The document discusses the challenges and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries, highlighting various perspectives from panelists on issues like censorship, access to e-books, and the rights of both librarians and patrons. It emphasizes the need for diverse viewpoints in libraries and the legal framework surrounding censorship and academic freedom. Key figures from the Florida Library Association provide their experiences and insights about advocating for intellectual freedoms and the consequences of restrictions on access to information.

1. HOT TOPICS IN
INTELLECTUAL
FREEDOM:
A DISCUSSION
Florida Library Association Intellectual
Freedom Committee

2. ALA Freedom to Read
Statement
“There is no place in our society for efforts to
coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to
the reading matter deemed suitable for
adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to
achieve artistic expression.”

3. Debi Cheek: eBooks and Access
Zach English: Internet Censorship- An International
Perspective
Robin Shader: Challenges
Alyse Ergood: Librarians‟ Intellectual Freedom and
Rights
Sara Gonzalez, Moderator
Panelists and Moderator

4. Debi Cheek
Debi earned her MLIS from the University of
South Florida. She has worked as both a K-12
Media Specialist and an Academic Librarian.
Currently, she works as an adjunct professor for
Rasmussen College teaching Introduction to
Undergraduate Research. Additionally, she is
working on her doctorate in Educational
Technology at Florida Gulf Coast University.

5. Zach English
Zach English is the Director of Library Services for
Everglades University. He has worked and interned in
academic libraries for three years, including libraries at
Hillsborough Community College, Keiser University and
Everglades University. He earned his Master of Arts
degree in Library and Information Science from the
University of South Florida, and his Bachelor of Arts in
Philosophy from the University of Central Florida. He is a
member of the Palm Beach County Library
Association, the Florida Library Association, and the
Southeast Florida Library Information Network (SEFLIN).
He has served on FLA‟s Intellectual Freedom Committee
for two years, and has also written for FLA‟s Media
Clippings blog and Florida Libraries journal. His interest in
intellectual freedom issues comes from a belief that the
rights to pursue knowledge and to express oneself are
core human rights.

6. Robin Shader
Robin Shader is the Director of the Northwest
Regional Library System, serving Bay, Gulf, and
Liberty Counties, Florida. She is a New Jersey
native and received her MLS from Rutgers
University. Robin has worked in public libraries in
New Jersey, Georgia and Florida for the past 15
years. She has published articles in School Library
Journal, ALA's Applied Professional Association‟s
Library Worklife, and has two essays in the book
Library Management Tips that Work published in
2011 by ALA Editions. Robin is a member of the
American Library Association Intellectual Freedom
Committee and is the Chair of the FLA Intellectual
Freedom Committee.

7. Alyse Ergood
Alyse Ergood is an Associate University Librarian in the
Reference and Instruction Department at Florida Atlantic
University (FAU) in Boca Raton. She is the social sciences
librarian, and is a subject specialist in nursing, languages
and linguistics, and anthropology to name a few. After
receiving her MLIS from the University of South Florida in
2006, Alyse became very active on a variety of library and
university committees. She is currently the Vice-
Chair/President Elect of the PBCLA, and a member of
various committees in SEFLIN and the ALA‟s New Member
Roundtable (NMRT). Alyse has published and presented
on various topics including marketing, emerging
technologies, and creating online tutorials. Her research
interests include online education, intellectual freedom,
emerging technologies, and various topics within the social
sciences. Alyse is working on her Master‟s degree in
Social Work at FAU.

8. ALA Censorship and
Challenges
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict
materials, based upon the objections of a person
or group. A banning is the removal of those
materials. Challenges do not simply involve a
person expressing a point of view; rather, they
are an attempt to remove material from the
curriculum or library, thereby restricting the
access of others.

9. ALA Freedom to Read
Statement
It is in the public interest for publishers and
librarians to make available the widest diversity
of views and expressions, including those that
are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered
dangerous by the majority.

10. E-BOOKS & ACCESS
Debi Cheek, Rasmussen College

11. E-Books & Access

12. ACCESS
1.Device
2.Patron
3.Material

13. Device Access
Computer
E-Reader
Tablet
Phone

14. E-Readers & Your Library

15. Platforms

16. E-Books & Print Disabled
Patrons
“(The) blind and other print-disabled
users, for the first time in history, gain
access to the same books and
publications at the same price and at
the same time as the rest of society”
(Mason, 2012, pp. 18-19).
.

