Global Issues and Local Action: The Rights to Intellectual Freedom and Information Access, and What That Means for U.S. Libraries

Abstract

Discussions regarding intellectual freedom, censorship, and information access are nothing new. The explosive rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the almost instantaneous connections that can be and are formed from opposite sides of the world, between individuals with no prior contact and perhaps little in common besides access to communication devices, lead to the necessity to reevaluate how we view intellectual freedom and information access as human rights, particularly as rights that enable democratic growth. Are these rights universal, or are they merely cultural imperatives – and how should the distinction determine our actions as librarians? How vital are rights to intellectual freedom and information access in the creation and maintenance of democratic societies? What can we learn from recent events, particularly the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the Occupy Wall Street movement?  Finally, how can libraries and librarians in the United States act locally – both politically and practically – to foster these freedoms globally?