Hello Council members,
This is the first request for feedback from the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) after the Midwinter Meeting. In anticipation of a new edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual, the IFC is continuing to update intellectual freedom-related documents.
The IFC would appreciate feedback on "Education and Information Literacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights" by Friday, March 1. The interpretation was adopted by ALA Council in 2009 with the title "The Importance of Education to Intellectual Freedom," and amended in 2014 with the title "Advocating for Intellectual Freedom." The original version was about how libraries provide education, and in doing so, facilitate intellectual freedom. The most recent version focused on how libraries educate people about intellectual freedom. After extensive conversations, the revision returns to the 2009 intent. The IFC and Committee on Professional Ethics are discussing the possibility of creating a joint policy statement or interpretation of ALA's Code of Ethics that focuses on the 2014 version's goal of promoting intellectual freedom in libraries.
Please feel free to share this message widely. Feedback can be posted in the following two ways:
- Post feedback on this Google Doc draft. The IFC requests that you post comments on the document, rather than edit the document directly. To post a comment, select "Insert" in the top menu, and then click "Comment." Comments may be posted anonymously (if you're not signed into a Google account) or publicly (if you're signed into your Google account).
- Using "track changes," add comments and edits to the attached Word doc draft. You can email it to me (glynnj@kenyon.edu) or post it as a comment to this ALA Connect post, and I'll forward it to working group members.
The Intellectual Freedom Committee will make revisions to the draft in light of your suggestions and plans to distribute the document to ALA Council prior to ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC. The committee also plans to present it at ALA Council Forum for further feedback.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions, and please let me know if you have any questions,
Julia Warga, Chair
Intellectual Freedom Committee
glynnj@kenyon.edu------------------------------
Julia Warga
Director for Research and Instruction
Kenyon College
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