Skip navigation 
Previous Page
Page 16 • Cognotes 2014 Annual Conference Highlights
FTRF, GSLIS at Illinois to Collaborate on Intellectual Freedom Course
The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are pleased to announce a partnership to offer an online graduate-level course on intellectual freedom for library and information science (LIS) students around the country. The course, to be taught by GSLIS professor Emily Knox, is the first education-related project of FTRF's Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund.
“Intellectual Freedom and Censorship” will be held August 26 — October 10, 2014, and is open to any student enrolled in an LIS program. Those at Illinois and other institutions in the WISE consortium (www.wiseeduca-tion.org) are eligible to enroll in the course via the WISE system. For those at non-WISE institutions, please contact Tonyia Tidline, GSLIS director of professional development, at (217) 244-2945 or tidline@illinois.edu. Additional information can be found at www.ftrf.org/?Krug Education.
Each student who takes the course will be provided by FTRF a copy of the book True Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries. In addition, staff and volunteers from FTRF will lend their expertise as guest speakers, and videos and other materials created for the course will be available on FTRF's Krug Fund Education Project website.
“We're thrilled to enter into this partnership with the University of Illinois,” said FTRF Executive Director Barbara M. Jones. “GSLIS recently was named the top-ranked library school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and for good reason. Its scholarship on intellectual freedom issues is unmatched. We're particularly looking forward to working with Emily Knox, who has quickly established herself as a leading expert in the field.”
Jones continued, “One of the proudest moments of Judith Krug's career was receiving her honorary doctorate from Illinois in 2005. The archives of FTRF and ALA, including many of Judith's writings and recorded speaking engagements, are housed at Illinois. It is therefore appropriate that GSLIS host the inaugural FTRF/ Illinois course.”
Emily Knox said, “I'm excited about partnering with FTRF for this course as the organization's archives and membership provide rich material for understanding the role of censorship in our society. We will explore a range of topics in the class from the historical roots of intellectual freedom to pro- and anti-censorship arguments, as well as learn practical strategies for supporting intellectual freedom in libraries and other institutional settings.”
Exhibitor News
These listings are paid advertisements.
Better World Books: The socially responsible online bookseller announced the newest library recipients of their Learning and Education in Action Program (LEAP) grants at ALA. Learn more about how the program empowers libraries to do the most important work in their communities at www.BetterWorldBooks.com/LEAP.
American Library Association Black Caucus Unveils Reading is Grand! Grant Winners
During the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition, Jerome Offord, Jr., president of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), announced three libraries will receive the 2014 “Reading Is Grand! Celebrating Grand-Families Telling Our Stories @ Your Library” grant. The program is a celebration of the important role grandparents play in the lives of children, as, through their infinite wisdom and experience, children learn the unique cultural and familial values that help them grow into valuable contributors to the community.
Each grant-winning library will receive $500, which will be used to supplement their Reading Is Grand! program. Funds may be used to purchase books, supplies, and/or activities for their program based upon their use of creativity and originality.
The Reading Is Grand! Project is supported by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). It was developed as part of 2009 - 2010 American Library Association President Camila Alire's Family Literacy Focus Initiative, an effort to encourage families in ethnically diverse communities to read and learn together.
Relive Your Favorite Sessions or Hear What You Missed
If you were a full registrant I of the ALA Annual Confer-I ence, you'll have a chance to revisit some of your favorite sessions and catch some you missed through the conference recordings. All full registrants will receive an e-mail in a few weeks when the recordings are available with instructions on how to access them. Although we don't have permission to record all events and sessions, the range of what is available will offer you a good chance to recapture some of the learning, highlights, and energy you enjoyed on the ground here in Las Vegas. We encourage you to make the most of this benefit of your full registration!
Membership Honor Bestowed upon Patricia Glass Schuman
Honorary membership, ALA’s I highest honor, was con-I ferred on Patricia Glass Schuman at the Opening General Session on June 27. ALA president Barbara K. Stripling presented Schuman with a plaque which acknowledged Schuman's dedication to America's right to know and to social justice, as she repeatedly changed the culture of ALA, the perception the profession of librarianship has of itself, and its communication with the people of our nation. In every aspect of her life - librarian, businesswoman, author, editor, mentor, educator, association leader, activist -Patricia Glass Schuman has made a significant impact.
Schuman was a prime mover in establishing the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) and its Task Force on Women (now the Feminist Task Force) in the early 1970s. In 1984, Schuman was the first woman elected treasurer of the American Library Association. In 1990, she became the first woman elected to serve both as treasurer and president. Schuman led the successful drive to endow the ALA Scholarship Fund.
Following her presidency, Schuman founded ALA’s Library Advocacy NOW! effort and helped to establish the Libraries Change Lives, Better Salaries for Librarians and @ your library campaigns. She has chaired numerous ALA committees and served on the boards of other national and international organizations. The author/editor of six books and more than 100 papers and articles, Schuman has testified before the U.S. Congress and been published nationally and internationally.
As co-founder (1976) and president of Neal-Schuman Publishers, which merged with ALA in 2011, Schuman encouraged scores of authors to produce more than 300 professional books and periodicals, including numerous award-winning tools and texts. With John Vincent Neal she established the Neal-Schuman Foundation (2000-2011) to support research, advocacy and education.
Stripling, left, embraces Schuman during the June 27 Opening General Session.
Video Highlights of the ALA Exhibits in Las Vegas
