Censorship and Banned Books: Tactics for Defending Intellectual Freedom

Half-day online course 

Time Commitment: Approximately 4 hours

The last few years have seen a drastic uptick in book bans and curriculum challenges. As a librarian, teacher, administrator, or trustee, it can be difficult to know your options for managing these challenges and advocating for intellectual freedom and diverse educational materials. This course will focus on proactive preparation to ensure you are set up for success. Live sessions will be available on-demand.

In this half-day online course, you will learn tangible ways to handle censorship, including tips for finding allies and building coalitions, tactics for school board meetings, and strategies to  ensure your library policies are up to date and will appropriately defend intellectual freedom. We’ll discuss best practices for engaging and educating stakeholders in your organization to ensure everyone is equipped with appropriate responses and prepared when challenges arise. 

Learning Outcomes

After you leave this course, you should have the ability to:

• Advocate for your programs, curricula, collections, and services

• Conduct a policy audit and ensure your protections are up to date and comprehensive

• Make a plan to find allies and build coalitions to support you

• Access resources and communities dealing with similar challenges

• Develop and refer to talking points and best practices for speaking at school board meetings and connecting with stakeholders and community members

• Create a plan for how to cope and take care of yourself in the midst of challenges

View more information about the day's sessions and speakers, but be sure to register through CALL.

CALL Training Partner for this Event: Library Journal

*Please note that access information for this learning event will be sent by Library Journal, the provider of this learning event, shortly before the start date.