@ifrt-ala.bsky.social
Promoting discussion on library intellectual freedom, facilitating communication, encouraging ALA member involvement, and fostering responsibility in policy implementation. https://www.ala.org/ifrt
Show love with the Merritt Fund! Donate to the #MerrittFund and help a librarian
defending intellectual freedom or facing discrimination.
Note: Because the Merritt Fund is a charitable trust and not a 501(c)(3), donations are
not tax-deductible.
bit.ly/3OoybDl
Did You Watch THE LIBRARIANS Last Night?
THE LIBRARIANS is now streaming on @pbs.org. If you didn't get to watch it yesterday, please carve out a couple hours to do so. And please encourage as many people as you can to watch this important documentary.
www.pbs.org/video/the-li...
These are the book censorship court cases to keep an eye on in 2026. They will impact *your* rights to use libraries and access a wide range of materials that reflect our diverse world.
bookriot.com/court-cases-...
Know an organization working to support intellectual freedom, patron privacy, and anti-censorship efforts?This award includes a citation, $1,000 and honors groups with ongoing or standout coalition-building and advocacy work in intellectual freedom.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
www.ala.org/ifrt/hodges
Stand with librarians in their time of need. Whether they applied for assistance as they faced discrimination, defended library material, or fought to protect intellectual freedom, the Merritt Fund was there.
Show love to librarians with THE MERRITT FUND and make a contribution today.
bit.ly/49iDJY8
Check this out!!!!! You can follow this bot on Bluesky to receive updates whenever something new happens in these censorship cases. There’re also posted at bots.law/little-cases.... @ifrt-ala.bsky.social @uabookbans.bsky.social @la-cac.org @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social @heykellyjensen.bsky.social
10.01.2026 01:26 — 👍 12 🔁 6 💬 2 📌 0
Happy holidays from your friends at the IFRT Round Table.
Savor this time of the year, and your freedom to read freely.
“Authoritarians gain power when citizens stop paying attention. Visit your local library, check out books, and keep reading. If we stay unified and informed, we can ensure reading w/out restriction remains the foundation of our democracy and a fundamental freedom for all.”
time.com/7341120/book...
Photo of a banner featuring the logo for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Photo credit: Shannon Finney / Institute of Museum and Library Services. Text below reads: "ALL PREVIOUSLY CANCELED FEDERAL LIBRARY GRANTS HAVE BEEN RESTORED: Following a court decision, the Institute of Museum and Library Services—the federal agency that provides funding for America’s libraries—announced it had reinstated all grants that it had previously terminated." Logos for I Love Libraries and the American Library Association.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal agency that provides funding for America's libraries, has announced it is reinstating all grants it had previously terminated, including those to libraries and library organizations across the U.S.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4496W4V
Reminder tomorrow! Register today!
02.12.2025 01:37 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Libraries across the country are experiencing an unprecedented spike in censorship attempts. Donate to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund for librarians denied employment and employment rights in defense of intellectual freedom. #GivingTuesday
bit.ly/3K6gIht
Join IFRT for a virtual author talk and Q&A with Adam Szetela, author of That Book Is Dangerous!. He explores the impacts on literary freedom, the techniques used to mitigate controversy, and the broader cultural forces driving censorship.
Excerpt: bit.ly/4oSjt59
Register: bit.ly/4pea4UY
We're soliciting nominations for articles on the topic of intellectual freedom.
You can find more details and the submission form at the Oboler Award website.
Submissions are due by January 30, 2026.
www.ala.org/ifrt/oboler
Our next webinar session is tomorrow!
Sign up below!
ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Our #FirstAmendment & civil rights are under attack #TLSky #EduSky, pls make time to read 10/31/25 @ifrt-ala.bsky.social #IntellectualFreedom News: #censorship, #1stAmendment /civil rights, academic freedom/student speech, legislation @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social news. www.oif.ala.org/intellectual...
04.11.2025 00:17 — 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0Remember to come hang out with us this Friday!
23.10.2025 01:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Victory in Texas, as judge rules in our favor to stop enforcement of HB900, the mandatory government ratings law that seeks to impose a new Comics Code for graphic novels and other books distributed to schools. cbldf.org/2025/10/rate...
22.10.2025 20:49 — 👍 58 🔁 16 💬 1 📌 1
Join IFRT Reads on Oct. 28, 7–8 p.m. ET, for a conversation on The Fight Against Book Bans with editor Shannon Oltmann and chapter authors Glen Benedict & Jenna Kammer. Select chapters will be available to IFRT members in the IFRT Reads Community on Connect:
connect.ala.org/ifrt/communi....
It's almost time to join the round tables of ALA for interactive sessions about intellectual freedom, popular media, moral panic, and conversations about how libraries work to protect the freedom to read.
Friday, October 24, 2025
10:00a - 4:30p Central
youtube.com/@ALAGameRT
www.twitch.tv/ALAGameRT
Why ban books when you can ban the entire library?
New Braunfels ISD has frozen library purchase orders & closed secondary campus libraries following a harassment campaign by Libs of Tik Tok & other out of district extremists.
bookriot.com/new-braunfel...
Tomorrow is the big day!
We’re asking everyone to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship and to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers, and booksellers who make them available!
For ideas on how you can help visit:
bannedbooksweek.org/let-freedom-...
Did you know that you can join IFRT for as little as $15 by adding us to your ALA Membership? Student Members only pay $5!
No better time than now to sign up than during #BannedBooksWeek !
Find out more here:
www.ala.org/ifrt/members...
What's Your Freedom to Read Advocate Personality?
Take the Quiz here:
quiz.tryinteract.com#/68d400f64d6...
It's #BannedBooksWeek!
Do you plan on reading a book on the list this year?
Drop it in the comments below!
It's almost here! Banned Books Week starts TOMORROW!
Use this calendar to find all of the events happening near you:
bannedbooksweek.org/events/
Join us in Orlando on Nov. 1 for The Book Ban Fight: From Stories to Strategy — a one-day convening designed to strengthen our coalition, map the threats, and build the tools we need to resist educational censorship in Florida. www.eventbrite.com/e/the-book-b...
29.09.2025 22:20 — 👍 14 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 0
I made a free printable bookmark you can use for any banned books week (or before or after!) displays, books, etc., that gives people *action items* for defending the right to read.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
Need some graphics to promote #BannedBooksWeek ?
We have you covered!
The link contains posters, bookmarks, social media graphics, and MORE!
bannedbooksweek.org/promotional-...
George Takei was named honorary chair of #BannedBooksWeek! Who saw his keynote speech at our Annual Convention in Baltimore?
As a longtime member of the @bannedbooksweek.bsky.social Coalition, NCTE supports the right to read during Banned Books Week and every day. Get involved: bannedbooksweek.org
