Online Intellectual Freedom Blog criteria

Assignment directions:

Keep an online Intellectual Freedom blog, diary, wiki or web page, creating at least one entry per week to reflect your awareness of intellectual freedom issues. Entries may be reflections on IF issues reported in class or in the news; or about something you’ve read on an IF forum; or perhaps you decide to read a banned book during the week, and report on that. The purpose of the blog is to keep you thinking about the topic when you’re outside of class, and to keep yourself versed on the issues.

So listed above are the directions for writing and maintaining this blog...I like that we have a lot of leeway with this assignment but then again, all that freedom sorta makes me run wild, directionless in the face of so many potential directions. Yes, the irony has been duly noted.

All week, my mind has been racing, trying to come up with a super witty and well formed entry that will just blow the socks off readers of blogs dedicated to IF in libraries...so many choices, so many options, everywhere I look I keep coming across potential topics. For example, in the current issue of the ALA magazine "American Libraries," I suddenly noticed the section entitled to Censorship Watch. I've been a member of ALA and reading the magazine for over two years now but somehow my eyes and mind just glazed over that section. Sure, I read it but I wasn't really thinking about the greater issues of intellectual freedom and censorship in libraries.

It's like someone flipped on the lights and I can see questions and issues related to IF and censorship everywhere! Ah, the beauty of gaining new knowledge...I love that initial thrill of diving into a new topic. It's almost like the rush I get when I start a new fiction book or the exciting get-to-know-you period when starting a new relationship. So I guess it's official, my love affair with IF has begun.

Stay tuned for another episode of The Young and the Restless Librarian...Did I mention my maiden name is Young? I think all this freedom has gone to my head faster that a dirty double martini. Suddenly, I'm thirsty!