The American Association of School Librarians and its members have always been champions of intellectual freedom. It is a core value of school librarians and has been--and remains--an integral part of AASL's culture. Intellectual freedom is deeply embedded in AASL's standards, position statements, member-focused publications, conferences, award…

Courts have held that minors have First Amendment rights and that those rights include the right to receive information. However, how does that apply in the school setting? The First Amendment prohibits governmental entities from unconstitutionally infringing rights of free speech. Students in public schools, therefore, do have rights under the…

The American Library Association's (ALA) "Library Bill of Rights" is important to school librarians because it provides the philosophical structure for intellectual freedom in school libraries and asserts the rights of minors. It states: "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age,…

Success in today's global market requires students to attain numerous 21st-Century skills, including collaborative and communication skills, and knowledge of how to use technology to both locate and create information. The use of instructional blogging in the classroom is one way to help students develop such skills. The Children's Internet…

Passed in 2000, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) mandates Internet filtering for all public schools and libraries. Challenges to the law have been raised on constitutional grounds by free-speech advocates such as the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. After losing one such challenge in district court,…

Considers issues relating to children's access to information on the Internet in public libraries. Topics include censorship versus selection; First Amendment rights; the American Library Association's challenge to the Communications Decency Act; filtering software; and the role of the public library. (LRW)

This manual discusses the issue of intellectual freedom as it pertains to library policy and practice and offers guidelines for ensuring the right to read. It is intended for the public librarian or school library media specialist who needs to develop new policies or update existing policies. The book is divided into 10 chapters. Chapter 1 looks…

One's commitment to intellectual freedom is manifested not just in the creation of a strong and clear selection policy or the celebration of Banned Books Week but by his or her willingness to examine his or her practices openly with others. In this article, the author proposes four questions to explore in one's teaching and in professional…

Suggests that libraries are doing children a disservice by not providing them with a reviewed/evaluated version of the Web. Discusses children's use of the library; the nature of information on the World Wide Web; and children's information seeking skills. Describes a simple method that can be used to protect children while still protecting adult…

Intended to be a practical guide to the issues that arise under the First Amendment for libraries that provide public access to the Internet, this book contains the following chapters: (1) "Questions and Answers about the First Amendment: Sex, Lies, and Cyberspace"; (2) "Basic First Amendment Principles and Their Application to…

Discusses issues related to libraries filtering Internet searches. Topics include the American Library Association (ALA) stand against any form of Internet censorship, the increasing use of GUIs (graphical user interfaces), First Amendment rights, intellectual freedom, and deciding on the criteria for filtering. (LRW)

This book presents an analysis of the current state of book banning in schools and public libraries, offering ready reference material on major incidents, legal cases, and annotated entries on the most frequently challenged books. Every section of this revised edition has been rewritten, updated, or expanded to reflect new developments. In-depth…

Suggests that a definitive court ruling is needed to better define rights and responsibilities related to the First Amendment and libraries' Internet use policies so that libraries can provide a comfortable environment for users while maintaining the law. Discusses filters; court cases; claims of the anti-porn cult; research studies on how much of…

Presents responses to 10 common arguments against the use of Internet filters in libraries. Highlights include keyword blocking; selection of materials; liability of libraries using filters; users' judgments; Constitutional issues, including First Amendment rights; and censorship. (LRW)

Discusses Internet access in public libraries, filters, censorship issues, First Amendment rights, and intellectual freedom. Suggests that the Internet is a resource, and that the level of library service is dependent on what it can afford to provide, consistent with its mandate to serve the community's information needs. (Author/LRW)