From the Editor

Doug Archer

This is my last opportunity as editor to encourage you, our readers, to consider contributing copy to the IFRT Report. If you want to read what intellectual freedom advocates who are not IFRT "insiders" are thinking and doing, consider setting a good example by sending something (anything) in to our new editor, Lauren Christos. How's that for a sneaky introduction?

Lauren is a very active participant in the work of IFRT. She just finished a term as chair the IFRT Program Committee and most significantly has been consistently involved in the production of this newsletter for several years. Many, many thanks to Lauren for her excellent and enthusiastic efforts on behalf of the IFRT Report and the Round Table.

This issue of the IFRT Report contains a fine example of the member initiative mentioned above. Steve Marquardt has sent in an appeal for support for Cuban library workers. Steve's submission takes a slightly different approach to this highly charged issue than that which we usually see. In correspondence, I welcomed his effort but cautioned him that it might provoke a bit of editorializing on my part. It did.

Put bluntly, the Cuban Independent Librarians and their supporters have been usurping our professional image and title for their partisan political purposes for several years. Collecting and loaning a few books which reflect your particular opinion doesn't begin to qualify you as a librarian any more than dispensing iodine and bandages makes you a doctor. On the other hand, what's wrong with collecting and distributing bandages – or books?

While I do not consider these so called Independent Librarians to be such, I do most emphatically agree that their human rights are being violated as defined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Steve, by using the term library workers and emphasizing the human rights angle of their plight, is pointing toward a third way of addressing these abuses.

There must be some alternative to accepting the agendas of the right or left. If the right will drop the subterfuge inherent in its use of the term "independent librarians" and the left will acknowledge the shameful suppression of political opinion by our next door neighbor, we might find a way to speak out together for a cause we all claim to hold dear, the free flow of information.

Freedom for all, even the dummies who disagree with us!

IFRT at ALA New Orleans

Pam Klipsch, 2006 Chair

            IFRT members that plan to attend conference in New Orleans, please include the IFRT Membership Reception and Conference Program in your conference calendar.

            On Saturday, June 24 from noon to 1:30 p.m. the Membership Reception will be held in the Morial Convention Center Room 343. This is an opportunity to meet our 2006 IFRT award winners and the featured speakers for the conference program, which follows immediately after the reception.

            Our 2006 award winners include: the Eli M. Oboler Award for the most distinguished literary work in the area of intellectual freedom, published within the last two years, is presented to Kembrew McLeod, author of Freedom of Expression®: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity (Doubleday, 2005).

            The John Phillip Imroth Award is given to an individual who has made a notable contribution to intellectual freedom, or has exhibited personal courage in defense of freedom of expression during the past year. This year’s winners are Lucy Colins Nazro and Kathryn Runnells, representing the Board of Trustees of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin TX.

            The ProQuest/SIRS State & Regional Achievement Award is presented to the regional or state association, committee or coalition that has implemented the most successful and creative state intellectual freedom project during the past year. This year we honor the Colorado Association of Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee.

            Come see the awards presentations, meet the winners and enjoy a light lunch in the middle of your busy Saturday! The reception is free to all members of IFRT.

            Immediately following the reception, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the adjacent room 344 in the Morial Convention Center, IFRT will present its annual conference program. This year’s program, “Acknowledging Native Perspectives on the American Experience,” was developed with the cooperation of the American Indian Library Association (AILA) and is cosponsored by AILA and the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) Subcommittee on Library Services to American Indians.

            Four speakers will discuss the social, cultural, educational, and legal issues that concern Native Americans, providing both historic context and contemporary perspective on their efforts to maintain identity and improve their quality of life. Four Native librarians will respond with examples of how libraries have developed programs and services to meet those needs.

            Our speakers will also be attending the reception before the program, so you will have an opportunity to get acquainted with them before they speak. For more information on the speakers and a webliography of resources on Native Americans, please visit the IFRT 2006 Program web page at:

www.ala.org/ala/ifrt/ifrtinaction/programb/2006.htm

            Many thanks to Lauren Christos and the members of the 2006 Program Committee who helped develop the program and the webliography, and a special thanks to Kelly Webster and Carlene Engstrom, who served as AILA liaisons to the Program Committee.

