School of Information Studies (iSchool) Associate Professor of Practice and Senior Associate Dean Barbara Stripling has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF). She will begin her term in June after the organization’s annual meeting in New Orleans.
FTRF is a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association (ALA). It was created in 1969 with the purpose of promoting and protecting the freedom of speech and of the press; protecting the public’s right of access to information and materials stored in the nation’s libraries; safeguarding libraries’ right to disseminate all materials contained in their collections; and supporting libraries and librarians in their defense of First Amendment rights by supplying them with legal counsel or the means to secure it.
“The Foundation defends our First Amendment rights to access and express ideas and information freely,” said Stripling, “And I am honored to serve on the FTRF Board and take an active role in strengthening those rights for all.”
Stripling, who served as president of the ALA from 2013 to 2014, has been dedicated to intellectual freedom throughout her professional career, from serving as a high school librarian, library administrator, and educator to serving on the Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. During her tenure as ALA President, she established two intellectual freedom initiatives with national impact: The Declaration for the Right to Libraries and the ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
The FTRF is managed by a board of 15 trustees who serve for two years. Trustees meet twice a year in conjunction with the Midwinter and Annual meetings of the ALA.
Stripling, who has served on the iSchool faculty since 2012, will retire from her full-time position at Syracuse University this summer. In addition to this board membership, Stripling will also serve as a part-time adjunct instructor and course coordinator for the iSchool’s Library and Information Science program.