Limiting Access to Library Materials Destroys Freedom
What's the problem with banning books or restricting access? It violates the First Amendment and the spirit of freedom in the U.S. While individuals have the right to decide what they will read, they don't have the right to determine what others can read or access. This talk will explain how the First Amendment relates to the freedom to read and why free inquiry is essential to our democracy. Everyone should be able to determine for themselves—but not for others—what to read.
Dr. Shannon Oltmann
Shannon M. Oltmann is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her Ph.D. from Indiana University. Her research interests include information ethics, censorship, intellectual freedom, public libraries, privacy, and qualitative research methods. Oltmann is the past editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and Associate Editor of Library Quarterly. She wrote the book Practicing Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, and edited The Fight Against Book Bans: Perspectives from the Field, which will be released in June 2023. Oltmann’s work has been funded by the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum & Library Services. She has presented her research at numerous academic and professional conferences and published widely.
When
June 27, 2023 at 12:00pm - 1pm
What's the problem with banning books or restricting access? It violates the First Amendment and the spirit of freedom in the U.S. While individuals have the right to decide what they will read, they don't have the right to determine what others can read or access. This talk will explain how the First Amendment relates to the freedom to read and why free inquiry is essential to our democracy. Everyone should be able to determine for themselves—but not for others—what to read.
Dr. Shannon Oltmann
Shannon M. Oltmann is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her Ph.D. from Indiana University. Her research interests include information ethics, censorship, intellectual freedom, public libraries, privacy, and qualitative research methods. Oltmann is the past editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and Associate Editor of Library Quarterly. She wrote the book Practicing Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, and edited The Fight Against Book Bans: Perspectives from the Field, which will be released in June 2023. Oltmann’s work has been funded by the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum & Library Services. She has presented her research at numerous academic and professional conferences and published widely.
When
June 27, 2023 at 12:00pm - 1pm
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