[Libs-Or] IFC May Tuesday Topic: IF Champion Award Winners: Miranda Doyle and Darin Stewart

Tue May 21 08:00:51 PDT 2024

Hi all,
For May Tuesday Topic, provided to you by the Intellectual Freedom
Committee, we share with you the following regarding Displays and
Intellectual Freedom: IF Resources
<https://www.olaweb.org/intellectual-freedom-resources>

May 2024

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 (IFC) or a
guest writer. Questions can be directed to the author of the topic or to
the IFC.

Intellectual Freedom Champion Award Winners 2024

With great excitement, the IFC would like to share this year's Intellectual
Freedom Champion Award winners. We are thrilled to announce two deserving
recipients of this award:

Miranda Doyle: In recognition of years of service and dedication with the
IFC including

a role as IF Representative for the Oregon Association of School Libraries,
and extensive support given to library staff across Oregon as they
navigated intellectual freedom situations.

Darin Stewart: In recognition of devotion to supporting intellectual
freedom through

the founding of the nonprofit, Parents Defending Schools and Libraries
(PDSAL), giving voice to the parents and students across Oregon who stand
for free and open access to information.

Miranda Doyle – Award Presented by Marie Felgentrager

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, students had just returned to the Roseburg
High School campus, post pandemic. We were all learning how to navigate
this new world and were, quite frankly, a bit fragile. On that particular
morning, the annual day of student testing, I stood in the library,
overlooking a very crowded space, with students in nearly all of the
available seats, awaiting their testing instructions. The first phone call
came early, before the test commenced. There are no private spaces in our
open-concept library. Students, nervously shifting in their chairs, could
easily overhear the screaming voice on the other end of the line: “I have
called the sheriff and he is going to arrest you, you promoter of porn!”
the caller screeched. And thus, our library joined the ranks of too, too
many others. We faced a social media maelstrom and an intense, organized
campaign calling for the immediate removal of a popular book that had
resided peacefully on our shelf for over five years.

The phone calls and emails continued, often threatening. I was alerted that
I had become a target on social media, my contact information made public.
My union president advised me to seek restraining orders against the more
vocal, belligerent individuals. During the days that followed, I felt
terrified, anxious, suspicious, and alone. Every time the phone rang, my
stomach sank. I had countless meetings with administrators as we navigated
policies, processes, and procedures. Exhaustion and adrenaline were locked
in constant battle. I knew I was supposed to report the challenge to the
Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse and did so immediately. And then,
popping up in my email a short time later, a harbinger of hope: a message
from Miranda Doyle, OASL Intellectual Freedom Representative.

Already well-respected in Oregon school librarian circles, the name
“Miranda Doyle” was synonymous with action as well as kindness. Her simple
email note stating, “Do you need help?” ushered in an era of support,
consultation, and mentorship. Miranda provided resources and advice. She
allowed her name to be published in an editorial speaking on the issue for The
Oregonian at a time when it was unsafe for me to do so. I will always be
thankful for Miranda.

For nine years, Miranda served the Oregon Library Association Intellectual
Freedom Committee as the OASL Intellectual Freedom Representative. During
this time, Miranda assisted countless others in similar predicaments. Her
energy, knowledge, and passion for intellectual freedom were a beacon of
sanity in tumultuous times. Miranda’s decision to vacate the OASL
Intellectual Freedom Representative role to take on new challenges was met
with great sorrow. No one can truly replace this dynamic individual. Her
role on the committee has been instrumental in aiding Oregonians, and her
absence will be deeply felt. Miranda’s calm demeanor deescalated fraught
censorship situations; her clarity and intelligence helped others
comprehend the importance of First Amendment rights. Miranda remains a
paramount professional, an expert in her field. Always willing to answer
questions, offer ideas, lead presentations and conference sessions, Miranda
demonstrates an innate ability to balance her talents. Her skills are
unparalleled. She leads with efficacy and is inclusive in collaboration.

Miranda literally runs marathons! Her energy and stamina are admirable. In
everything she does, Miranda gives her full attention. For those of you who
have had the opportunity to work with her, benefit from her assistance, or
attend one of her presentations, you know that Miranda does everything with
quiet expertise. She epitomizes the highest of executive standards. We wish
Miranda only the best as she continues adventuring, running, leading,
collaborating, and guiding others in her future endeavors.

It is with great joy that we recognize Miranda Doyle with the Intellectual
Freedom Champion Award for 2023!

Darin Stewart – Award Presented by Emily O’Neal

The first time the name Darin Stewart came up with the Intellectual Freedom
Committee was in April of 2022. He reached out to, of all people, Miranda
Doyle – our other IF Champion Award winner – via email, sharing that he was
“dismayed by the recent onslaughts against intellectual freedom.”

He signed his email, “How can I help?”

I’m not sure he knew what he was getting into by offering those four simple
words – “How can I help?”, but help doesn’t seem to fully describe what
came next.

In May of 2023, Darin reached back out to Miranda and the IFC and shared
that he was in the process of forming the 501c3 nonprofit, Parents
Defending Schools and Libraries, also known as PDSAL. The intention is
simple but strong: to create an alert system for parents to be able to
fight back against book challenges at the beginning of the process,
allowing for parents in the community to positively influence the outcome
of challenges within their own school and library communities. PDSAL would
also promote diverse and inclusive library collections by awarding small
direct grants to school libraries for such book purchases.

Darin began regularly attending the IFC meetings and in June 2023 became an
ex-officio member of the IFC, representing PDSAL and giving voice to the
parents across Oregon. In August 2023, Parents Defending Schools and
Libraries was officially formed and took off with urgency. Seemly
overnight, a website was created, and in just four months, PDSAL had
already launched a signature campaign with EveryLibrary and Fight for the
First to address censorship at Canby School District, awarded their first
grant for inclusive materials to West Linn High School, enhanced the PDSAL
website, and put in place book resumes to help with challenge responses. As
if that wasn’t enough, PDSAL has also been a part of investigating other
challenges across the state, including requesting public records requests
and testifying at the Oregon Senate to support SB1583
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/SB1583>.

There are many times when I know the IFC would not be anywhere as
successful in supporting libraries during their challenges if Darin hadn’t
reached out in 2022, with that one simple sentence, “How can I help?” As
the committee chair, I often feel guilty with the pressure I put on this
committee, the number of emails and meetings I send out, and the amount of
time this work demands. For Darin, I am aware he is doing this solely out
of devotion to what is right, that before being the founder of PDSAL, he
was simply a parent asking, “How can I help?” With the support and creation
of Parents Defending Schools and Libraries, so much has happened and been
accomplished, and I am eternally grateful to have someone so willing to
devote so much attention and support to the needs of others. Thank you,
Darin, for the seemingly endless willingness to step up and for the
continued willingness to ask, “How can I help?”

It is with great respect and appreciation that the IFC is awarding Darin
Stewart the Intellectual Freedom Champion Award. Thank you, Darin!

-- 
Chair - ifc.chair at olaweb.org
Intellectual Freedom Committee https://www.olaweb.org/if-home
Oregon Library Association https://www.olaweb.org/
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