SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

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The Social Responsibilities Round Table works to make ALA more democratic and to establish progressive priorities not only for the Association, but also for the entire profession. Concern for human and economic rights was an important element in the founding of SRRT and remains an urgent concern today. SRRT believes that libraries and librarians must recognize and help solve social problems and inequities in order to carry out their mandate to work for the common good and bolster democracy.

Learn more about SRRT on the ALA website.

  • 1.  Thoughts on Supreme Court Cases re. Opting Out & Freedom of Religion

    Posted Apr 30, 2025 03:29 PM
    Dear Colleagues,

    Since many of us are very concerned about the current Supreme Court cases affecting the freedom to read and the use of public funds for religious schools,  I wanted to share the brief comments that I posted on IFRT Connect earlier this week.  As someone who comes from Iran and has seen the terrible damage done to Iranian society by the rule of a religious fundamentalist, authoritarian and misogynist regime,  I think we should respond strongly and not allow the precious constitutional principle of separation of religion and state to be taken away.

    Below are the comments posted earlier:

    At the April 22 IFRT Reads program on How to Defend Public Education, we had some discussion on these issues.  The purpose of a public education is to promote equity, equality,  shared understanding, critical thinking and empathy in order to prepare citizens to be part of a democracy.   We cannot bow to parents opting their children out of certain classes because they do not want them to learn about Black history or LGBTQ identity or women's rights.  That defeats the whole purpose of a public education which aims to promote shared understanding. 
      
    Furthermore, taking money out of public education funds to promote private and religious schools, contradicts the purpose of public schools as well as the U.S. constitution's separation of religion and state.  Using public education funds for private schools should only be acceptable when there is a request for an accommodation such as a disability which a particular public school system cannot address.  Otherwise,  our goal should be to work on improving the existing public school system not to impoverish and dismantle it.

    Frieda Afary
    Director-at-Large
    Intellectual Freedom Round Table




  • 2.  RE: Thoughts on Supreme Court Cases re. Opting Out & Freedom of Religion

    Posted May 01, 2025 12:34 AM
    Good points about our objectives for education. Unfortunately, governments have other plans. For them, education is for indoctrinating learners with the political ideas of the rulers and teaching skills the economy needs. This is true whether in all countries.

    What ideas do we have to maintain the separation of Church and state? Some options: Refuse to recite the pledge. Support people who reject religion. End public celebrations of religious holidays with leave from schools and work. Stop the commercialization of religious holidays. Encourage science not superstitions and faith. 
    Others?

















    Karyn Pomerantz
    Co-editor of the multiracialunity.org blog





    Original Message