Office for Intellectual Freedom

Free People Read Freely ®

| Office for Intellectual Freedom Blog | Navigating the Site | Select Links from the OIF Web Site | Organizations | References | What You Can Do | Purchase the Intellectual Freedom Manual from ALA Store | IFACTION Archive | About the Office for Intellectual Freedom |

Welcome to the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Established December 1, 1967, the Office for Intellectual Freedom is charged with implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association’s basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. The goal of the office is to educate librarians and the general public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Be sure to visit the Office for Intellectual Freedom Blog.  If you need assistance with an intellectual freedom issue, contact us at oif@ala.org.
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Recent Headlines from the OIF Blog

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"Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas."—Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A
 
"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."—Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas," The One Un-American Act." Nieman Reports, vol. 7, no. 1 (Jan. 1953): p. 20.
 
Compass Symbol Link Takes You to Navigating the OIF Web Site Page Learn how to navigate the OIF Web Site

Select Links from the OIF Web Site

Gotham City Public Library Model Policy 1.1| Gotham City Public Library Model Staff Directive 1.5| Select ALA Intellectual Freedom Policies | Help with Challenges | Hot Issues | In the States | Select ALA Resolutions | Children's Internet Protection Act | Notable First Amendment Court Cases | What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship | Banned Books Week Read-Out! | Aye, mateys . . . celebrate your freedom t' read! | How to Celebrate Banned Books Week 2007 |

Select ALA Intellectual Freedom Policies

| Library Bill of Rights | Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights | Code of Ethics | Freedom to Read Statement | Libraries: An American Value | Other Policies and Guidelines | Revisions to ALA Intellectual Freedom Policies (June 30, 2004, and January 19, 2005) |

Hot Issues

NEW Proposed Changes to the Code of Ethics

Online Social Networks (see also ALA Wiki on Online Social Networking)

Privacy and Confidentiality

Control and Censorship of the Internet

RFID (radio frequency identification technology)

USA PATRIOT Act and Intellectual Freedom

In the States

| State Legislation | State Privacy Laws Regarding Library Records | State Intellectual Freedom Committee Chairs | State Library Associations Endorsing ALA's Resolution on the Use and Abuse of National Security Letters |

Children's Internet Protection Act

| Children's Internet Protection Act |

What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship

| What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship | Subscribing to IFACTION and Other E-lists | Join the Freedom to Read Foundation | Join the Intellectual Freedom Round Table | Lawyers for Libraries | Donate to the Merritt Humanitarian Fund |

 
Image of Campaign for Reader Privacy logo; links to petition at http://www.readerprivacy.org/petition.jsp
 
Register to Vote: Rock the Vote, powered by Working Assets Wireless
GetNetWise and ALA; links to Especially for Young People and Their Parents
 
2007 Banned Books Week, September 29-October 6 Intellectual Freedom Manual Hit List for Children 2 Image Button for LeRoy C. Merritt Hurmanitarian Fund
 

Select References

Quick and Easy Links to the OIF Web Site

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

What You Can Do

Coalitions Against Censorship

Contacting Elected Officials

Especially for Young People and Their Parents

Simple Framing by George Lakoff

Links to non-ALA resources and sites have been provided because they may have information of interest. Neither the American Library Association nor the Office for Intellectual Freedom necessarily endorses the views expressed or the facts presented in these resources or on these sites; and furthermore, ALA and OIF do not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available in these resources or on these sites.

 
 
Mail comments on OIF Web site to nperez@ala.org
 


Related Files

Report on Standardized Chapel Library Project (PDF File)

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Navigating the OIF Web Site
Intellectual Freedom: Instructions and links on this page provide help in successfully navigating the OIF Web Site, which encompasses the Web sites of the Committee on Professional Ethics, the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Intellectual Freedom Action Network, Intellectual Freedom Committee, the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and the State Intellectual Freedom Committee Chairs.

Quick and Easy Links to the OIF Web Site
Quick and Easy Links is a page with a combo box with five options: Basic ALA Policies; Intellectual Freedom Basics; Censorship Pages; Privacy Pages; and USA PATRIOT Act. Look on this page first for quick and easy access to the OIF pages.

Redirects
Intellectual Freedom: These are shorter URLs to the Office for Intellectual Freedom's Web pages. Includes redirects to pages of the Freedom to Read Foundation, Merritt Fund, and Intellectual Freedom Round Table.

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