Our Contributors

Christopher Bowen: Chris is the current chair of the IFRT ProQuest/SIRS State and Regional Intellectual Freedom Achievement Award Committee and in the past has been both a Director and Chair of the IFRT. He is Director of Downers Grove Public Library, Downers Grove, IL. Chris has more than his share of “front line” IF stories to share.

Carolyn Caywood: Carolyn has been a librarian since 1972 when she graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit. She manages a Virginia Beach Public Library branch and a Subregional library for the blind. She is IFRT Councilor, a member of the IFC subcommittee on privacy, and a past Board member of the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Lauren Christos: Lauren is one of our newer members having made many significant contributions to the “cause” in a relatively short time. In particular she is master of the conference handout. She is a Reference Librarian at Florida International University University Park Campus and a Director of IFRT.

Stephen Cochran: Steve is active in Indiana intellectual freedom circles having served on its IFC for the past several years, chairing it for the last three. He is director of the Alexandrian Public Library in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Previously he coordinated the Technical Services department at the Alexandrian Public Library and cataloged rare book at the Old Cathedral Library and Museum in Vincennes, Indiana.

Martin Garnar: Martin is the new chair of the Membership Promotion Committee and the immediate past chair of the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award Committee. He is a reference & instruction librarian at Regis University in Denver, CO.

Pam Klipsch: Pam is both the chair elect and a past chair of IFRT. She is Assistant Director of the Kirkwood Public Library in Kirkwood, MO. Suffice it to say that former Missouri Senator and United States Attorney General John Ashcroft is NOT her favorite politician.

Nanette Perez: Nanette is Project Coordinator for ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Staff Liaison for IFRT. She is our “go to” person who sees that all of the behind the scenes things get taken care of.

Diane Sybeldon: Diane is another of our newer members. She is I nformation Services Librarian and subject specialist for the Fine and Performing Arts (Art, Art History, Music, Theatre, Dance) and Film Studies located at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan.

Sylvia Turchyn: Sylvia is Secretary of IFRT and head of Cataloging at the Indiana University main library in Bloomington. In addition to many years of service on various IFRT groups, Sylvia served several years on ALA’s IFC, When necessary she has been willing to throw herself in front of the proverbial tank in the defense of IF.

Doug Archer: Doug is Editor of the IFRT Report and an IFRT Director. When he is not being a Reference and Peace Studies Librarian at the University Libraries of Notre Dame, he splits his time between being a Church of the Brethren minister and pastor’s spouse and raising three pre-school aged grandchildren.