TLA Talks: Books Under Fire – Libraries and the Right to Read in 2023

When: August 15; 3 PM- 4PM

Presenters: Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Eric Stroshane

Cost: Free for TLA members, $25 for non-members

The number of challenges reported to ALA increased by 60% in 2021 and censorship activity is not slowing down. In fact, Texas banned more books from school libraries than any other state; more than 800 books banned across 22 Texas school districts. Learn how to prepare for challenges, and how ALA is supporting librarians facing challenges.

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Deborah Caldwell-Stone is the Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. For the past two decades, she has worked closely with library workers and trustees to address a wide range of intellectual freedom issues, including book bans, internet censorship, meeting room policies, and the privacy of library users’ records. She has served on the faculty of the ALA-sponsored Lawyers for Libraries and Law for Librarians workshops and is a contributor to the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual.

Eric Stroshane (he/him) has twenty years of experience working in public, special, and academic libraries. He is currently a consultant assisting the Office for Intellectual Freedom by providing challenge support, database maintenance, and assistance with publications as part of their efforts to combat censorship and defend the freedom to read. He is the news editor for the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, curates a weekly news compilation for ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Blog, and is a former president of the Mountain Plains Library Association. He has delivered training and presentations on intellectual freedom issues for library directors, staff, board members, and the general public nationwide.