Intellectual Freedom and its Discontents

Intellectual freedom is very frequently held to be a fundamental value of librarianship. Because of its importance, librarians must be able to define it theoretically and practically in order to completely understand what it means so that it can be defended in practice. Collections, access, and services are all affected by how we define this freedom. Intellectual freedom is not simple in either principle or practice.

about the course

​Program Goals and Objectives, and Corresponding Assignments
Objective 1: Students apply knowledge of the foundations of the profession, including its history, ethical issues, values and foundational principles of librarianship.
Assessment: All assignments for this course examine facets of intellectual freedom, including its history (assignments 2 &3), theory (assignment 1), collections, access and services (discussion boards, assignment 4).
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Readings

Readings: 
  • Lewis, Anthony. Freedom for the Thought We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment. New York: Basic Books, 2007.
  • Warburton, Nigel. Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Additional readings are in the syllabus and are available through MU’s Ellis Library’s databases.

Assignments, in brief

1. Offensive Words:
Librarians need to understand different points of view, including the idea that most people have limits to the ideas, acts, or things that they are able to tolerate. This practical exercise will require you to consider the roots for moral, aesthetic, etc., reasons for offense - so it is essentially an exercise in tolerance. 

2. Challenging Freedom of Expression:
Lewis discusses a number of cases in chapters 1 - 3 that challenged "Freedom of Expression" as defined in the First Amendment. These are cases that shaped our modern interpretation of this fundamental American right. Choose one of the cases that he discusses. Next, locate two articles from law journals that discuss the case. Try to find opposing viewpoints. 

3. Suspending Freedom of the Press During Wartime
Freedom of the press is often suspended during times of war. This paper will require you to examine this during one war - either in the U.S. or abroad. Discuss what type of information was suppressed, how it was suppressed, public perception, and propaganda as applicable.
You can get creative with your findings for this assignment. You can either write a formal paper or create a multimedia project.

​4. Group Project:

During the last four weeks of class, you will be working in a small group (2 - 4 people). Each group will be assigned a book that covers an aspect of intellectual freedom, but you will be able to choose the area that you want to study, such as technology, children, history, or art. 


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