TLA Talks: Censorship in Academia, Running Library Faculty off the Tracks

Academic libraries are not immune from the push by some state legislators and administrators to quash discussion of “critical race theory” topics and thus threaten academic freedom. Recent threats to remove academic faculty that teach topics that are perceived to be controversial, and question systemic racism also reach to library faculty and staff. On other fronts faculty status is being stripped from academic librarians at major universities. An assault on academic freedom? An effort to censor librarians? Or something else entirely? Please join our panel of experts for a discussion of current initiatives threatening academic tenure, the role of faculty status for librarians, and strategies to address these issues in your library and institution.

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants should be able to…

• Explain the intent of tenure and faculty status for librarians in academia and its relevance to the current environment
• Describe the current initiatives threatening academic tenure.
• Identify 2-3 strategies to combat efforts to chill free speech, hobble academic rigor, and censor ideas in higher education and higher ed libraries.

Presenters:

Donald Downs, Academic Freedom Alliance
Emily Drabinski, Mina Rees Library, City University of New York
Vera Eidelman, ACLU

Cost: Free

Register today!