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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.

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Speaking of librarians being "neutral" and "non-political" ...

  • 1.  Speaking of librarians being "neutral" and "non-political" ...

    Posted Mar 01, 2022 05:31 AM

    The English translation of this appeal from the Presidium of the Ukrainian Library Association was posted on the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres website:

    The appeal of the Presidium of the Ukrainian Library Association to the Library Community of Ukraine dated February 23, 2022
    Dear members of the library community!
    We are at the forefront of the fight against fakes, misinformation, and cyber threats!
    Libraries are educational spaces where everyone has the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills. Librarians teach and help hundreds of thousands of people every day to master the skills to live in the digital world and have safe cyberspace for themselves and their loved ones. Every day, librarians work so that people, communities, and society can distinguish true information from lies and resist informational and psychological manipulation.
    Libraries are places of security and freedom, where everyone who needs it will have free access to information, the Internet, psychological support, and help in solving their life problems.
    Libraries are places of power where people find themselves. In daily communication, librarians do their best to make everyone who comes to the library love books, love their language, love Ukraine.
    Libraries are a strategic weapon of the state in the hybrid war waged by the Russian Federation for many years! The relevance of libraries in overcoming the challenges facing people, the community, and society in Ukraine has become apparent during the last eight years of Russian aggression.
    Today, when we face the threat of an open war with Russia, we all, Librarians, are aware of our importance and our responsibility!
    We support each other! We know that together we will overcome everything!
    We support our friends and colleagues from Luhansk and Donetsk regions!
    We believe in and support the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
    Keep calm! We love our readers, libraries, and Ukraine!
    We do, where we are, everything we have to do!
    Glory to Ukraine!


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    Michael Gorman
    Chicago, Illinois
    michaelg@mail.fresnostate.edu
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