Finding Aid for Correspondence File, 1967-1992, 1994-1998, 2000-2002, 2005-2006 | The American Library Association Archives

Title: Correspondence File, 1967-1992, 1994-1998, 2000-2002, 2005-2006

ID: 6/1/5

Primary Creator: Office for Intellectual Freedom

Extent: 5.6 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: First part of the series is arranged chronologically, last part of the series is arranged by correspondent and topic

Date Acquired: 00/00/2009

Subjects: Banned Books, Birninghausen, David, Castagna, Edwin, Censorship, Holley, Edward G., Intellectual Freedom, Intellectual Freedom, Office for, Intellectual Freedom Committee

Languages: English

Correspondence File of the Office for Intellectual Freedom regarding banned and challenged books, literature on intellectual freedom, censorship cases, the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Foundation, the film "The Speaker", information on the First Amendment, and with the Intellectual Freedom Committee. Includes inquiries from the public regarding intellectual freedom topics and responses from the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Correspondents include Judith Krug, David Birninghausen, Edwin Castagna, Edward Holley, Nat Hentoff, Edward Jenkinson, Katherine Laich, Charles Levendosky, Robert M. O'Neil, Charles J. Park, Don Saklad, James Schmidt, and Evrin Gaines.

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).

Banned Books
Birninghausen, David
Castagna, Edwin
Censorship
Holley, Edward G.
Intellectual Freedom
Intellectual Freedom, Office for
Intellectual Freedom Committee

Repository: The American Library Association Archives

Access Restrictions: All users seeking access to this record series are required to sign a nondisclosure addendum to the ALA reader application.

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/0601005a.pdf

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