Intellectual Freedom for

School Librarians

in·tel·lec·tu·al free·dom, n. the belief that all people should be able to access and express ideas and information without regard nature of individual or the views expressed.

Origins of Intellectual Freedom Rights

• In America—The First and Fourth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States(1791)

• Internationally—Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948)

• Within Libraries—The Library Bill of Rights and The Code of Ethics of the American Library Association(both 1939)1

1. Intellectual Freedom Manual, 8th ed., 4, 33, 50-61

Material Challenges• Seventy-five percent of all material challenges originate in schools2

• Material challenges result from conflicting values present in our multicultural society

• Points of conflict include: ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, bodily functions, and graphic violence

2. Dresang, “Intellectual Freedom and Libraries,” 172.

• Image of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie found at http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-Part-Time-Indian-Paperback-Sherman/dp/B00E1WDG0Y/

• Image of Persepolis by Majane Satrapi found at http://www.amazon.com/Persepolis-Boxed-Set-Marjane-Satrapi/dp/0375423966/

• Image of An Tango Makes Three found at http://www.amazon.com/Tango-Makes-Three/dp/B001EEJD86/

This image found at http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/dav-pilkey-artwork

Web Filtering

• Children’s Internet Protection Act (2001), known as CIPA

• Web Filters often block Federally Protected Free Speech

• Decisions about Web Filtering typically involve School Boards, Administrator, and Technology Staff

• Acceptable Use Policies satisfy CIPA3

3. Johnson, “Power Up,” 86-87

Student Expression

• Blocking Social Media Websites Violates Student’s Free Speech Rights4

• File sharing websites facilitate collaboration and peer review5

• Working in the Web 2.0 environment prepares students for the work force of the future6

4. Johnson, “The Neglected Side of Intellectual Freedom,” 985. Stripling, et al. “Minors & Internet Interactivity,” 38.6. Luhtala and Svec, “Youth Maters: a Tale of Two Students,” 48.

Privacy

• Often cited as a reason for restricting student access to social media

• Violated by laws that allow school administrators to acquire student passwords7

• Violated by labeling programs such as Accelerated Reader8

7. Price, “Illinois School Could Demand Social Media Passwords.”8. Adams, “Computerized Reading Programs: Intellectual Freedom,” 27-28.

Collection Development

• Poorly developed or implemented Collection Development Policies may lead to Self-Censorship9

• Collection Development Policies need to include Reconsideration Procedures

• Age Appropriateness should be the guiding principle for School Librarians10

9. Maycock, “Issues and Trends in Intellectual Freedom for Teacher Librarians,” 11.10. Cooper, “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship in the Library,” 222.

Meeting the Challenges

• Mentoring New School Librarians• Training Support Staff• Local Ally Networks• Professional Organizations• Awareness Raising Events• Professional Literature

Local Ally Networks

• Few other professions have codes of ethics like Librarians

• School Librarians are often sole Library professional in a building

• Networks should include: teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, public librarians, and parents11

11. Adams, "Solo Librarians and Intellectual Freedom," 33.

Professional Organizations

• ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom

• American Association of School Librarians Intellectual Freedom Committee

• Illinois Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee

Awareness Raising Events

• Banned Books Week—Final Week of September

• Banned Websites Day—Wednesday of Banned Books Week

• School Library Month—April• Choose Privacy Week—First Week of May

• The Day We Fight Back—February 11th, 2014

Professional Literature

• Ensuring Intellectual Freedom and Access to Information in the School Library Media Program / Helen R. Adams

• Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your School Library / Pat R. Scales.

• Intellectual Freedom Manual• Knowledge Quest

BibliographyAdams, Helen R. Ensuring Intellectual Freedom and Acess

to Information in the School Library Media Program. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008

——————. "Protecting Students' Rights and Keeping Your Job." School Library Monthly 28, no. 6 (March 2012): 27-28. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

——————. "Solo Librarians and Intellectual Freedom: Perspectives from the Field." Knowledge Quest 40, no. 2 (November 2011): 30-35. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

——————. "The Intellectual Freedom Calendar: Another Advocacy Plan for the School Library." School Library Monthly 27, no. 7 (April 2011): 52-53. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

"ALA Questions Removal of Graphic Novel in Chicago." American Libraries 44, no. 5 (May 2013): 8. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Caldwell-Stone, Deborah. "Filtering and the First Amendment." American Libraries 45, no. 3/4 (March 2013): 58-61. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Cooper, Jessica L. "Intellectual Freedom and Censorship in the Library." Community & Junior College Libraries 16, no. 4 (October 2010): 218-224. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Dresang, Eliza T. "Intellectual Freedom and Libraries: Complexity and Change in the Twenty-First-Century Digital Environment." Library Quarterly 76, no. 2 (April 2006): 169-192. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Flagg, Gordon. "Concerned Parents School Educators about Reading Choices." American Libraries 43, no. 1/2 (January 2012): 16. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Johns, Sara Kelly. "Who's Protecting Whom? AASL and Intellectual Freedom." Knowledge Quest, November 2007., 4-6, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Johnson, Doug. "Power Up!" Educational Leadership 70, no.

4 (December 2012): 86-87. Academic Search Complete,

EBSCOhost.

——————. "The Neglected Side of Intellectual Freedom."

Library Media Connection 31, no. 5 (March 2013): 98.

Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Levinson, Nan. Outspoken: Free Speech Stories. Berkeley:

University of California Press, 2003.

Luhtala, Michelle, and Deb Svec. "Youth Matters. A Tale

of Two Students." American Libraries 43, no. 7/8

(July 2012): 48. Academic Search Complete,

EBSCOhost.

Maycock, Angela. "Choose Privacy Week And School

Libraries." Knowledge Quest 39, no. 1 (September

2010): 69-72. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

—————. "Issues and Trends in Intellectual Freedom for

Teacher Librarians." Teacher Librarian 39, no. 1

(October 2011): 8-12. Academic Search Complete,

EBSCOhost.

Morehart, Phil. "A Year in the Life of Librotraficante."

American Libraries 44, no. 5 (May 2013): 14.

Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Office for Intellectual Freedom, comp. Intellectual

Freedom Manual. Eight Ed. Chicago: American Library

Association, 2010.

Price, Gary. “Illinois School Could Demand Social Media

Passwords.” Library Journal: Info Docket.

http://www.infodocket.com/2014/02/03/41227/

Scales, Pat R. Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your

School Library. Chicago: American Library

Association, 2009.

Stripling, Barbara, Connie Williams, Melissa Johnston,

and Holly Anderton. 2010. "Minors & Internet

Interactivity: A New Interpretation of the LBOR."

Knowledge Quest 39, no. 1: 38-45. Academic Search

Complete, EBSCOhost.