Why take this course: In our online Censorship and Banned Books: Tactics for Defending Intellectual Freedom course, you will learn tangible ways to handle censorship, including tips for finding allies and building coalitions, tactics for creating inclusive programs despite censorship issues, and strategies to ensure your library policies are up to date to help proactively defend intellectual freedom.
Who should take this course:Any librarian or educator who needs support preparing for or dealing with current book bans and curriculum challenges. Whether you’re a frontline staff member or teacher, or a director or school administrator, this course will include proactive information that will give you tactical tools to defend intellectual freedom.
Course Program
Half-Day Online Course: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Led by: Lori Fisher,
State Librarian, Maine
Session 1 | 12:00-12:45 pm ET
Proactive Resistance: Policies, Procedures, and Protocols
Whether you’re preparing for challenges or you’re already dealing with them, this session will give you the practical tools you need to manage censorship. You will learn innovative policy ideas to reduce and resist censorship in your area, as well as strategies for auditing your current practices to ensure they will adequately defend intellectual freedom in your area. You will leave this session with new ideas for streamlined procedures and protocols that you can establish in your library to help you resist book bans and defend the right to read.
Led by: Lisa R. Varga, MLS (she, her)
Executive Director at Virginia Library Association; 2024 Librarian of the Year, Library Journal
Session 2 | 12:45-1:30 pm ET
Stronger Together: Building Community, Coalitions, and Allies
Defending intellectual freedom can’t be the job of just one person. This session will teach you how to find allies inside and outside of your library or school, build coalitions, gain local legislative support, and work as a community to combat censorship challenges. You will leave with shared resources and tools for how to connect with others to drive change in your community.
Session 3 | 1:45-2:30 pm ET
How to Create and Advocate for Inclusivity Despite Censorship
Book challenges and censorship disproportionately target and affect books by and about LBGTQIA+, BIPOC, and other marginalized identities. As a librarian, how can you continue to create and advocate for inclusive programs and collections even and especially when your organization is facing censorship? Hear from a panel of librarians and join the discussion during a facilitated Q&A.
Led by: Hal Patnott, Rainbow Services Librarian and
Cicely Lewis, 2020 SLJ School Librarian of the Year, is the media specialist at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA
Session 4 | 2:30-3:00 pm ET
External Communications: How to Become FOIA and Media Ready
One challenge of censorship issues is knowing when and how to craft external communications. This session will help you know how to address the media as well as how to create systems in your library to ensure you’re ready to address FOIA requests efficiently and effectively.
Led by: Julie M. Milavec, (she, her hers) Library Director, Downers Grove Public Library and Cindy Khatri, Marketing & Communications Manager, Downers Grove Public Library
Led by: Rory Steele, Executive Director, Freedom to Learn Advocates
Session 5 | 3:10-3:50 pm ET
How to Talk about Censorship: Effective Messaging and Rhetoric
Learn how to talk about censorship with patrons and your community in a rhetorically and politically effective way. This session will discuss how best to communicate the value of libraries and frame the conversation around censorship in a way that brings people together in common ground.
Led by:Amanda Jones,
Teacher-Librarian, 2021 SLJ Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 LJ Mover and Shaker, and the 2020 Louisiana School Librarian
of the Year
Session 6 | 3:50-4:30 pm ET
Protecting Yourself Amid Censorship and Defamation Attacks
Too often, librarians and educators are being publicly targeted by people attempting to advance censorship. This session will teach you how to protect yourself online from doxxing and other harassment. You will also learn strategies for setting and maintaining boundaries, advocating for yourself in the workplace, and prioritizing wellness through rest and connection to others through affinity groups.
Offer Details
Purchase one seat to any of our Spring 2024 courses and receive 50% off the price of one seat to a Fall 2024 online course.
Interested in learning more strategies to deal with conflict? Register for Managing Conflict with Colleagues and Patrons starting November 12.
Why take this course: Learn the foundational strategies for engaging with conflict at work, both internally with colleagues and externally with patrons. You will learn tenets of cultural humility regarding language, as well as de-escalation techniques and how to assess your own communication and conflict styles in order to bring self-awareness into all situations.
Who should attend: This course is geared toward public-facing librarians and staff; however, all levels of librarians, including managers and directors, will benefit from learning how to manage conflict.
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