17. Print Disabled Options
Magnification
Text-to-Speech
Braille

18. E-Book Options
• iOS – Available with Apple Products
• VoiceOver Option
• Connect Blue-tooth enabled Braille display
• Kindle
• Very limited accessibility (Kindle Fire)
• Many books don‟t offer text-to-talk feature
either
• NOOK & Sony Reader
• Not accessible

20. Access & the Law
 NFB v. Free Library of Philadelphia (Enis &
Schwartz, 2012)
 Pilot program Nook
 Patrons 50+ could check out reader
 Used Federal Funds to purchase
 No Text-to-Speech
 Violated Section 504 Rehabilitation Act & Title II
ADA
 NFB & Dept. of Justice v. Sacramento Public
Library
 Nook lending
 Violated ADA

21. Other Options to Assist
Print Disabled Patrons
• LEAP : Available at no cost
for libraries who have a
relationship with Overdrive.
Registered patrons will
have access to
BookShare, a separate
collection of books and
magazines in DAISY &

22. Where did my e-book go?
Clipart from: Operation Awesome

23. Digital Rights Management
(DRM) & Material Access
Type of device
Print, copy or download
restrictions
Publisher Restrictions
Vendor Restrictions

24. INTERNET CENSORSHIP: AN
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Zach English, Everglades University

25. Threats to Internet
Expression
 Cyber-crime
 Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
 Protecting against obscenity and harmful content
 Filters in school and library computers
 Intellectual property
 Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)
 Protect IP Act (PIPA)
 Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive
(IPRED)
 National security
 WikiLeaks

26. ACLU‟s “Don‟t Filter Me”
Project
 Viewpoint-neutral content in
public schools
 2000: Children‟s Internet
Protection Act (CIPA)
 Web-filtering software
categorizes content
 Problems with allowing
removal of filters on a case-
by-case basis
 2012: PFLAG v. Camdenton
R-III School District
 URL Blacklist

27. Social Media and Social
Protests
 Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook
and YouTube have facilitated more
dissident social organizing internationally
 With progress has also come attempts to
censor:
 Being required to give up your email and
Facebook passwords
 Government ownership of Internet Service
Providers
 Governments hiring people to seed the
Internet with pro-regime content
 Filtering and spying

28. Reporters without Borders‟ 2012
“Enemies of the Internet” Report
 Egypt: Cut Internet access for five days during the height
of protests in January 2011.
 Iran and Syria: Slow Internet speeds to a crawl so that
photos and videos cannot be transmitted.
 Uzbekistan, Belarus, China: Block access to social
media sites during times of social protest.
 Thailand: A news editor faces a 20-year jail sentence for
failing to withdraw comments posted on a news website.
 Russia arrests bloggers and creates cyber-attacks to
shut down websites that are critical of the government.

29. Companies Providing
Filtering Technology
 Repressive regimes use
Western companies to
filter websites and spy
on Internet users
 Syria uses BlueCoat
(U.S.) and AreaSpa
(France)
 The European
Parliament‟s resolution
(2012)
 Congressional

30. A Threat of Internet
Fragmentation
 Internet sovereignty
 2010: Burma created a
national Web
 Iran is working to create an
Islamic “halal” version of the
Web
 Several countries restrict
access to local intranets
 Threat to the idea of the Web
as global village

31. International Anti-Censorship
Rulings and Response
 European Court of
Justice ruling: SABAM
v. Scarlet (2012)
 ISPs can‟t be asked to
filter
 UN Human Rights
Council statement
(2012)
 Hacktivists

32. CHALLENGES AND
CASES
Robin Shader, Northwest Regional Library
System

33. ACLU vs. Davis County School
District
 Parents of a kindergarten student challenged the book because
it "normalizes a lifestyle we don't agree with.“
 The District Library Media Committee cited a UT sex education
law prohibiting “advocacy of homosexuality” in curriculum
materials and ordered the book placed behind the desk and
made available only with a permission slip.
 ACLU filed a lawsuit (11-13-12) on behalf of two students and
their mother. The complaint alleged that the "primary
justification for removing the book from the shelves is that, by
telling the story
 Prior to answering the complaint the Utah Attorney General's office informed ACLU
that the book would be returned to open shelves and the School District agreed not
to use "advocacy of homosexuality" as a basis for removing books.
of children raised by same-sex parents, the book constitutes 'advocacy of
homosexuality,' in purported violation of Utah's sex-education laws."

34. Board of Education v. Pico
Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v.
Pico, 457 U.S. 853, 102 S.Ct. 2799, 73 L.Ed.2d 435 (1982)
 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brennan declared in a plurality
opinion: "Local school boards may not remove books from school
library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in
those books and seek their removal to „prescribe what shall be
orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of
opinion.‟ "
 "If petitioners intended by their removal decision to deny
respondents access to ideas with which petitioners disagreed, and
if this intent was the decisive factor in the petitioners‟ decision, then
petitioners have exercised their discretion in violation of the
Constitution."

35. Preparing for Challenges
 Discuss concerns with patrons; in many cases a
formal reconsideration can be avoided.
 Make sure you have a collection management plan
specifying criteria for adding and removing materials.
 Make sure you have a clear reconsideration process.
 Plans/policies should be adopted by your governing
board and periodically reviewed/reaffirmed.
 Regularly train staff and library board members on
library policies/processes and the principles behind
them.
 Educate the community as much as possible on
intellectual freedom issues.

