Dr. Emily Knox, Assistant Professor at UIUC’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science, is collaborating with the Freedom to Read Foundation, and with support from the Web-Based Information Science Education Consortium, to teach an online course covering censorship and intellectual freedom. The course, titled “Intellectual Freedom and Censorship”, is open to any student enrolled in a library and information science degree program. (This is the third year that Dr. Knox has taught the class, although this is the first time it has been open to non-GSLIS students.) It will meet once a week, on Tuesdays, beginning August 23 and ending October 11. Students who complete it will receive two credit hours, although those not enrolled in programs affiliated with the WISE Consortium will need to check with their own institutions, regarding how the credit will transfer. To draw participants who do not attend GSLIS, the Freedom to Read Foundation will offer four scholarships of $700 to cover half the cost of the course.
Earlier this year, Dr. Knox was chosen as the WISE Instructor of the Year. She was recognized for her outstanding instruction in the Fall, 2015, offering of Intellectual Freedom and Censorship. The class was originally developed by Knox in collaboration with the FTRF, including financial backing from the organization’s Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund. As part of this fall’s online offering, FTRF staff and volunteers will serve as guest presenters, and students will have access to archival materials from the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
For more information on the course, including instructions for LIS students who might be interested in registering, go here. To see the announcement of Dr. Knox X’s being named WISE Instructor of the Year, click here. Congratulations, Dr. Knox!