NCLA Intellectual Freedom Committee

•  Upcoming Events
•  Past Committee-Sponsored Events

Upcoming Events

Next Committee Meeting:
Wed. April 16, 2008, 10 AM - 11:30 AM.
Location: Merrick Public Library, Merrick Ave, one block south of Sunrise Highway.
Please join us as we finalize plans regarding our Essay Contest, Barnes & Noble reception, and Long Island Library Conference program. New members welcome!

Program:  "Fourth Annual Essay Contest"
Date: Begins March 3, 2008
Computers are everywhere and important to the functioning of libraries today. The Contest this year gives you the opportunity to answer the following question:
How has the Computer Impacted Your Freedom to Read?
Click here for the .pdf entry form

Program: Reception for Winners of Freedom to Read Essay Contest
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Country Glen Center, 91 Old Country Rd., Carle Place
The Intellectual Freedom Committee of NCLA invites you to attend our reception and hear the contest winners read their essays. Light refreshments will be available.

Program: "POETRY OVER POLITICS: VOICES OF OUR LONG ISLAND POET LAUREATES"
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2008
Time: 2:25 - 3:30 PM
Location: 2008 Long Island Library Conference, Crest Hollow Country Club, Emerald Room II
How are Poet Laureates selected in Nassau and Suffolk Counties? What political pressures and other factors play a role outside of literary merit? Following a discussion of the above issues, our current Poet Laureates will read from their poetry and suggests ways of promoting poetry and local poets within your libraries and communities.

Speakers:  Dr. David Axelrod, Poet Laureate, Suffolk County
                  Paula Camacho, Poet, Farmingdale Poetry Group
                  Frank McKenna, Director, Island Trees Public Library
                  Maxwell Wheat, Poet Laureate, Nassau County

Sponsors:   Intellectual Freedom Committee/NCLA
                  Intellectual Freedom Committee/SCLA
                  Long Island Coalition Against Censorship

Arrangers:   Jeffrey Feinsilver, Chairperson, Intellectual Freedom Committee/NCLA
                  and Frank McKenna

Past Commitee-Sponsored Events

2007

Program:  "A Celebration of Books and Reading "  (0.2 CEU)
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2007
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Nassau Library System - Andrew Geddes Meeting Room
Cost: Free to members of NCLA, SCLA and affiliated groups; $10 to others
What book has made a special impact in your life? How and why? You are encouraged to share your views with other attendees and to read aloud your favorite passage or passages.

Program:  "Third Annual Essay Contest"
Date: March 8 through April 9, 2007
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Barnes & Noble - Carle Place
The contest this year gives you the opportunity to answer the following question: Which book have you enjoyed that makes you appreciate the freedom to read?

2006

Program:  "Social Networks in Libraries:  Nuisance, Menace or Opportunity"  (0.2 CEU)
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2006
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location:  Nassau Community College (Garden City) --Tower Building, Rm 1208
Online social networks such as MySpace and FaceBook have grown explosively among library users under 25 years of age.  What are the social, legal, economic outgrowths of this trend?  Should libraries embrace or restrict access to these services?
Speakers & Program Details (PDF)

"It's Not There?  It's Not Fair!" Essay Contest
March 18 through April 19, 2006
Answer the question "What would you do if your favorite materials were removed from the library?" in one or two pages. Each age group winner will receive a bookstore gift card.
Contest closed. Thank you to all that participated.

2005

"Let Freedom Read" Essay Contest
March 10 through April 8, 2005
Answer the question "What does the Freedom to Read Mean to Me?" in one or two pages. Each age group winner will receive a bookstore gift card.
Sorry, contest closed.

"It Couldn't Happen Here, Could It?"
Intellectual Freedom Battles on Long Island
Friday, April 15, 2005 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Suffolk Community College - Selden Campus, Islip Building, Room 115 Speakers will discuss the PATRIOT Act, the blacklisting of authors, and
the Island Trees book banning case.

Media Consolidation: Effects on Intellectual Freedom
May 4, 2005
11:30 am - 12:35 pm
Long Island Library Conference
Town House Suite, Huntington Town HouseDr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research, Consumer Federation of America will address the issue of media consolidation and what libraries and librarians can do to address this situation.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM COMMITTEE
NASSAU COUNTY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

IN-DEPTH REPORT ON INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM SURVEY
FOR LIBRARY DIRECTORS

BACKGROUND
During the spring of 2001 the Intellectual Freedom Committee determined that a Survey of intellectual freedom issues among ALL Nassau County libraries would provide useful data and direction for the Committee and perhaps support future NCLA policy initiatives. A draft of the Survey was composed over the summer, reviewed and revised by the Committee, and mailed out in October 2001.

