Nevada Library Association

Nevada Library Association

Intellectual Freedom Handbook, 1999

Introduction

By Lynn Ossolinski, Chair
Nevada Library Association/Intellectual Freedom Committee (NLA/IFC) 1999

Rooted deeply within the American Experience is the tradition of free thought and expression. This tradition, though older than the Bill of Rights, is clearly and succinctly expressed in that document: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." And yet a counter-current has also continually run through American history and life. There have always been individuals, groups, or organizations who, out of fear or for reasons of presumed safety, morality or religious orthodoxy have attempted to abridge or set aside our tradition of commitment to freedom of thought and expression. There have always been those who would impose their standards of thought, expression, or reading tastes on others.

In American society the library is the most vital institution in the safeguard of the right of citizens to read, see, and hear, unfettered by censorship, the full range of human expression. If these freedoms so essential to the healthy functioning of an open self-governing society are to flourish, librarians have a dual obligation to fulfill. We must assume the responsibility of maintaining libraries and media centers containing materials expressing the widest possible range of viewpoints on questions and issues of our times, while at the same time resisting all attempts to limit the access to these materials by all who want or need them without respect to age, race, religion, or social or political orientation.

For these important reasons the Nevada Library Association has formed an Intellectual Freedom Committee to keep the membership informed on intellectual freedom issues affecting Nevada libraries and librarians, to serve as the agency of the Association in the defense of libraries and librarians against censorship, and to promote the principles of intellectual freedom articulated in the Library Bill of Rights and other position statements of the American Library Association.

We hope that this handbook, prepared by the Nevada Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee, will provide helpful advice on how you and your library can more effectively promote the principles of free expression and inquiry, defend against would-be censors, and should the occasion arise, summon the assistance of the Nevada Library Association to aid in the defense of intellectual freedom.

The NLA/IFC has supported a series of yearly seminars held in both the northern and the southern areas of Nevada for the past five years. These seminars and conference programming provide training for Nevada librarians in how to handle censorship issues. They are free to the attendees and the costs are covered by the Nevada Libraries Continuing Education Committee. Contact the NLA officers for information on IFC seminars and NLA conferences.

The millennium is a time of acceleration and change. Libraries lead the field in using technology to provide access to information. It is crucial that the Internet be provided for all people living in the United States. A new section on the Internet has been added to this handbook.

The format of this handbook is one that allows constant update and addition of pertinent information on Intellectual Freedom. NLA/IFC will send out those updates and each library is welcome to include their own research in the handbook. This handbook should be thought of as a print copy of a very fluid overview of censorship issues that arise with emerging technology. In line with that dedication, the handbook will also be available on line. Refer to the URL's as listed in the handbook to access the documents on line. Most documents can be accessed from ala.org.

The Intellectual Freedom Handbook in print and on line is a tool for the use of Nevada libraries to keep Nevada free of censorship and provide "access for all" in the 21st Century and beyond.

Sincerely yours,

Lynn Ossolinski, Chair
Intellectual Freedom Committee
Librarian, Incline High School
499 Village Blvd.,
Incline, NV 89450
NLA/Intellectual Freedom Committee
1996 - 1999
Lynn Ossolinski, Chair
Bonnie Buckley, NLA President
Compiled by Shannon Krutsch and Cheryl Mathwig
Members: Sue Graff, Sue Cole, Frankie Lukasko,
Nancy Forsberg, Mary Alice McGee

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