that is, formal complaints for a book to be removed from a school or library. From January 2013 through August 2014, "sexually explicit," "offensive language," and "unsuited for age group" were the most commonly cited reasons for challenging a book, according to the ALA. Donna Decker, a professor who teaches a course on banned books at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire, said she thinks it is necessary for teachers to educate students using banned and challenged books.
NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center Author Laurie Halse Anderson Speaks for Intellectual Freedom On November 21, 2015, at the NCTE Convention, Laurie Halse Anderson (pictured on the left with Joan Kaywell on the right) accepted the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award with the following words that embody the purpose of the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center. Thank you very much for this wonderful award! As a child, I was frequently told to shush my mouth and to stop asking questions. Receiving this honor for speaking my truth from an organization I value so highly is incredibly satisfying and a delight. Recognizing the significance of intellectual freedom is more important than ever, now that America is finally entering her adolescence. The two greatest promises that America made to herself and to her children were that all people are created equal and that Americans are granted the rights to think, to speak, and to write what we want. Historians are charged with documenting the progress and the backsliding of American liberties.
Banned Books Remind Us Of The Power Of The Written Word The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank regularly makes banned book lists, but not because it details the terror of hiding from Nazi occupiers. Andrew Burton/Getty Images hide caption itoggle caption Andrew Burton/Getty Images The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank regularly makes banned book lists, but not because it details the terror of hiding from Nazi occupiers. Andrew Burton/Getty Images Here's an idea for weekend fun: Pick up a banned book. Look for "the good parts" — the sections of Ulysses, The Grapes of Wrath, The Color Purple, Catch-22, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Lolita, the Harry Potter series, Animal Farm, A Farewell to Arms or In the Night Kitchen that have scenes and language that once made people gasp, blush or shudder. Re-read those sections now. This is the 30th year that the American Library Association has saluted Banned and Challenged Books, which they describe as "an annual event celebrating the freedom to read."
Library Privacy Guidelines for Students in K-12 Schools | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues Introduction Libraries face a number of challenges in protecting the privacy of users, especially students in elementary, middle, and high schools. School libraries offer print, media, and online content to meet students’ educational and research needs as well as to nurture their intellectual curiosity and development. Students’ use of library resources is also incorporated into classroom activities, learning outcomes, and assessment. School libraries typically are integrated into their district's administrative and technology infrastructures. ALA issues these guidelines to provide school libraries with information about appropriate data management and security practices in respect to student use of library collections and resources in order to strengthen student privacy protections. Why Privacy Is Important Protecting user privacy and confidentiality has long been an integral part of the intellectual freedom mission of libraries. Clear Privacy Policies Audit Encryption Data Sharing
Banned Books Week Announces Comics Focus | ALA 2014 The 2014 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Las Vegas this week set the stage for Banned Books Week, scheduled for September 21-27, 2014. This year, Banned Books Week will shine light on banned and challenged comic books and graphic novels. On the show floor, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which provides legal support and expertise to readers, authors, and librarians, debuted a new handbook offering rundowns of commonly challenged comic titles, myths about banned books, and ideas for programming around Banned Books Week. (For more on the new resources, see infoDOCKET.com). The last couple years in particular have seen some high profile challenges of comic books and graphic novels, including the removal of some financial support from the College of Charleston after it included Alison Bechdel’s coming of age graphic memoir Fun Home in a school-wide reading program and the restrictions placed on Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis in Chicago public schools.
Banned Books Week Celebrates Comics Banned Books Week, running September 21–27, offers libraries everywhere an opportunity to celebrate challenging (and challenged) literature and let their communities exercise their freedom to read. This year is devoted to comics and graphic novels, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF)—a nonprofit organization devoted to free speech and defending comic book readers, retailers, publishers, and creators—has partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) to create and distribute tools and resources for libraries to use for Banned Books Week and beyond. Libraries are encouraged to host read-outs, put up displays, and engage their communities with activities that raise awareness of censorship threats that continue to occur. Comics and graphic novels are one of the fast growing collections in libraries today, and librarians and educators have recognized that they have multiple benefits for readers of all ages and abilities.