I'm Amanda Sprochi and I'm the LHRT liaison to the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee. This is the February report.
Llano case: Subcommittee is compiling language from various state's Right to Read acts looking for justifications not based on the 1st Amendment and will produce a draft paper. Next steps will probably be for the document to go to ALA Council for approval and it would become a policy document. The most effective language in those acts centers on protecting librarians from dismissal, arrest or prosecution.
AI Working group: a draft document is in the commenting phase until February 15. Feedback will be considered and the document edited after comments are closed.
Support rural libraries: meeting scheduled with ASRL advocacy committee next month, and will inform committee about OIF's Intellectual Freedom helpline.
Content controls in OverDrive: a draft document explaining libraries concerns about content controls to vendors has been created. It will be posted for feedback from the full IFC.
Office of Intellectual Freedom: has been moved from Member Services to the ALA Policy and Advocacy wing. These entities frequently work together and this makes collaboration more effective, and will not dilute the mission of the OIF. Sarah Lamdan has been appointed Executive Director of OIF and Eric Stroshane is the Associate Director.
Other work:
ALA Policy Monitoring Committee has asked OIF to review policy documents and update where necessary for current language.
The Freedom to Read Manual is being updated and there is work on a document outlining the history of ALA policy on intellectual freedom so people could see how policies changed over time.
The IFC received a letter asking for urgent action from libraries in developing collection development policies and subscription models for independent journalism. Noting that while legacy media is consolidating under corporations and billionaires, independent journalism on platforms like Substack are thriving under a subscription-based model outside corporate control The letter requested that libraries look at criteria for including independent journalism in library collections, what subscription models would enable institutional access, and how libraries can advocate for platform providers to develop access models. The IFC felt the scope was probably beyond what libraries could create themselves; an aggregator like ProQuest would be needed to package materials in formats libraries could provide. Libraries may be able to do some of this work for local resources. A small task force was set up to draft a response to the letter and make suggestions.
Member and liaison updates:
The ALSC liaison discussed using picture books to address censorship and the updating of the IF programming toolkit.
AASL discussed the status of a Freedom to Read bill that was passed but vetoed by the governor, and the "I'm your neighbor" books program that allows people to request books of behalf of families affected by ICE activity.
The liaison for the Library Services for the Justice Involved interest group discussed the Prison Library Act of 2026 to improve state and territorial prison facilities. There is also concern about changes in policy in Arkansas facilities that would prohibit incarcerated individuals from receiving books and magazines from family, businesses like Amazon or anyone other than pre-approved organizations.
New business: IFC was not asked to give feedback on ALA Council's resolution of the Proclamation of the Librarian and Library Worker's Bill of Rights. Feedback will be taken back to the Council from IFC members if it is brought up for approval soon.
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Amanda Sprochi
Cataloger/Data Wrangler
60 Ellis Library
University of Missouri
520 S 9th St.
Columbia, MO 65211
sprochia@missouri.edu573/882-0461
She/Her/Hers
The University of Missouri occupies the traditional land of the Osage, Kiikaapoi, Peoria, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ peoples.
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