Robert P. Doyle receives 2018 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award for banned books resource guide

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) has awarded the 2018 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, which recognizes the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom. The 2018 award goes to Robert P. Doyle, for his work "Banned Books: Defending our Freedom to Read," published in 2017 by the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association.  

"Banned Books: Defending our Freedom to Read" was selected by the Oboler Award Committee for its comprehensiveness, its ease of use, its attractive design, and its well written treatment of an integral issue in librarianship. 

The Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, which consists of $500 and a certificate, is presented for the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom for 2016-2107. The award was named for Eli M. Oboler, the extensively published Idaho State University librarian known as a champion of intellectual freedom, who demanded the dismantling of all barriers to freedom of expression. The Oboler Award has been presented biennially since 1986.

The award will be presented at the IFRT Awards Recognition & Fundraising Breakfast on Saturday, June 23, at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. 

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award. Contact oif@ala.org for more information.

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table provides a forum for the discussion of activities, programs and problems in intellectual freedom of libraries and librarians; serves as a channel of communications on intellectual freedom matters; promotes a greater opportunity for involvement among the members of the ALA in defense of intellectual freedom; and promotes a greater feeling of responsibility in the implementation of ALA policies on intellectual freedom.