Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility in American Librarianship, 1967-1974

Between 1967 and 1974, librarians came together to push for change in the American Library Association, questioning checks against intellectual freedom. Dissension and turmoil followed, as librarians argued either for the traditional concept of professional neutrality, or the new philosophy that held librarians to be agents of social change. Samek (library and information studies, University of Alberta) summarizes the years of political infighting within the association. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Toni Samek is Professor and Chair of the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She twice convened the Canadian Library Association’s Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom and served two consecutive terms on the Canadian Association of University Teachers’ Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee and currently serves on the Advisory Board of Canada’s new Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University. She lives in Edmonton.