Librarians emerge as first responders in t he fight for democracy and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know\, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities.
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In Texas\, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQI
A+ stories &ndash\; triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an un
precedented rate. As tensions escalate\, librarians connect the dots from
heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underp
innings of extremism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harass
ment\, threats\, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work &ndash\; the l
ibrarians&rsquo\; rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionar
y tale.
About the Panelists:
\nEmily O'Neil has b een a member of the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee (OIFC) since Oct ober 2020\, and served as Chair of the OIFC from 2021-2024. \; During her tenure with the OIFC\, Emily has been a champion supporter of intellec tual freedom\, supporting libraries against book challenges across the sta te including drafting written statements\, attending board meetings and sp eaking out in support of intellectual freedom\, as well as offering traini ngs to school and library districts\, at library conferences\, and within a variety of community organizations. When not championing for intellectua l freedom rights\, Emily enjoys teaching dance or spending time outdoors h iking\, snowboarding\, rock climbing and paddle boarding with her husband and two dogs.
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April Witteveen has been a librarian in Central Oregon for over 20 years. She believes in the power of libraries t o change lives\, every day\, in ways both big and small. April loves spend ing time outside with her family and is an avid crafter\; her current book recommendation is the graphic novel &ldquo\;Persepolis&rdquo\; by the lat e Marjane Satrapi. She recently was awarded the OSU-Cascade's inaugural Be acon of Hope Impact Award for advancing mental health.
\nQuestions? Contact lizg@deschuteslibrary.o rg \;
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