Finding Aid for Reference File, 1944- | The American Library Association Archives

Title: Reference File, 1944-

ID: 6/3/3

Primary Creator: Office for Intellectual Freedom

Extent: 4.5 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: Chronological and by subject

Subjects: Censorship, Freedom to Read, Intellectual Freedom, Library Bill of Rights, Pornography

Languages: English

Reference file of the Office for Intellectual Freedom containing publications and articles produced by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, including editions 1, 3-7 of the Intellectual Freedom Manual (1974-2006), concerning the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, Banned Books Week (book challenges and teaching banned books), intellectual freedom, censorship and law. This series also includes some non-ALA publications, including the federal government's ten volume Report of the Commission on Pornography and Obscenity (COP), published in 1970.

Note that the following three record series have been folded in their entirety into this new record series:

6/3/3 Intellectual Freedom Manual, 1974

6/3/4 Banned Books Week, 1984-1994

6/3/11 Other Publications and Articles on Censorship and Intellectual Freedom, 1970-

In December 1967, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) was established to provide ALA with a permanent headquarters to coordinate the association's intellectual freedom activities and to provide continuity for the total program (1). The OIF's major concern is to educate librarians and the general public on the importance of intellectual freedom as it relates to the individual, the institution, and the functioning of our society, thereby allowing the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) to concentrate on developing policy (2). The goal of the OIF is to encourage and protect the librarian's commitment to the principles of intellectual freedom, both in pursuit of professional responsibilities and in personal life (3).

Serving as the administrative arm of the IFC, the OIF is responsible for the implementation of ALA policies on intellectual freedom, as set forth in the Library Bill of Rights and its supporting documents. Its functions include:

1. Distribution of materials and information, including advice and consultation to librarians concerning potential or actual confrontations with censorship problems, and administration of the Program in Support of the Library Bill of Rights; (4)

2. Preparing regular and special publication, including the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, a monthly column in American Libraries, the OIF Memorandum, The Intellectual Freedom Manual, The Freedom to Read Foundation News, and an annual bibliography, Librarians, Censorship, and Intellectual Freedom;

3. Maintaining the permanent and traveling OIF exhibits; (5)

4. Supervising liason with the Freedom to Read Foundation, the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, serving as liaison to the IFC, coordinating activities of state intellectual freedom committees, and cooperating with organizations whose purposes are related to intellectual freedom; (6)

5. Administering the Emergency Employment Network, a network of libraries which offers interim employment to librarians who suffer loss of employment due to intellectual freedom policies (7).

Censorship
Freedom to Read
Intellectual Freedom
Library Bill of Rights
Pornography

Repository: The American Library Association Archives

Accruals: 7/1989; 5/27/2006;12/17/2009; 7/26/2010; 3/1/2012; 2/13/2017; 9/15/2017; 10/15/2020; 5/25/2021; 6/1/2021; 4/18/2023

Finding Aid Revision History: 04/18/2023 - interfiled materials from Publishing Archives;

Other Note: 4 Pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/0603003a.pdf

PDF finding aid for Reference File (6/3/3)