The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is accepting nominations for the 2021 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award. The award consists of a citation and $500. IFRT will present the award during the 2021 ALA Annual Conference.
This award, presented annually, honors the personal courage, dedication, and contribution to the defense of freedom of expression by a living individual, group, or organization. Over the past 45 years, the Immroth Award has been presented to a diverse group of recipients. Recent winners include:
- 2020: Rebecca Ginsburg, Director of the Education Justice Project, for defending the freedom to read for incarcerated individuals.
- 2019: Jim Duncan, Executive Director of the Colorado Library Consortium, for defending the principles of intellectual freedom.
- 2018: Lindsey Whittington, a media specialist in Dixie County, Florida, publicly defended the First Amendment rights of her students.
- 2017: Robert P. Doyle, in recognition of his defense of intellectual freedom in a library career spanning more than 30 years.
- 2016: Jarrett Dapier, for exposing wrongdoing which could have resulted in a violation of the constitutional rights of the students in Chicago Public Schools.
The Immroth Committee needs your help identifying and nominating our 2021 recipient! The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2020. Visit the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award page for more information and to submit nominations.
If you have questions about the award or how to submit a nomination, please contact me at robinson@ila.org.
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Cynthia Robinson
She/Her/Hers
Deputy Director
Illinois Library Association
robinson@ila.org(312) 644-1896
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