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AASL Intellectual Freedom Brochure

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AASL Intellectual Freedom Brochure What is the ALA Code of Ethics? Online Resources How does it affect me? Since 1939, ALA has recognized the importance • Additional information on dealing with of codifying and making known to the public and challenges may be found on the ALA Office the profession the ethical principles that guide for Intellectual Freedom Web site: librarians. The Code of Ethics will be seventy www.ala.org/oif years old in 2009 and has evolved into a statement • American Association of School Librarians of eight principles that embody the ethical Essential Links: Resources for School Library responsibilities of the profession. The Code was last revised in January 2008. Media Program Development: The ALA Code of Ethics guides school librarians to: aasl.ala.org/essentiallinks • Provide the highest level of service • Knowledge Quest, “Intellectual Freedom 101” What Is • Resist all efforts to censor library resources (online edition), 36 no 2: Intellectual Freedom? www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjou • Respect intellectual property rights • Treat coworkers with respect, fairness, and rnals/knowledgequest/kqwebarchives/kqwebarch good faith ives.cfm#if101 “Intellectual freedom is the right of every • Distinguish between personal conviction individual to both seek and receive • American Civil Liberties Union information from all points of view without and professional duties (ACLU): www.aclu.org • Not allow personal beliefs to interfere restriction. It provides for free access to all with provision of access to information • As If! (Authors Supporting Intellectual expressions of ideas through which any and resources Freedom): www.asifnews.blogspot.com all sides of a question, cause or movement • Strive for excellence by maintaining • Center for Safe and Responsible Internet may be explored.” personal knowledge and skills Use: www.csriu.org/cyberbully http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/proethics/c • Electronic Frontier Foundation: Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A odeofethics/codeethics.cfm www.eff.org Print Resources • Freedom to Read Foundation: www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/basic www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/affiliates/relatedgroups/fre s/ifcensorshipanda.cfm • Intellectual Freedom Manual. 7th ed. edomtoreadfoundation/index.cfm Chicago: American Library Association, 2006. ISBN 0-8389-3561-3. • National Coalition Against Censorship: • Reichman, Henry. Censorship and Selection: www.ncac.org/internet/filters.cfm Issues and Answers for Schools. 3rd ed. Chicago: • National Council of Teachers of English American Library Association, 2001. ISBN 0 -8389-0798-9. (NCTE) Anti-Censorship Center: www.ncte.org/action/anti -censorship • Knowledge Quest, “Intellectual Freedom 101” (print journal edition), 36 no 2. This brochure was prepared by the American Association of School Librarians November/December 2007. AASL Intellectual Freedom Committee a division of the American Library Association May 2008 Updated December 2010 Why is intellectual freedom important in a What should I do before a challenge occurs? Why do schools filter Internet content? school library program? Intellectual freedom should be addressed in school In 2000, Congress passed the Children’s Internet Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library library programs before challenges occur. Protection Act (CIPA) and the Neighborhood profession, and Article V of the Library Bill of Rights • Create a Materials Selection Policy with Children’s Internet Protection Act (NCIPA). affirms special protections to minors using libraries: procedures for reconsidering challenged materials, CIPA requires that elementary and secondary “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied and seek approval of the policy by the school schools that accept discounted services under the or abridged because of origin, age, background, or board. federal Schools and Libraries Program of the • Develop a policy requiring a challenger to read views.” The school library center has the unique Universal Service Fund (aka E-rate Program) or the full book (or other material format) and responsibility of introducing young citizens to the direct federal funding through the Elementary complete a written form. Sample policies are world of information. Nowhere else do children and and Secondary Education Act available through state library associations, state young adults have unlimited daily access to books, (ESEA) certify that they have installed school board associations, other school districts, magazines, newspapers, online resources, and the “technology protection measures” or filters on all and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Web Internet. Students have the right to a relevant, computers used to access the Internet by minors site.• Encourage transparency in the selection and balanced, and diverse school library collection that and adults to protect against visual depictions of reconsideration process by posting the policy child pornography, obscenity, or material represents all points of view; school librarian assume a on the district and library Web sites. leadership role in protecting minors’ First Amendment “harmful to minors” as defined under federal law. • Arrange with administrators for opportunities to right to read and receive information and ideas. Under CIPA and NCIPA, minors are considered educate teachers, students, and parents about the to be those less than seventeen years of age. process of selection and reconsideration of Twenty-one states also have legislation requiring What is the difference between selection materials in the school library collection. acceptable use policies, Internet safety education, and censorship? or laws is available at the Web site of the National Council of State Legislatures. Where do I go for help with challenges? www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/cip/filterlaws.htm. Is it selection or censorship? Librarians have been filtering on school computers. Information on debating this question for years. How do we know if Despite careful selection, someone may object to we are being professional selectors or self-imposed and want to remove resources from the school state filtering censors? Lester Asheim put it best in a 1953 article in library. If this occurs, assistance is available to Wilson Library Journal when he said that selectors help you navigate a challenge. How does filtering of Internet content look for the positive when choosing acquisitions, • Review your district Materials Selection Policy affect minors’ intellectual freedom? whereas censors look for the negative. The selector and procedures for reconsideration of challenged seeks reasons to include material in the collection; the ma t e rials. • Over-blocking legal content affects minors’ censor seeks reasons to exclude material from the • Contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. First Amendment right to access constitutionally collection. It is the school librarian's responsibility to Help for challenges to books, magazines, graphic protected material in the school library. provide a diverse, balanced, and high-quality literature, and filtering issues is available at • Under-blocking may cause students to view collection representing all points of view on 800-545-2433, ext 4223. All challenges reported to inappropriate images and text. controversial issues. ALA are kept confidential. You need not be an • Filtering de-emphasizes education as the best AASL member to call for assistance. means of teaching students to be smart and safe • Seek support and guidance from your school and while using the Internet, and it gives educators a public library colleagues. false sense of security. • Find additional information and help on • The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Intellectual Freedom issues from the American provides assistance on filtering issues. Civil Liberties Union, the National Council of Teachers of English, and your state library Call 800-545-2433, ext. 4223. association. .
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