March 28, 2022 — Material challenges in libraries are nothing new, but the present climate surrounding censorship and the rise in book challenges across the country is unsettling. Today, the OLC hosted a foundational webinar on Intellectual Freedom for OLC members. Dr. Richard Rubin, Trustee of the Cuyahoga Falls Public Library and member of the OLC Board of Directors; and Jen Farrell, Branch Manager of the Huron County Community Library and Chair of OLC’s Intellectual Freedom Committee discussed Intellectual Freedom from both a librarian perspective and from the idea that society is the healthiest when ideas flow freely between individuals. In addition to defining what Intellectual Freedom actually is, the webinar also explained how to encourage balance and take down barriers in our libraries.

View an archived version of this webinar (Run time: 1 hr. 13 mins. )

• PowerPoint Slide Decks (PDF, 26 pages)
• New ALA Poll Shows Voters Oppose Book Bans
• Materials Challenges Key Library Policies (PDF, 7 pages)
• American Library Association
  Intellectual Freedom Manual
• Standing Up to Censorship – Part I: Meeting the Moment
• What To Do Before a Challenge (PDF)