State Intellectual Freedom Network

To facilitate such cooperation, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom connects with state library associations and AASL affiliates about intellectual freedom, privacy, book challenges, and reporting censorship. Our goal is to empower volunteer committees with resources and a network of people who engage their state membership in intellectual freedom advocacy and awareness.

"SIFnet"

Article 4 of the Library Bill of Rights states that "Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas." To facilitate such cooperation, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom connects with ALA Chapters, ACRL Chapters, and AASL Chapters about intellectual freedom, privacy, book challenges, and reporting censorship. Our goal is to empower volunteer committees with resources and a network of people who engage their state membership in intellectual freedom advocacy and awareness.

Roster & Communication

SIFnet members, resources, and conversation are hosted on ALA Connect to better protect member privacy and to facilitate engagement and resource sharing. Please email OIF, the staff liaison for SIFnet with any updates or to gain access to the community.

Web Meetings

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom hosts a series of online “State of the States” web meetings for Intellectual Freedom representatives from ALA, ACRL, & AASL Chapters. These informal, quarterly meetings will be an opportunity for people to “meet” each other and to discuss state, local, and national intellectual freedom issues; projects & programs OIF and various state IFCs are working on; and how ALA can provide assistance and communication to your groups.

Reporting Challenges

State and regional library associations, intellectual freedom committees, specialty library associations, AASL affiliates, state libraries, and organizations or individuals committed to intellectual freedom are encouraged to download and display the "Report Censorship" graphic and link to ALA's challenge reporting online form. http://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report

Report Censorship Report Censorship Report Censorship

Your Guide to Reporting Censorship

We rely on librarians and educators, and even the public to report censorship and book challenges in libraries, schools and academia. To that end, we've redesigned our reporting form to make it less cumbersome and less timely to tell us about what happened in your institution. This free webinar will highlight the importance of reporting challenges, walk participants through the reporting form, and outline the support available for challenges of all types, big and small.

This archived webinar was originally presented January 12, 2017.