WHAT WAS ASKED
Questions focused on two main areas:
1. General Issues
2. Computer Access Issues
Participants were also encouraged to comment on any particular aspects of intellectual freedom that interested them."General Issues" covered "traditional" areas of intellectual freedom. Directors and heads of libraries were asked for the period 1998-2001 if their institutions had experienced censorship-related incidents that required a formal response from themselves, library committees or boards of trustees. If such occurrences had taken place, those filling out the Survey were asked to complete an "incident profile." They were also asked within "General Issues" whether or not written policies were in place to deal with intellectual freedom issues, and if such policies included Computer Access.The "Computer Access" section asked participants whether computer access to users was offered and what types of services were available (e-mail, chat rooms, databases, word processing, full Internet access, etc.). Were there age limits, time periods or other restrictions in place? Participants were asked whether filtering software on user terminals had been installed and to what extent. If filtering software was not in place, were there plans to adopt them in the near future.

SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS:
Number of libraries returning survey: 57 libraries
Academic: 5
Special: 1
Public: 29
School: 22

I. General Issues
A. Intellectual Freedom Incidents, 1998-2001
1. Number of Incidents
Academic/ Special: 0
Public: 8 incidents reported by 5 libraries
School: 6 incidents reported by 6 libraries
2. Incident Profiles
Public: 2 challenges involved books; remaining 6 involved objections to what was judged inappropriate sexual material viewed by children.
School: 1 report referred to "inappropriate, offensive imagery" in well-known novel; details not provided for other incidents.
B. Availability of Written Policies by Libraries Facing Intellectual Freedom
Challenges
Academic/Special: Although none had experienced incidents, 1 library stated that it had a written policy with reference to computer access issues.
Public: 8 libraries reported having a written policy, 6 of them mentioning computer access issues.
School: 9 libraries stated that they had written policies, 4 of them making reference to computer access issues.

II. Computer Access Issues
A. Computer Access for Users
Academic/Special: 5 of 6
Public: 28 of 29
School: 22 of 22
B. Most Frequently Offered Internet and Other Electronic Services
Academic/Special: e-mail, chat rooms, research databases, word processing
Public: e-mail, research databases, word processing
School: word processing, research databases, sound options, other uses
C. Unrestricted Internet Access
Academic/Special: 4 of 5
Public: 18 of 24
School: 1 of 22D. Time and User Age Limits to Computer Use
Academic/Special: 1 had time limits; 0 set age limits, but users must or are assumed to be members of their respective communities.
Public: 24 have time limits (usually 1 hour) with option of longer usage if no patron is waiting. 4 designate age limits at certain terminals, while 4 impose age limits at all terminals.
School: 10 set specific time limits based on class periods, number of students per class, time set on tasks by teachers, etc. 2 set age limits at designated terminals, while 5 set age limits at all terminals.
E. Permit Leisure (Recreational) Use of Internet
Academic/ Special: 3 of 5
Public: 23 of 28
School: 6 of 22
F. Use of Filtering Software
Academic/Special: 0 currently use filters or plan to acquire them within coming year.
Public: 9 currently use filters, and 1 library plans to acquire filtering software within coming year. 8 of these libraries use or plan to use filters at terminals accessible to children. 2 use or plan to use filters on all terminals.
School: 20 currently use filters, and 1 library plans to acquire such software within coming year. 18 use or plan to use filtering at all terminals. 3 use or plan to use filtering only at terminals accessible to children. 1 uses or plans to use filtering primarily for staff use.POST-SURVEY

COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS
Highlighting statistics drawn from the Survey are those concerning computer access and the utilization of filtering software. The document was distributed during a time when libraries were made aware of possible financial sanctions arising from the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
Filtering software is a fact of life in school libraries and is absent from the academic/special sphere. However, the Survey does indicate a trend towards adoption of filters in Nassau's public libraries.
It cannot be ascertained that such leanings were entirely in response to possible legal challenges had CIPA gone into effect this summer. The May 31 ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals instituted a temporary halt pending possible review by the Supreme Court. The result of these deliberations, in particular regarding public libraries and filters, remains to be seen.
What does remain clear is that Nassau County libraries continue to take part in an ongoing saga involving censorship and other First Amendment roadblocks. Failure to meet these challenges with diligence and concern defeats the mission of any public, school, academic and special library.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The body of this In-Depth Report originated with preliminary work compiled by Jeffrey Feinsilver, Wisser Library, New York Institute of Technology. It was given final form by Mr. Feinsilver and members of the Committee: Dr. Robert Berman, Levittown Pubic Library, Trustee (retired)
Mrs. Marilyn Berman, Levittown Public School District (retired)
Mr. Norman Weil, Tobin Library, Molloy CollegeMany thanks to the Committee, and to the following:
To Dr. James Hackshaw, Lakeview Public Library, Trustee (retired), for his contributions towards the construction of the Survey.
To Barbara Neist of the Nassau School Library System for dispersing copies of the Survey to the many school media Specialists within her scope.
To Lisa Paulo and Tracey Simon, past and present Presidents of NCLA, for moral support they tactfully provided during the Survey process.
To fellow members of the NCLA Board for their encouragement.
To Sonya Minkoff and Merrick Library for providing a place for Committee meetings.
To David Cohen and the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship for their positive feedback.
And to all libraries who responded to the Survey.The Committee is at the service of any Nassau library which needs assistance in the name of intellectual freedom!

Sincerely,
Bob Ludemann
Merrick Library
Chair, Intellectual Freedom Committee