            I also want to mention two other IF programs in New Orleans that IFRT is co-sponsoring. On Sunday, June 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. IFRT is cosponsoring a program organized by the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) and the Ethnic Materials Information & Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). The title is: “The Ethnic Press: Libraries and Communities, How We Can Strengthen the Ties.”

            On Monday, June 26, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., IFRT is cosponsoring a program organized by the International Relations Round Table (IRRT): “Intellectual Freedom: Views through a Cross-cultural Lens,” with speakers from China, the Middle East and Africa.

            I will complete my term as chair of IFRT at the close of the New Orleans conference, and want to thank all of the officers, executive committee members, committee chairs and committee members who have helped to make this year a success for IFRT. I owe special thanks to our staff liaison Nanette Perez in the Office for Intellectual Freedom, who keeps all the balls in the air with never a blink of the eye no matter how outrageous the demands upon her time.

            As immediate past chair my task next year will be to recruit candidates to run for office in the spring 2007 election. If you are interested in running, please contact me at conference or immediately after!

Selected Intellectual Freedom Programs, New Orleans 2006

Doug Archer

Updated from OIF Web Site (Don Wood) and the Conference Planner
(Be sure to check your Conference Book, Addendum and Cognotes upon arrival.)

IFRT Sponsored and Co-Sponsored programs are bolded in blue.

---------------------- Saturday, June 24 ----------------------

Intellectual Freedom in Rural Libraries: How to Keep the Library for Everyone

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 346-347

PLA Library Development Cluster Steering Committee

Given the special nature of small communities, often conservative in thinking, a librarian in a rural public library, who is often an outsider to begin with, must function as defender of intellectual freedom and resist attempts to censor the collection or programs. In this situation, how does one keep the library for everyone?

Speakers:

Dr. John Ellison, Associate Professor, LIS, SUNY-Buffalo.

Vanilla Collections: Have Alternative Viewpoints Disappeared from Academic Libraries?

10:30 am-12:00 p.m.
Sheraton New Orleans, Rhythms Ballroom I/II

Association of College & Research Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee
Association for Library Collections & Technical Services Collection Management and Development Section

Intellectual freedom advocates worry that academic libraries are creating homogeneous, vanilla-flavored collections that no longer pay enough attention to alternative viewpoints. Lack of time and money for individual selection has led to an increasing reliance upon approval plans, standing orders, and pre-approved choices. The program will present the experiences of an alternative publisher and a vendor in selling to libraries. A third speaker will give the library perspective. Come hear more about this controversial topic.

Speakers:

Charles Willett, Counterpoise, Gainesville, FL; Bob Nardini, Yankee Book Peddler, Contoocook, NH; Bart Harloe, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY

Acknowledging Native Perspectives on the American Experience

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 344

Intellectual Freedom Round Table
American Indian Library Association
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) Subcommittee on Library Services to American Indians.

The historic and contemporary experiences of America's indigenous peoples have been excluded from mainstream American scholarship and culture. A self-perpetuating cycle of bias has dismissed Native viewpoints, perpetuated stereotypes, and diminished their part in America's history and heritage. This program will look at ways in which libraries and librarians can preserve and promote access to Native perspectives.

Speakers:

Arlene Naquin, Pointe-au-Chien Tribe, Council of Elders,Terrebonne Parish, LA; Richie Plass, musician/poet/traditional dancer/activist, Menominee Stockbridge/Munsee Tribe, Oneida Indian Reservation WI; Christine Rose, Executive Director, Students and Teachers Against Racism (STAR) and Changing Winds Seminars, Fairfield, CT; Rennard Strickland, Osage/Cherokee heritage, Philip H. Knight Professor of Law, University of Oregon Law School, Eugene, OR. Panelists: Naomi Caldwell, enrolled member, Ramapough Lenape Nation, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Rhode Island; Carlene Engstrom, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe, Director, D'Arcy McNickle Library, Salish Kootenai College, Flathead Indian Reservation MT; Richenda Wilkinson, Multicultural Librarian, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Maria Escalante, Director of Library Services, College of the Menominee Nation, Keshena WI.

http://www.ala.org/ala/ifrt/ifrtinaction/programb/2006.htm

---------------------- Sunday, June 25 ----------------------

EMERGE - ENLIGHTEN - ENRICH

10:30 am-12:00 p.m.
Sheraton New Orleans, Rhythms Ballroom III

Association for Library Trustees and Advocates

EMERGE from the throws of darkness, "ENLIGHTEN" with the glory of libraries, "ENRICH" with free access to information to keep our democracy strong. Come hear speakers Judith Krug, Candace Morgan and Atty. Helen Kohlman examine intellectual freedom issues as it has impacted libraries in the past, the present and the future. Panelists will discuss issues that concern libraries and options available in today's world. Q & A will be provided.

