GSLIS, FTRF announce intellectual freedom course and scholarship opportunities

GSLIS and the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) are pleased to announce a partnership to offer an online graduate-level course on intellectual freedom for library and information science (LIS) students around the country. The course, in its third year, will be taught by GSLIS Assistant Professor Emily Knox, who was awarded a 2015 Instructor of the Year award by the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) consortium for the course. It is a project of the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund.

“Intellectual Freedom and Censorship” is a two-credit course that will meet online Tuesdays August 23-October 11, 2016. It is open to any student enrolled in an LIS degree program. As part of the collaboration, FTRF staff and volunteers will lend their expertise as guest speakers, and FTRF and ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) archival materials will be made available to students.

“Our culture is at a tipping point, a shift in its tolerance for the First Amendment. It is imperative that today’s library students have a deep and thoughtful exposure to the value of free speech. And who better to receive it from than the 2015 WISE instructor of the year?” said James LaRue (MS '81), director of OIF and FTRF.

“I’m excited to teach the intellectual freedom and censorship class again this Fall,” said Knox. “The course is one of the highlights of my semester. I, like the students, enjoy listening and learning from our weekly speakers and I love our spirited class discussions.”

To encourage students outside the University of Illinois to participate, FTRF is offering four half-scholarships ($700 each). Applications for the scholarships are due May 2, 2016.

Students enrolled in programs affiliated with the WISE consortium will be provided course credit automatically upon completion of the course. Others will need to coordinate course credit with their home institution.

For more information and questions regarding registration, contact Karla Lucht, graduate studies advisor at GSLIS, by email or at (217) 244-3810, or contact staff at the Freedom to Read Foundation at FTRF@ALA.org or (312) 280-4226.

Tags:
Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Library Trends "Seventieth Anniversary Celebration" now available

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to announce the publication of Library Trends 71 (2). This issue, "Seventieth Anniversary Celebration Issue of Library Trends: Influence, Reach, Visibility, and Engagement," reflects the international contributions the journal has made to the field of library and information science.

Library Trends 71

Capshaw to deliver 2024 Gryphon Lecture

Katharine Capshaw, professor of English and associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Connecticut, will deliver the 2024 Gryphon Lecture on March 21. Sponsored annually by the Center for Children's Books (CCB), the lecture features a leading scholar in the field of youth and literature, media, and culture.

Katharine Capshaw

Campus-community partnership launches new maker-in-residence program

A new program co-led by the Champaign-Urbana Community (CUC) Fab Lab aims to bridge and enhance the creative capabilities of local maker communities. The Champaign County Community (CCC) Maker-in-Residence Program was recently awarded a $29,293 grant through the Campus-Community Compact to Accelerate Social Justice initiative in the Office of Public Engagement.

Cu Community Fab Lab

Kato joins recruitment and admission team

Todd Kato joined the iSchool on January 29 as a senior admissions and records manager. In this position, he will develop and implement innovative programs and processes for admission and records management across all the School's degree programs.

Todd Kato

Cross joins the Research Services team

Julia Cross joined the iSchool in January as a research development coordinator. In her position, she supports faculty during different stages of the research process, helps identify funding sources and pair researchers with specific solicitations, monitors compliance with different research protocols, and provides support to programs such as Scholars in Residence, research fellowships, and the student research experience. 

Julia Cross