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The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) provides a forum for the discussion of activities, programs, and problems in intellectual freedom of libraries and librarians.

The IFRT Members Community group is the central hub for discussion, library and events. It is visible to all ALA members but only IFRT members can participate in the conversation.

  • 1.  Academic Freedom (The lack thereof)

    Posted Nov 28, 2022 01:14 AM
    This is what is happening at the ALA and the OIF, verbatim.

    https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/27/23471569/woke-universities-academic-freedom-chicago-trifecta
    Quoted:
    (1)

    Crisis of leadership

    Many universities and professional organizations now qualify their support for freedom: free speech, they say, so long as nobody feels offended or excluded; free speech, so long as it does not challenge institutionally approved narratives and conceptions of social justice; free speech, but only within narrow credentialed boundaries.

    These restrictions are counterproductive, even to their goal of advancing a particular ideology. People infer from censorship a desire to protect lies from being exposed. Historically, censorship has supported monstrous regimes and their ideologies. Bad ideas are only defeated by argument and persuasion, not by suppression. True justice and freedom cannot exist without each other.

    (2)

    A boilerplate generic defense of free speech does little good if, at the same time, university administrators conduct investigations in secret, without due process and based on anonymous complaints and if administrators publicly ostracize the victim to all potential future employers. Boards of trustees, alumni organizations, donors, government granting agencies and other institutional stakeholders likewise fail to uphold the principles of academic freedom. 



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    Alec McFarlane
    President
    New Image Associates - Construction Consultants
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  • 2.  RE: Academic Freedom (The lack thereof)

    Posted Nov 28, 2022 07:54 AM
    Edited by Shawn Norton Nov 29, 2022 10:42 AM
    Your source here is owned by the Church of LDS, and is very conservative leaning as a result. I don't think that's the best reference when discussing intellectual freedom.

    I've seen all your posts over this weekend talking about how you're being censored, and I'd like to offer a different view: You aren't being censored, people are choosing to not engage with you.

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    Shawn Norton
    Collection Development Librarian
    Jacksonville Public Library
    He/Him/His,They/theirs
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