Intellectual Freedom: IF Programs/Presentations

Sara Brown - Librarian, Baltimore County Public
Library, Joshua Stone - Director of Digital Services,
Southeast Florida Library Information Network
Join us for a privacy primer! Explore what threats we
all face when it comes to privacy and surveillance, and
learn about tools and tips to help protect yourself and your patrons. Sara Brown and Joshua Stone share what they learned as members of the
inaugural cohort of the Library Freedom Institute. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of who and what threatens their privacy and knowledge about specific tools and
methods for protecting themselves and their patrons.
Sponsor: IFP

NOTE: Links to the PowerPoint and the Handout are listed in the document

An IF Poster providing a snapshot of what the Intellectual Freedom Panel (IFP) does and has done. This poster was put together by Mou Chakraborty of Salisbury University for the 2018 MLA/DLA Annual Conference

Fake news...heard about it lately? What exactly does that mean and what can you do about it? Learn how to navigate the endless amount of information coming to you by being able to define and identify fake news and help your library patrons be better information consumers in the process. The presenter is Andrea Boothby Rice, Public Service Librarian, Queen Anne’s County Library.

Libraries are governed by state privacy laws and guided by their ethical commitment to respect and protect users’ privacy. Today, librarians consider rapidly expanding online service options, opportunities to collect and analyze patron usage data, plus contracts with third-party vendors to provide enhanced or new services. Have we taken adequate precautions and updated our policies and practices to protect users and user data in this complex environment? Do our users have adequate options to protect their privacy? Learn more about patron privacy: state privacy law in Maryland and Delaware; how libraries are updating policies and practices; how best to give users options to opt-in to services that share their data; how vendors can be partners in protecting user data; what to negotiate in contracts; and more. Presenters are Denise Davis, Director Emerita of Cecil County Public Library and MLA President; James LaRue, Director, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom; and Erica Karmes-Jesonis, Technology Services Manager, Cecil County Public Library.

Did you know that 3 of 2016’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books were challenged due to LGBT characters and content? Find out why LGBTQ+ representation in youth literature is important, and how you can identify great LGBTQ+ books for your school or public library collection. Learn how you can support LGBTQ+ youth in your community, including supporting the rights of young library users to access print, non-print, and digital materials. The presenters are Joy Fisher (President, PFLAG of Westminster - Carroll County), Nay Keppler (Children’s Services Librarian, Frederick County Public Libraries – C Burr Artz Branch), Erin Snell (Outreach Services Librarian, Carroll County Public Library), and Hannah Wilkes (Children’s Services Supervisor, Frederick County Public Libraries – Thurmont Branch).