NMRT (New Members Round Table)

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The mission of the New Members Round Table (NMRT) is to help those who have been association members less than ten years become actively involved in the association and the profession.

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ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee Update for NMRT Members

  • 1.  ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee Update for NMRT Members

    Posted Sep 11, 2023 08:18 PM

    Hello NMRT members,

    This afternoon was the most recent meeting of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee.  They provided some useful information that may be helpful to our NMRT members:

    1. Banned Books Week will be from October 1-7.  October 7 is a "Day of Action," and will have suggestions of action items on the website, https://bannedbooksweek.org/.  For example, "if you have 5 minutes, call a lawmaker," "if you have 15 minutes, write a letter…"

    If your library has an event in honor of Banned Books Week, click on this link:  https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/community/add/ to have it added to their calendar.

    2. The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the ALA (OIF) asked that librarians please notify them if we hear of initiatives against banned books. They are seeing an increase in the volume of challenges reported from public libraries. They also warned that September through December are the months where school libraries experience the highest volume of challenges. The email address of the OIF is oif@ala.org. 

    3. On September 26 at 2 pm Central / 3 pm Eastern there will be a webinar sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation.  The title of the webinar is "Protecting Civil Rights in Libraries: A Conversation with the U.S. Department of Education's Office."  Click here to register.  It is free for FTRF members.

    4. ALA LibLearnX will have sessions focusing on how libraries can fight challenges and increase community advocacy, which is an important component in the fight against book challenges.  They are going to work with the initiative called "Unite Against Book Bans" to deliver some of these ideas.

    If you have any questions about the items on this list, please feel free to ask!

    Also, if you have any items that you would like for me to share on behalf of NMRT at next month's meeting, please share those comments.

    Best regards, 

    Sylvie Daubar-San Juan

    NMRT ALA IFC Liaison



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    Sylvie Daubar-San Juan
    Gallery Director/Humanities Department Chairperson
    Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
    She/Her/Hers
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