The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is looking for feedback in anticipation of a new edition of The Intellectual Freedom Manual, the IFC is in the process of updating intellectual freedom-related documents.

The IFC would appreciate feedback on "Challenged Resources: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights" by Monday, January 7. The interpretation was adopted by ALA Council in 1971, and amended in 1981, 1990, 2009, and 2014. Please feel free to share this message widely.

Feedback can be posted in the following two ways:

• Post feedback on this Google Doc draft. The IFC requests that you post comments on the document, rather than edit the document directly. To post a comment, select "Insert" in the top menu, and then click "Comment." Comments may be posted anonymously (if you're not signed into a Google account) or publicly (if you're signed into your Google account).
• Using "track changes," add comments and edits to the attached Word doc draft. You can email it to me ([email protected]) or post it as a comment to this ALA Connect post, and I'll forward it to working group members.

A note about paragraph four of the draft: This quote is from the current "Diversity in Collection Development" interpretation, last amended in 2014. It does not reflect the revisions proposed in the interpretation draft that was sent to the library community. The quoted material in "Challenged Resources" may be altered if the revisions for "Diversity in Collection Development" are adopted.

 Feedback Wanted for New Library Bill of Rights

Allison Mackley, librarian at Hershey High School, is one of only 40 librarians selected from a highly competitive national pool to participate in ALA Leadership Institute: Leading to the Future, a new four-day immersive leadership development program for future library leaders offered in August by the American Library Association (ALA).

Allison is a National Board Certified teacher-librarian who is actively involved at the local and state levels to promote library program services, to foster teacher leadership, to build professional learning networks, and to embrace 21st century teaching and learning.  Allison acknowledges the changing role of librarians, and in her collaborative partnerships, she has advocated for an integrated and relevant curriculum that will empower students to reach their greatest potential as digital and information literate citizens.   When asked what she hopes to bring back to Hershey High School, Allison responded, "I hope to find more effective ways to honor the strengths of others.  By doing so, there is a greater chance for distributive leadership and collegiality that is necessary in order to create innovative and necessary change.  Overall, I believe you should do work with others.  Lift each other up.  Celebrate the accomplishments."
The selection committee looked for a diverse participant mix based on type of library (public, academic, school, or special library), professional responsibility, geography, gender, and race/ethnicity, as well as demonstrated leadership potential, readiness for increased responsibility, professional achievement, and community or campus involvement.  Participants are expected to return to their library equipped with new skills for leading, coaching, collaborating, and engaging within their organizations and in the communities they serve, and prepared to identify, develop, and implement solutions which benefit everyone.