[LM_NET] GEN: Reporting Challenged Books to ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom

[Sara Kelly Johns <sarakellyjohns@YAHOO.COM>]

Since most of the book challenges come from school
libraries, I thought you all should know more about
reporting challenges...ALA's OIF does provide strong
support but needs to know about the challenges. 

Here's the back story, Sara Kelly Johns

From the ALA Council Listserv:

August 29, 2006

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the ALA Office for Intellectual
Freedom has seen a steady increase in reported book
challenges in our libraries.  That is, until this
year.  This year, for some unexplained reason, there
have been fewer challenges reported to the office. 
Our sense, based upon news reports, is that challenges
continue to occur at a high level, yet they are not
being reported.  Due to budget cutbacks, the OIF no
longer subscribes to a clipping service that can
provide this valuable information.  It is extremely
important to our defense of Intellectual Freedom that
the Association is able to track these challenges.  It
is especially important as we approach Banned Books
Week (September 23-30).  The data we gain through
reported challenges help us prepare this program and
understand the issues facing our members.

Please spread the word in your state and region that
the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom would like to
receive reports of all materials challenged in our
libraries.  Reports--all kept confidential--can be
made to ebyrne@ala.org or dstone@ala.org, or online at
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/challengesupport/reporting/challengedatabaseform.html.

 Further information concerning challenges may be
viewed on the OIF Web site at
http://www.ala.org/oif/challengesupport.

Thank you for your help!

Kent Oliver
Chair, Intellectual Freedom Committee 

AASL 2006-07 President-Elect
Associate Editor for AASL Community, Knowledge Quest
Lake Placid Middle/High School LMC
34 School Street
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-2474, ext. 4132
FAX: 518-523-4861
johns@northnet.org
SaraKJohns@aol.com

"Information is the currency of democracy." -- Thomas Jefferson

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