[Libs-Or] Feb 2023 Tuesday Topic: Academic Freedom & Intellectual Freedom

[OTTUM Tamara K * SLO]

Welcome to Tuesday Topics, a monthly series covering topics with intellectual freedom implications for libraries of all types. Each message is prepared by a member of OLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee or a guest writer. Questions can be directed to the author of the topic or to the IFC Committee.


Academic Freedom and Intellectual Freedom

February 2023


Today's news is filled with ongoing controversies and backlash over free speech<https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/06/09/aacu-and-pen-america-oppose-divisive-concepts-bans>, academic freedom<https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/academic-freedom-faculty-racism/>, and political agendas<https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/01/20/rejecting-ap-studies-restricting-libraries-heres-how-desantis-and-his-anti-woke-policies-are-impacting-florida-education/?sh=7dc20e7d7150> in higher education.


Academic librarians are charged with upholding both professional research and teaching standards of academic disciplines and the core professional values of librarianship, including access, diversity, Intellectual Freedom, and social responsibility.


Recognizing a need for academic librarians to be familiar with issues surrounding these values, ACRL-OR created the Academic & Intellectual Freedom Toolkit<https://acrloregon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Academic-Intellectual-Freedom.pdf>.


The toolkit provides general information and resources informing academic libraries of professional values and protection, and helps them support colleagues, prepare for challenges and challenge harmful power structures.



We invite you to take a look, use it, and spread the word!

"In a time where democratic freedoms are being challenged, the concepts of intellectual freedom and academic freedom require examination as key tenets of our democracy to be upheld, celebrated and honored." (Bev-Freda L. Jackson, "Intellectual Freedom, Academic Freedom, and Social Justice<https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-83909-882-620211013/full/html>")


Tamara Ottum (she/her)
State Library of Oregon
tamara.ottum at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:tamara.ottum at slo.oregon.gov> | 971-375-3543
www.oregon.gov/library/libraries<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
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