Speakers:

Judith Krug, Director, ALA/ Office for Intellectual Freedom; Candace Morgan; Helen Kohlman; Attorney

Religious Diversity @ your library: Equitable and Respectful Library Services to Users of Diverse Religious Backgrounds

10:30 am-12:00 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Room 291

ALA Office for Diversity 

For many, religious faith and practice is a key definer of personal identity. Religious expression and the sharing of mutual values can bring disparate communities together. However, religion has also been seen as a divisive element, alienating communities. This program focuses on religious diversity and the role libraries can play in respecting and advocating for religious freedom; educating communities about religious differences; and reaching out to existing and potential users from various religious backgrounds.

Speakers:

Barbara Pickell, Director, Clearwater Public Library; Doug Archer, University Libraries of Notre Dame; Jack Montgomery, Collections Coordinator, Western Kentucky University Libraries; Cheryl Aboudola, Director, Tiverton Library Services; Nathan Parker, Chicago Public Library.

Ethics and Librarianship: Perspectives on the ALA Code of Ethics

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 295-296

ALA Committee on Professional Ethics

This is the third program in a series to explore whether revision and expansion of the ALA Code of Ethics may be desired in light of increasing professional concerns, such as the impact of anti-terrorism legislation and the Association's recent discussion of core values. Our speakers will include representatives from ALA units with different perspectives on codes of ethics.

Speakers:

Leslie Burger (ALA pres-elect), June Pinnell-Stephens (ALA-EBD), Elaine Harger (SRRT), Candace Morgan (IFC), and Frances Maloy (ACRL).

The Ethnic Press, Libraries, and Community: How We Can Strengthen the Ties

1:30-3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 397

Social Responsibilities Round Table
Intellectual Freedom Round Table
Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange

Representatives of the Ethnic Press and Libraries discuss the role of the ethnic press in community building, and how libraries can help strengthen and reinforce that relationship to promote Intellectual Freedom and further the common good.

Speakers:

Nancy Kranich, Past President, American Library Association; George E. Curry, Editor-In-Chief, NNPA News Service and Black PressUSA.com; Juana Ponce de Leon, Director, Grass Roots Media Project, IPA. Additional speakers to be announced

Tiny Trackers: How to Implement RFID Technologies in Libraries Without Giving Up Our Principles

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 288-289

ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee
ALA Office for Information Technology Policy
LITA Technology and Access Committee

Prior to the 2006 Annual Conference, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee circulated its latest draft "Guidelines for Implementing RFID Technologies in Libraries: Privacy and Intellectual Freedom Concerns." Learn how these guidelines can assist you in using or determining whether to use RFID technologies in your libraries. Following the presentations, questions will be solicited from the audience.

Speakers:

Jackie Griffin, former Director, Berkeley (CA) Public Library; Jim Lichtenberg, President, Lightspeed, LLC, NY; Laura Quilter, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.

Privacy and Technologies in Libraries: Ethical Challenges and Responses

4:00 PM- 5:30 PM

Morial Convention Center, Rm. 340-341

ACRL

Librarians are ethically bound to defend the privacy of library patrons. New technologies and legal issues challenge our ability to meet our professional obligations. Privacy may be compromised when submitting reference questions by email or chat, accessing library databases, or checking out items with RFID tags. Free speech, public policy related to blogging, and Web sites gathering personal information are additional concerns. In conclusion, the commonalities of current library practices will be discussed.

---------------------- Monday, June 26 ----------------------

Meet John Doe

8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 278-282

ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee

On June 26, ALA President Michael Gorman will host a program entitled "Meet John Doe." All four "John Does" (George Christian, Barbara Bailey, Peter Chase, and Janet Nocek) will join President Gorman to discuss the effects of the gag order on their lives both professionally and personally.

