Maine Intellectual Freedom Award

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Maine Intellectual Freedom Award

Annual SIRS Award Nominations Sought.
The Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) of the Maine Library Association/Maine Educational Media Association seeks nominations for the Maine Intellectual Freedom Award. This is an annual award recognizing the contribution of a group or individual who has actively promoted intellectual freedom in Maine. It is donated by SIRS, Inc., to a recipient selected by the IFC.

The award consists of:

• $500 to the award recipient
• $500 for material to the library of the recipient's choice
• A plaque to the recipient commemorating the award

The award will be presented at the annual Maine Libraries conference in October. It will only be given in a year when an appropriate individual or organization is nominated.

Criteria for Selection

Any individual or organization who is actively promoting intellectual freedom in Maine is eligible for the MLA/MEMA ~ SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award. Current IFC members will not be considered for this award.

Intellectual freedom is defined by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association for Education Communications and Technology (AECT) as the freedom to express one's beliefs or ideas through any mode of communication, and the right of unrestricted access to all information and ideas regardless of the medium of communication.

The Library Bill of Rights (ALA) and the AECT Intellectual Freedom Statement offer expanded explanations of practices which are supported by these professional associations to promote intellectual freedom. These documents will be considered very carefully as decisions are made concerning the MLA/MEMA ~ SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award.

Nominees for the award will be judged on the role they have played in actively promoting intellectual freedom through their efforts to protect First Amendment rights, challenge censorship, or otherwise resist abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.

Although the committee will accept even a small paragraph as a nomination, supporting documentation is encouraged. Examples of helpful supporting documentation include:

• Newspaper articles or editorials
• Text of speeches or testimony
• Brochures of workshop or conference sessions
• Letters of recommendation
• Relevant policies or procedures

Anyone in Maine may make a nomination regardless of their profession or affiliation.

Direct any questions regarding the award or other committee activities to one of the IFC Co-Chairs at the following addresses:

MLA: Wendy Miller, co-chair Charles M. Baily Public Library 39 Bowdoin Street Winthrop, ME 04364 Tel: 377-8673/Fax: 377-8673 MASL: Kelley McDaniel, co-chair King Middle School, Portland

Past Recipients