Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT)

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table is pleased to announce that beginning in 2022 that the Round Table will be awarding the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award annually. The Oboler Award will honor journal articles in even number years (2022, 2024, etc.) and then honor books in odd number years (2023, 2025, etc.) In the autumn of 2021, the Oboler committee is seeking nominations for the 2022 journal article award. The award honors a literary work or series of works in the area of intellectual freedom.

The ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT), the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) iSchool invite library professionals and the public to a free virtual celebration for their intellectual freedom award winners on Thursday, June 24th 2021 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Julius C. Jefferson Jr., ALA President and former FTRF President, will open the celebration with a talk highlighting the value of intellectual freedom awards in the profession and in our culture. 

The American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Immroth Award Committee is pleased to announce Martin Garnar as the recipient of the 2021 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award, which honors significant contributions defending intellectual freedom.

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) invites all current members to attend its First All Member Gathering of IFRT on Friday, April 30, 2021, from 3-4pm (Central Time). This virtual gathering will feature an overview of IFRT's current and vital work that supports the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. It will feature ways members can get more involved in the defense of intellectual freedom, And, it will include fun trivia where members can win giveaways.