What to Do When the Feds Come A'Knocking: What the Reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act Means for Librarians

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 295-296

ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee
ALA Committee on Legislation

Join us for an in-depth report on what librarians gained when the USA PATRIOT Act reauthorization legislation was signed into law on March 9, 2006—and why we still have work to do! In addition, model policies will be introduced to help librarians cope with law enforcement inquiries.

Speakers:

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Deputy Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom; Patrice McDermott, Deputy Director, Office of Government Relations.

Intellectual Freedom: Views through a Cross-cultural Lens

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Room 393

International Relations Round Table
Intellectual Freedom Round Table

How is intellectual freedom viewed and supported around the world? Are technology and globalization trends changing the dialogue about intellectual freedom in other countries? Intellectual Freedom is a concept that is fundamental to many US librarians. However, the understanding of intellectual freedom varies from country to country and may or may not be considered to be an important part of a library's philosophy. In this session, we will explore how the concept of intellectual freedom is perceived by our colleagues in China, the Middle East, and Africa, and how intellectual freedom is implemented in their libraries.

Speakers:

Keynote Speaker: Robert Wedgeworth, President and CEO, ProLiteracy Worldwide; Yue Li, Resource Services, University of Florida Library; Jordan Scepanksi, Former Dean, Zayed University Library, Dubai, UAE; Angel Batiste, African and Middle Eastern Division, Library of Congress

Nothing But the Facts: Why Preventing the Discussion of Intelligent Design in Science Classes Is Not a Free Speech Issue

1:30-3:30 p.m.
Morial Convention Center, Rm. 294

ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee
Association of American Publishers Freedom to Read Committee
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Professor Michael Ruse will explore why preventing the teaching of intelligent design in science classes is not a free speech issue. They also will discuss how intelligent design proponents are pressing their agenda at school boards and how to stand up for teaching science in science classes.

Speakers:

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State; Michael Ruse, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Florida State University.

Council E-list Items of Potential Interest to IFRT

Carolyn Caywood, IFRT Councilor

Since Midwinter several IF-related issues have been discussed on the Council listserve. The USAPatriot Act and its extensions and imitations have been condemned but I am not seeing any specific ALA action being proposed. Smithsonian commercialization was condemned and may inspire a resolution. Discussion of the Danish cartoons of Mohammad never seemed to coalesce into a position.

More likely to generate a resolution is the Net neutrality issue as there are now competing bills in Congress. The question is whether those who can pay for it would be allowed to buy superior access for their websites, thus relegating the democracy-in-action aspect of the Internet cited in the CDA decision to second class status.

Two ALA entities were the subject of much debate. The new AL Direct online magazine has used polls to generate interest and interactivity. Some of those polls have questioned ALA policy or treated IF issues as yes/no choices. These polls raised the ire of some councilors while others have viewed their objections as infringing on freedom of the press. There hasn’t been any comment recently on this but it may come up in a Council session.

Secondly, relations between ALA’s youth-serving divisions and the Boy Scouts were questioned. ALSC once worked quite closely with the BSA on their Merit Badge book lists, but when the BSA chose to exclude gays, ALA chose to dissolve any formal relationship. The questions are whether this dissolution is complete and whether ALA has any hope of persuading BSA to change its policy.

Council issues less directly related to IF include several issues with federal government actions from de-funding EPA libraries, to LC giving up authority control, to a proposed IMLS NCLIS merger. I expect to see resolutions on these. Council members have also continued to be concerned about the viability of our APA, its projects and its funding. The resignation of Councilor Schneider brought up a discussion of the costs of ALA participation with proposals ranging from more e-participation to stipends. I don’t expect any action on this with the dues increase so recently approved.

Finally, an unfortunate brouhaha has developed over Project Vote Smart. PVS, which produces neutral information on Congressional voting records and candidates’ positions, sent participating librarians like myself an email saying that because ALA’s president had not responded to a request for endorsement PVS would discontinue supplying libraries. ALA’s President Gorman, who had in fact not been contacted, responded vehemently and things have gone from bad to worse. I believe Executive Director Fiels is trying to patch things up but PVS is saying it is too late. I myself responded to the PVS email by asking them why ALA endorsement should suddenly become an issue as it is not in any position of governance over public libraries, but I have had no response. I am wondering if this is all a smokescreen for something else.

