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RESEARCH GUIDES

Intellectual Freedom

A guide to how various types of libraries uphold principles of intellectual freedom.

  • Navigate to the "advanced search" settings of your preferred browser. Select the option to search by site domain and narrow results to those published on .gov sites in order to get information directly from federal, state, and county governments
  • State-level policies: 
    • Search terms: "[State] Department of Education"
  • County-level policies: 
    • Search terms: "[County] Public Schools" AND "Policies OR procedures OR regulations"
  • Boards of Education: 
    • Search terms: "[County] Board of Education" AND "Policies OR procedures OR guidelines"
  • Maryland Public Information Act
    • Entitles members of the public to access government records "without unnecessary cost and delay" 
    • Search terms: "PIA request [county and state]"
  • Other important keywords:
    • Library/ School Library/ Media Center / Library Media (different school districts use different terms)
    • Selection / Evaluation / Deselection / Removal AND committees
    • Instructional Materials / Resources 
  • Engage in lateral reading (consult multiple reliable sources to confirm information)
    • Visit "about" pages of publications to assess what biases they might have
    • Research authors' credentials
  • Ask yourself: 
    • What is the purpose of this document? 
    • When was it published? Is the information contained within it still accurate?
    • Does the author cite other credible sources? 
  • Brush up on data literacy
    • Question the methodology behind the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of any data 
  • Beware hyperbolic, provocative language and images
  • Rumors can be valuable sources of information; evaluate them as you would any other source
  • Consider your own biases
  • Stay informed of relevant federal, state, and school laws and policies
  • Know your rights in the workplace
  • Get to know your school librarian/ media specialist
  • Report censorship
  • Get administrative decisions in writing. For example, if administrators require you to remove a specific book or books on specific themes from your classroom without those materials having gone through a formal reconsideration process, follow up with an email documenting that request. This information will then be accessible through a PIA request. 
  • Access Open Educational Resources (OER) for lesson plans, reading suggestions, and assignments related to book challenges and intellectual freedom
  • Know relevant federal, state, and school law and policies
  • Vote in local elections for Board of Education members
    • Learn about candidates' platforms using resources such as Vote 411 and attending pre-election debates/forums
  • Contact decision makers
  • Contact local media (and support local journalism through subscriptions to local newspapers)
  • Attend (and speak at) Board of Education meetings
  • Collaborate with other intellectual freedom advocates through grassroots organizing 
  • Be judicious about social media interactions
    • Exercise information literacy skills before resharing information