Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT)

Nominations open for 2021 IFRT John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is accepting nominations for the 2021 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award. This award, presented annually, honors notable contributions to intellectual freedom and demonstrations of personal courage in defense of freedom of expression by a living individual, group, or organization. The award consists of a citation and $500. IFRT will present the award during the 2021 ALA annual conference in Chicago, IL.

GNCRT, IFRT, and Image Comics team-up to celebrate Banned Books Week with webinar series

ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table are celebrating Banned Books Week with Image Comics by producing a week-long webinar series featuring creators and librarians in conversation on topics centered around censorship and intellectual freedom. Libraries around the country are invited to welcome their staff and patrons for these exciting conversations during Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read, which runs from September 27 – October 3.

FTRF Hosts Webinar on Collecting and Protecting LGBTQ+ Materials and Programs

Public and school libraries experience the most challenges to materials, and in 2019 eight out of the top ten most challenged books were on that list for having LGBTQ+ content.

Freedom to Read Foundation Announces Recipients of Fall 2020 Intellectual Freedom Course Scholarships

Amanda Barnhart, chair of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Education Committee, announced four scholarship recipients who will receive funding toward an intellectual freedom course at FTRF partner institution San Jose State University (SJSU) this Fall.

The Fall 2020 Judith F. Krug Education Fund scholarship recipients are:

Connecticut Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee receives the 2020 Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the American Library Association is pleased to announce that the Connecticut Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee is the 2020 recipient of the Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award.

Freedom to Read Foundation Launches Webinar Series

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) will be conducting a webinar series over the next few months to provide online education focused on intellectual freedom for library professionals. These webinars will be geared towards librarians, library students, educators, individuals involved in media, publishing, and social media, and individuals interested in the First Amendment, censorship, and copyright.The webinars are complementary to foundation members ($25 non-members) and will be conducted via Zoom.  

Henry Reichman Receives IFRT Oboler Memorial Award

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) announced Henry Reichman as the recipient of the 2020 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award ⁠— which recognizes the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom ⁠— for his book "The Future of Academic Freedom," published in 2019 by Johns Hopkins University Press.

Rebecca Ginsburg Receives Immroth Award

The American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Immroth Award Committee is pleased to announce Rebecca Ginsburg as the recipient of the 2020 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award, which honors significant contributions defending intellectual freedom.

IFRT accepting nominations for 2020 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award

The Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award committee is seeking nominations for the 2020 award.  The award honors a literary work or series of works in the area of intellectual freedom. This can include matters of ethical, political, or social concerns related to intellectual freedom. It is presented biennially and is for an article, a series of thematically connected articles, a book, or a manual published on the local, state, or national level in English or English translation.