Nominations Sought for IFRT Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award

The ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) is seeking nominations for the inaugural Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award.  The award will be presented, along with the Immroth Award, atIFRT’s 40^th Anniversary Celebration, to be held on Friday, June 28, 2013, in conjunction with

the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.                                

The deadline for nominations is Monday, May 13, 2013.  The nomination form can be found at http://www.ala.org/ifrt/awardsfinal/hodges/hodges. 

The Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award will recognize an Intellectual Freedom focused organization that has developed a strong multi-year, ongoing program or a single, one-year project that exemplifies support for Intellectual Freedom, patron confidentiality and anti-censorship efforts. ALAChapters (state, regional, and student), Divisions, Round Tables and Affiliates (including division affiliates) will be eligible for the award.

The award consists of a citation and $1,000 from the ALA Gerald Hodges Fund, established following Hodges’ death in 2006.

Gerald Hodges joined the ALA staff in 1989 as director of membership services and the Chapter Relations Office.  At his death in 2006, he was the associate director of communications and marketing, but his passion was still Intellectual Freedom and Chapter Relations.  A charter member of the ALA Legacy Society, Hodges willed a portion of his estate to support ALA's intellectual freedom efforts. Memorial contributions in recognition of Hodges came from many friends, colleagues and ALA chapters following the establishment of the Gerald Hodges Fund.

ALA’s use of this Fund to support this award commemorates Hodges’s twin passions for intellectual freedom and the powerful capabilities of ALA’s chapters.  The award takes the place of the IFRT State and Regional Intellectual Freedom Achievement Award, which from 1984–2009 was given to the most innovative and effective intellectual freedom project covering a state or region.  

Nominations and supporting evidence for the Gerald Hodges Intellectual Freedom Chapter Relations Award must be received by May 13, 2013.  Nominations and supporting evidence should be sent via email, fax, or mail to: Shumeca Pickett, ALA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Fax: 312-280-4227. E-mail: spickett@ala.org.  Questions? Call 312-280-4220 or 800-545-2433, ext. 4220.

Information on all IFRT intellectual awards can be found at http://www.ala.org/ifrt/awardsfinal.

Amnesty International USA receives the 2013 John Philip Immroth Memorial Award

The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) announces that Amnesty International USA is the recipient of the 2013 John Philip Immroth Memorial Award.

Amnesty International USA has supported intellectual freedom for 52 years.

“Of special recognition is Amnesty International’s approach to Banned Books Week, said Immroth Award Chair Charles Kratz. Rather than focusing on book censorship, per se, Amnesty International’s approach focused on the logical consequences that would follow when governments are allowed to censor. Beyond the removal or burning of books comes the removal and physical harm to authors, journalists and others.

This year’s award will be presented at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. In celebrating the 40th anniversary, IFRT will also celebrate our first chair of the Round Table, John Phillip Immroth (1973–1974). Come join the IFRT from 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2013 at the magnificent Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St. at Michigan Ave., Chicago) for the celebration. Refreshments, including signature cocktails, will be served.

The John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award honors intellectual freedom fighters in and outside the library profession who have demonstrated remarkable personal courage in resisting censorship. The award consists of $500 and a citation. Individuals, a group of individuals or an organization are eligible for the award. The award was first presented in 1976.

Tickets for the celebration are $30 for IFRT members and $40 for non-members. To purchase a ticket, just visit http://ala13.ala.org and go through the Annual Conference registration site. If you already have registered for the Annual Conference, you can just add this ticketed event. Note: if you do not want to attend the rest of the conference, you can purchase tickets just for this event. Just begin the registration process and then select “Ticketed Events.”

Proceeds from the 40th anniversary celebration will go to increase the endowment of the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award.  You can help. Your event sponsorship donation of $100, $250 or $500 will help to continue this prestigious award for many years to come. The bulk of your sponsorship donation is tax-deductible. To become a sponsor of the IFRT 40^th anniversary celebration, contact Shumeca Pickett at spickett@ala.org or (312) 280-4220.