The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has introduced upgraded tools that make censorship easier to report and easier to track. On Dec. 20, the office rolled out a simpler form to document censorship and hate crimes and a web page exclusively for challenge support.
OIF’s Challenge Support webpages have migrated from the ALA Banned Books Week page to its own section in ALA’s Professional Tools. The Challenge Support page hosts the revised reporting form, as well as resources on reconsideration policies, discussions with concerned parents and challenge procedures.
On Jan. 12, at noon Mountain Time, OIF will host “Your Guide to Censorship Reporting,” a free webinar on how to fill out the form. The webinar will also outline how the literary community can identify First Amendment violations and why OIF collects this information.
The Wyoming Library Association has an Intellectual Freedom Advisor. That position is currently held by Brian Greene, Library Development Manager at the Wyoming State Library. Contact him at brian.greene@wyo.gov if you are facing intellectual freedom issues in your library.