This will be my last conference as your Councilor. I thank you for your trust in me and confidently turn your interests over to Sylvia Turchyn who will become IFRT Councilor at the close of the conference. I also invite you to come and watch a Council session – that’s how I first fell in love with ALA.

Cuba and Human Rights, a Member’s Perspective

Steve Marquardt

IFRT and ALA members are invited to join an ongoing letter writing effort to request release of Cuba's imprisoned library workers, using the methods of Amnesty International, which has adopted all of them as prisoners of conscience.

American librarians' support for the release of these prisoners is indicated by 17 of the 21 current ALA Council candidates who replied positively to my own e-mail poll, by the strong applause for Andrei Codrescu's Midwinter keynote appeal, and by the 76% of the 609 respondents to the January 25 AL Direct poll - by a margin of 99, the most respondents to any AL Direct poll so far.

Amnesty, the PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Human Rights Watch and even the French Communist Party (see http://www.pcf.fr/?iddoc=2567), among others, have issued calls to release the imprisoned library workers, and we American librarians should join them. ALA in its IFC-IRC Task Force report adopted in January 2004 expressed "deep concern" but did not call for the release of those who attempted to exercise their freedom to read.

To turn this support and opinion into action, ALA members can join the librarians already on my e-mail list and receive sample letters for appeals to Cuban officials during National Library Week, Cuba's Librarians Day, Banned Books Week, Human Rights Day, and also in response to urgent crises in prisoners' health or abuse. Send an e-mail expressing your interest to me at CubaLibLib@gmail.com.

2006 IFRT Intellectual Freedom Awards

Nanette Perez

John Phillip Immroth Award

Lucy Collins Nazro and Kathryn Runnells of St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, have been named the recipients of the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for Intellectual Freedom for 2006, presented by the American Library Association (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT).

“Lucy Collins Nazro and Kathryn Runnells represent the daily struggle that librarians and administrators face in building inclusive curriculum and collections,” said Immroth Award Committee Chair Laura Koltutsky. “By keeping Brokeback Mountain in the curriculum, they have represented the ideals of their school and their profession.”

Lucy Collins Nazro defended intellectual freedom at St. Andrew's Episcopal School by refusing a $3 million donation that was dependent on the removal of Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain from the senior English curriculum. The Board of Trustees, led by Kathryn Runnells, supported her decision by giving her full support and keeping the issue in the area of curriculum, instead of making it a financial issue in which they would have the authority to intervene.

The Immroth Award honors intellectual freedom fighters in and outside the library profession who have demonstrated remarkable personal courage in resisting censorship. The award consists of $500 and a citation.

The Immroth Award will be presented Saturday, June 24, 2006, at a special awards reception at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, 12:00p.m. - 1:30 p.m in the Morial Convention Center Room 343.

For more information on the award, visit http://www.ala.org/ifrt.

ProQuest-SIRS State and Regional Achievement Award

The Colorado Association of Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee (CAL IFC) is the 2006 recipient of the ProQuest-SIRS State and Regional Achievement Award presented by the American Library Association (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT).

The award, funded by ProQuest-SIRS, consists of a citation and $1,000, and recognizes successful and effective intellectual freedom committees or coalitions that have made a contribution to the freedom to read in libraries or to the intellectual freedom environment in which libraries function.

CAL IFC is honored for establishing the Webjunction Intellectual Freedom Forum, an Internet discussion group that engages front-line librarians from across the country in discussion of issues relating to the intellectual freedom and the library community. The Forum's discussions range from the impact of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act on libraries to sharing thoughts on dealing with challenges to specific materials in individual libraries.

The award will be presented to CAL IFC during a special awards reception on Saturday, June 24, 2006, at Annual Conference in New Orleans, 12:00p.m. - 1:30 p.m in the Morial Convention Center Room 343.

For more information on the award, see http://www.ala.org/ifrt/sirsproquest.

For information on the Colorado Association of Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee, see http://www.cal-webs.org/if.html.

Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award

Kembrew McLeod has been chosen as the winner of the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, presented by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA). McLeod was selected for his book “Freedom of Expression: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity” (Doubleday, Random House, 2005).

The award is named for the late Idaho University librarian Eli M. Oboler—famed as a “champion of intellectual freedom who demanded the dismantling of all barriers to freedom of expression.” The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) presents the award every two years for the best published book.

