Brief Description: Office for Intellectual Freedom Subject File (1961-) includes announcements (1973), reports (2000-01), bibliographies (1970, 1975, 1977), manuals (1978) and promotional literature (concerning intellectual freedom and censorship (1969, 1978-81); LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund; files relating to the development, production, and 1977 Annual Conference evaluations of the movie "The Speaker" (1975-78); files on Strategic Long Range Planning; records of the National Coalition against Censorship (1974-89); topical files containing publications from political pressure groups, pro- and anti- censorship (1974-99); the Leadership Development Institute (1993-1999); files of the Staff Committee on Mediation (1971-1980); history files on OIF and Judith Krug; reference files on intellectual freedom and censorship organizations; files on Cuba (2001-2005), manual policy revisions (2000-2004), and issues about the internet and privacy (2006-2007); and files on the Library Bill of Rights.

Record Series Number: 6/1/6

Created by: Office for Intellectual Freedom

Volume: 76.8 Cubic Feet

Acquired: 4/26/1974; 1/9/1981; 1/24/1992; 5/14/1999; 9/10/2009;12/17/2009; 7/26/2010; 2/2/2012; 8/8/2013; 3/24/2014; 9/5/2014; 1/30/2015; 2/20/2015; 3/2/2015; 3/19/2015; 09/15/2017; 6/1/2021

Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject

Biographical Note for Office for Intellectual Freedom :

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).

Access Restrictions: Please contact an archivist to request access. Standing Committee on Review, Inquiry, and Mediation files (1987-93) and Staff Committee on Mediation files (1971-1980) are restricted. All users seeking access to record series 6/1/6 are required to sign a nondisclosure addendum to the ALA reader application.

Subject Index

Languages of Materials

Finding Aid Revisions: Note that the record series listed below has been folded in its entirety into the above record series: 6/7/16 The Speaker Evaluation Forms, June 1977 The following series were removed from 6/1/6 and became new record series or placed into existing record series: 61/5; 6/1/7; 6/1/8; 6/1/9; 6/1/16; 6/1/17; 6/1/40; 6/1/41; 6/1/42; 44/1/6; 44/1/12; 69/2/5