What You Can Do and How to Organize
This page shows you what you can do and how to organize to protect and promote intellectual freedom. See also Court Cases, School: Intellectual Freedom for Young People, and First Amendment Resources.
Below are links to Learn What You Can Do and How to Organize, What Else You Can Do, How to Communicate Effectively, and a Bibliography.
Learn What You Can Do and How to Organize
What You Can Do
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit."— Ralph Waldo Emerson
- What You Can Do - Bill of Rights Defense Committee
- What You Can Do - ALA OIF
- What You Can Do - Youth Free Expression Network
- What You Can Do - Youth for Human Rights International
- YouthAction
- Coalitions Against Censorship
- ACLU Action Center
- What You Can Do - ACLU
How to Organize
"To stand together is going to be hard. Our movement is composed of all kinds of groups and all kinds of individuals. It is certain that many of us will make all kinds of mistakes. It will become very tempting to wish that this group or that group, this individual or that individual, were simply not among us. My particular plea is that we not surrender to this temptation. We must certainly be frank with each other when we disagree, but my plea is that we not begin to be afraid of any of us and, in a panic, try to wish any of us out of the picture. We will need every one of us. We are all part of one another."— Barbara Deming
- 411 on Youth Organizing
- Tips and Tools for Organizing Resolutions in Defense of the Bill of Rights
- Mobilize.org
What Else You Can Do
- Kidspeak!: Learn how kids can help oppose censorship.
- Learn about who else cares about the First Amendment and intellectual freedom.
- Counter censorship in your community.
- Find sensible and reliable information about safety and security for political activists.
- Subscribe to various news and discussion e-lists.
- Join or donate to the Freedom to Read Foundation.
- Join the Intellectual Freedom Round Table.
- Subscribe to the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom.
- Read other news sources.
- Join the Freedom to Read Foundation or donate to the Merritt Humanitarian Fund.
- Make intellectual freedom in all of its forms a central part of your library’s mission.
- Advocate support for the library’s role in preserving intellectual freedom. Talk to local library and school boards, the media and elected officials at all levels of government.
- Monitor the news and your community for incidents of censorship in your area and report them to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
- Lend your support to others who are facing censorship challenges.
- Stay up-to-date on legislation and court cases that could effect intellectual freedom in libraries.
- Network with civil liberties groups and other organizations in your area that are dedicated to intellectual freedom principles. Your support for them will mean increased support for libraries.
- Learn how other intellectual freedom advocates organize to help ensure that intellectual freedom is protected.
How to Communicate Effectively
- Coping with Challenges: Kids and Libraries: What You Should Know
- Handling Tough Questions
- Sample Answers to Tough Questions
- ACLU Forums
- Contact Elected Officials about Issues/Legislation related to Intellectual Freedom
Bibliography
- Soul of a Citizen by Paul Rogat Loeb
- Teaching for Engagement by Paul Rogat Loeb
- Time to Act by Paul Rogat Loeb
- The Hundredth Volunteer by Paul Rogat Loeb
- Campaigning for Free Expression: A Handbook for Advocates (PDF)
- Books on Community Organizing
- George Lakoff
Send suggestions for this Web site to nperez@ala.org.