“McLeod captures the growing switch from a balanced compromise between the creator’s rights and public access,” said Committee Chair Fred Stielow. “In its place, the author wittily exposes a stifling shift of copyright law into an instrument of commercial interests.”

The committee also recognized the author’s own commitment by making his text available as an Open Source publication at http://www.kembrew.com/books/.

McLeod is a media studies scholar at the University of Iowa. Author of “Owning Culture: Authorship, Ownership and Intellectual Property Law” (Lang, 2001), he is the independent filmmaker behind “Money For Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music” (2000) — a documentary that received the Rosa Luxemburg Award for Social Consciousness.

Formal presentation will be at the IFRT Awards Reception on Saturday, June 24, at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, 12:00p.m. - 1:30 p.m in the Morial Convention Center Room 343.

For more information, see the award Web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/ifrt/ifrtinaction/ifrtawards/oboler/oboler.htm.

Intellectual Freedom Quotations

Submitted by Lauren Christos

Give me liberty to know, to utter and to argue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties.

John Milton, “Areopagitica”in Milton’s Prose Writings (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1958), p. 189.

The struggle for freedom of speech has marched hand in hand in the advance of civilization with the struggle for other great human liberties. History teaches that human liberty cannot be secured unless there is freedom to express grievances.

Inscribed near the entrance to the Chicago Tribune building, Chicago, IL

Mr. Chief Justice Thompson writing for the Court in Tthe City of Chicago, Appellant, Vs. The Tribune Company, Appellee, No. 15202, Supreme Court of Illinois, 307 Ill. 595; 139 N.E. 86; 1923 Ill. LEXIS 829; 28 A.L.R. 1368, April 18, 1923 (Lexis/Nexis, June 14, 2006))

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want — which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear — which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor — anywhere in the world.

President FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, State of the Union message to the Congress, January 6, 1941.—The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1940, p. 672 (1941)

A plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is inscribed: “Liberty is the air America breathes…. In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential freedoms … freedom of speech and expression … freedom of worship … freedom from want … freedom from fear.”

Respectfully Quoted, a Dictionary of Quotations Requested from the Congresssional Research Service, Suzy Platt, ed. (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1989), p. 128, #655.

Internet Filtering Revisited

Doug Archer

The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School has just released an updated study of Internet filtering, "Internet Filters: A Public Policy Report." It is available for free at

www.fepproject.org/policyreports/filters2.pdf

It will come as no surprise to intellectual freedom advocates that the study concludes that filters despite their hype and their CIPA victory at the Supreme Court continue to under block sites they claim to protect against and over block sites with valuable, constitutionally protected content.

Libraries which have chosen not to accept federal funds under CIPA will find that the study affirms their stance. Libraries which have chosen to install filters in order to continue receiving those funds should take another look at the real cost of filtering to themselves and their patrons.

In addition to providing data for those who continue to provide unrestricted Internet access, the report provides practical advice for minimizing the negative effects of filters for those libraries that do use them.

Selected Intellectual Freedom Meetings, New Orleans 2006

Doug Archer

Selected from the Conference Planner
(Be sure to check your Conference Book, Addendum and Cognotes upon arrival.)

IFRT meetings are bolded in blue.

Contributors:

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 outgoing 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 an IFRT Director, past Chair of the Program Committee and incoming editor of the IFRT Report. She is a Reference Librarian at the Biscayne Bay Library of Florida International University and a member of the FLA IFC. In her spare time she is raising a teenage daughter who is already an IF activist.

Pam Klipsch: Pam is a long-time, take-no-prisoners, intellectual freedom advocate and the outgoing Chair of the IFRT Board. She is the Director of the Jefferson County Library, High Ridge, MO and is glad to say that John Ashcroft is her former senator.

Steve Marquardt: Steve, a first time contributor to the IFRT Report, is Dean of Libraries at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota and is a 24 year veteran activist in Amnesty International.

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.

Doug Archer: Doug is outgoing Editor of the IFRT Report, an IFRT Director and incoming Vice Chair / Chair Elect. He has been recently appointed to both the ALA and Indiana Library Federation Intellectual Freedom Committees. He is Reference and Peace Studies Librarian at the University Libraries of Notre Dame and an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren.