Pursuing excellence for library service to children and teens
There is little doubt that the library community at large is deeply saddened by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Mahmoud vs. Taylor, ruling in favor of parents’ right to opt their children out of lessons based on religious objections to LGBTQIA+ themes in books.
In a recent ALSC blog post, we got to know Eric Stroshane, ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom Assistant Director for Member Services. If you’d like to know more about censorship and the resources available if your library is facing a book challenge, it’s certainly worth checking out. But what is Intellectual Freedom, and why does ALSC have its own Intellectual Freedom Committee? Here’s the definition of Intellectual Freedom, according to ALA: Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. The charge of the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee is as follows: To serve as a liaison between the division and the ALA Intellectual Freedom committee and all other groups within the association concerned…
It seems like this national wave of material and program challenges is never ending. Facing a challenge can be stressful, and trying to figure out what to do can feel overwhelming. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is here to help. What is the OIF and what do they do? Eric Stroshane OIF’s Assistant Director for Member Services, was kind enough to share information about OIF so you know who they are, what they do, and when to contact their office. A bit more about Eric: Eric Stroshane worked in public, special, and academic libraries for twenty years prior to signing on with ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. As OIF’s Assistant Director for Member Services, he provides education, advocacy, and confidential support defending the freedom to read. Eric is also responsible for maintaining the Book Résumés website for Unite Against Book Bans (among many other things!). What is a…
On Thursday, April 3rd the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee held a We Are ALSC Chat titled “Solidarity in the Face of Censorship: Meeting You Where You Are”. A representative from the Office for Intellectual Freedom, Sarah Lamdan, graciously joined the discussion to offer advice and answer questions. The ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee would like to thank all those who attended and share the brilliant notes taken by IFC member Judy Ehrenstein. Question: What is OIF hearing? Is there any good news? There is good news! When challenges go to court, IF frequently wins. A judge ruled against the removal of books in the Elizabeth, CO school district, and all removed items had to be returned to shelves. https://www.cpr.org/2025/04/04/judge-orders-elizabeth-school-district-return-banned-books/ Litigation is the last step and is expensive and takes time. Groups such as the ACLU, NAACP, and the Legal Defense Fund have been supportive of libraries in cases of book bans….
Are you a librarian or supporter of the freedom to read with concerns about current attacks on intellectual freedom and how they affect front-line library staff? The ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee hopes to alleviate some concerns for librarians and other staff about attacks on the Library Bill of Rights. All are invited to join a live We are ALSC Chat on Thursday, April 3, at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST. A representative from ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (ALA-OIF) will answer questions about how libraries can prepare for challenges and how to respond to current challenges from state governments and local residents. Click here to register. We hope to see you there! Featured image courtesy of ALSC
What are some of your old childhood favorite books that have been banned or challenged in the past? Even though the titles listed below were censored or banned more than 40 years ago, they and others like them have survived the test of time and continue to be read by a new generation of children. These four classic titles may be able to provide some perspective on book challenges and how social norms of a particular time period influence what materials are being challenged. While the past two years have been fraught with political agendas ignoring freedom of speech and the right to read, books—even those challenged or pulled from classroom and library shelves, will always find their way into the hands of readers. It’s instructive to examine a handful of classics to reflect on what seemed to alarm censors. The beloved picture book Swimmy by Leo Lionni (1963) shows…
Collection development and management has always been a significant part of the work of school librarians, but these days that work is complicated by outside efforts to censor those collections. So much of the advice around managing book challenges focuses on things within a librarian or school board’s control — developing robust collection development policies and updating them annually; creating an advisory panel of respected educators and family representatives to distribute responsibility for challenged book decisions; avoiding unintentional self-censorship. But what happens when legislation is passed that demands changes to those carefully-developed policies? What happens when the state takes control of your collection? Librarians in Tennessee are currently facing that challenge. Enacted in 2022, The Age Appropriate Materials Act initially had limited implications. But the July 2024 updates have caused significant impacts. To better understand the impact of these changes, here is a timeline of key events: The original act…
It takes courage to purchase books that could become controversial. And it takes even more courage to place them on a prominent display. You could, of course, keep these titles in their categorized place on the library’s shelves, with nothing drawing attention to them, or off in the corner, where only those walking by might see them. That way, you might think, those who need them can find them if they make the effort—the books are available—and you’re also not opening yourself up to a range of complaints. But the truth is that those who feel marginalized in our world may not know how to find the books they need, or they may be afraid to ask. Bright and inclusive displays highlight the collection and, more importantly, welcome those feeling alone with a big, literary hug. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we purchased what books we could…