Intellectual freedom nominations for the John Philip Immroth Memorial Award due soon

CHICAGO —The deadline for nominations for the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award is Dec. 1, 2016. The Immroth Award honors intellectual freedom fighters in and outside the library profession who have demonstrated remarkable personal courage in resisting censorship. The award consists of $500 and a citation. Individuals, groups of individuals and organizations are eligible for the award.

The John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award is sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA). Past recipients include Jarrett Dapier and Pam Klipsch. 

Nominations and supporting evidence can be submitted with our new online form or with a printable PDF form. 

About the award

Established in 1976, upon the death of John Phillip Immroth, this annual award honors the courage, dedication and contribution of a living individual or group setting the finest kind of example for the defense and furtherance of the principles of intellectual freedom. John Phillip Immroth was a teacher, author, scholar, advocate and defender of First Amendment rights.  He was the founder and first chair of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table in 1973.  His impact on the ideal of intellectual freedom and its practice was great. 

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; promotes a greater feeling of responsibility in the implementation of ALA policies on intellectual freedom.