36. PROTECTING
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
FOR LIBRARIANS AND OUR
PATRONS
Alyse Ergood, Florida Atlantic University

37. Why Protect?
 To maintain and uphold freedoms
 First Amendment: Freedom of Religion and
Press
 Fourth Amendment: Guards against
unreasonable searchers and seizures (U.S.
Constitution)
 To uphold the Library Bill of Rights and
advocate for our patrons and our services

38. Intellectual Freedom
One‟s right to self-expression and the right to
access information both fall under Intellectual
Freedom.
Copyright www.ala.org
Copyright:
www.thewritingnut.com

39. How to Protect Intellectual
Freedom
 Become involved in creating the mission and
vision of larger entity that library is a part of.
 Ensure that library policy, mission, and vision align
with the Library Bill of Rights.
 It all comes back to justifying support of Library Bill of
Rights.
 Bridge the divide and engage with policy and
decision makers, including administrators
 Understand and communicate with the key
players (Board of
Trustees, Legislature, Administration and so forth)
Jones, B.M., 2009).

40. How?
 Engage in academic and intellectual groups
Copyright: www.jenniferdefrancisco.com

41. How to Protect Intellectual
Freedom
 Self-educate and know your rights (or not)
regarding your computer files, emails, reference
appointments, calls, and computer and other
equipment
 Educate others about the importance of
intellectual freedom, such as your IT Personnel
and garner support on campus for intellectual
freedom (Jones, B.M., 2009).
 Advocate, Advocate, Advocate
 For
self, patrons, colleagues, freedom, access, equality

42. Self-Censorship
Where can it be seen?
 Acquisitions (electronic and print)
 Weeding
 Selection of items displayed (or not) for book
and varied exhibits
 Classes/Workshops
 Work Presentations
 Expression overall

43. Why and how is this possible?
 Unconscious
 Perceived or real lack of support
 Fear of backlash or reprimand
 Financial/Budget
 Cyclical (or Top down)
 Culture of a particular library or type of
library, etc.
 Perpetuate status-quo

44. How to prevent?
 Create a transparent environment(s) when
possible
Copyright: http://topwalls.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/maldives-transparent-water-and-blue-sky.jpg

45. How to prevent?
 Be honest with your self and others
 Analyze your motives
 Reflect on your actions or lack of
 Remember your focus
Copyright: www.askville.amazon.com

46. Boundary Between Personal and
Professional Blurry
Copyright: www.flickr.com

47. Boundary Between Personal
and Professional Blurry
 Social Media (webpage, blog, twitter, non-
related personal Facebook pages and
postings)
 Research/Publications
 Presentations
 Grant and other applications

48. Who Protects Our Rights to
Intellectual Freedom
 ALA (American Library Association)
 ALA-APA (American Library Association Allied
Professional Association)
 American Association for University Professors (Private
academic libraries)
 ACRL (Association for College and Research
Librarians)
 FEA (Florida Education Association) or other agency
 UFF (United Faculty of Florida Union) or other union
 United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
 United States Courts

49. Conclusion
 “Scholarship cannot flourish in an atmosphere
of suspicion and distrust. Teachers and
student must always remain free to inquire, to
study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity
and understanding; otherwise our civilization
will stagnate and die”(Jones, B.M., 2009, p.
17).

50. Become An
Copyright: www.unshelved.com

51. Enis, M. & Schwartz, M. (2012, October 25). Free library of
Philadelphia resolves NOOK accessibility lawsuit. The Digital
Shift. Retrieved from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/
10/hardware-2/free-library-of-philadelphia-resolves-nook-
accessibility-lawsuit/
Mason, A. (2012). Mainstream access to e-books: What works,
what doesn't, and what is still unclear. Future Reflections, 31(2),
18-24.
References- eBooks

52. Challenge and IF Resources
FLA Intellectual Freedom Manual, http://www.flalib.org/int_Freedom_Manual.php
FLA Executive Director, Faye Roberts, faye.roberts@comcast.net, 386-438-5795
FLA Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair, Robin Shader, rshader@nwrls.com
FLA Readers‟ Rights and Privacy member group
ALA Intellectual Freedom Manual, www.ifmanual.org
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, oif@ala.org, 800-545-2433 x4223
Resources at www.ala.org/challengereporting

53. Librarians' References
 Jones, B.M. (2009). Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your Academic Library:
Scenarios from the Front Lines. Chicago: American Library Association.
 Moody, K. (2010). Covert censorship in libraries. Australian Library Journal, 54.
Retrieved from http://www.alia.org.au/publishing/alj/54.2/full.text/moody.html.
 O‟neil, R. (2008). Academic Freedom in the Wired World. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press.