The boundaries between various information, entertainment, and communication fields are shifting. The edges between our library systems and communication networks are becoming increasingly fuzzy. These fuzzy edges affect concepts of education, learning, and knowledge. The existing library paradigm does not easily accommodate the new, fluid and…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title in the ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report series. Academic freedom provides the foundation for faculty scholarship and teaching, making it possible for educators to exchange ideas and concepts freely in the classroom, to explore and disseminate new knowledge, and to speak out both…

This report synthesizes the literature and applicable case law concerning academic freedom in higher education and addresses the following issues: (1) popular notions concerning academic freedom; (2) whether academic freedom is a legal right; (3) whether faculty at private institutions have the same rights as faculty in public schools; and (4)…

In 1989, some Springfield, Missouri residents demanded cancellation of the Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) theater department's production of Larry Kramer's play, "The Normal Heart," which they alleged to be obscene. Opponents purchased newspaper advertisements which charged that the publicly funded production promoted a…

Although the First Amendment guarantees the rights of freedom of speech and press, these rights are not absolute. With freedom comes the knowledge that irresponsible action can lead to the regulation of that freedom by others. The courts must balance conflicting rights in cases, such as press coverage of criminal trials, where irresponsible…

To help defuse censorship efforts, this booklet identifies issues and strategies for handling censorship efforts and provides the instructional materials selection policies of two Montana school districts. The booklet also includes sample forms for a citizen requesting reconsideration of materials and for a school media committee's reconsideration…

Intended to act as a general introduction for high school and college students, this book presents an annotated bibliography of books, periodical articles, legal materials, and other documents dealing with the subject of intellectual freedom and censorship. The book is divided into five parts: (1) "The Theoretical Foundations of Censorship…

This book addresses the law-related concerns of school teachers. Much of the data on which the book is based was collected during a four year study, conducted by the American Bar Association with the support of the Ford Foundation. Court cases are cited. Chapter one examines "Tenure." Since tenure gives teachers the right to their jobs,…

Since 1939, legal recognition of the public forum concept has been gradually extended to include the public schools. This expansion of the free speech right has been accompanied by a movement of similar intensity aimed at narrowing the scope of regulatory action that might inhibit First Amendment freedoms. Ultimately, recognition of the public…

The case of Bertell Ollman, who was denied a University of Maryland department chairmanship and who contends it was due to his Marxist beliefs, is described. Ollman is invoking the Fourteenth Amendment to protect his First Amendment rights to free speech and to hold employment regardless of his political convictions. (LBH)

The AAUP 1976 Recommended Insitutuinal Regulations prescribes that "dismissal will not be used to restrain faculty members in their exercise of academic freedom or other rights of American citizens." Constitutional freedoms, professional accountability, AAUP case reports, the Angela Davis case, and court decisions are discussed. (LBH)

States that academic freedom is probably better described today as a protected interest rather than a right. Offers a set of policy guidelines for handling censorship efforts. Includes a sample statement of policy on the selection and reconsideration of instructional materials. (JDH)

Explores value conflicts and ethical dilemmas arising from the more substantive role required of the academic librarian by technological developments. Discussion focuses on the interactions of social values, values of professional librarianship, and personal values of the librarian and the user, with the ethical requirements inherent in…

This article examines the interrelated legal and scientific nature of the creationism controversy. It discusses "McLean vs. Arkansas Board of Education" and analyzes current tactics used by creationists, concluding that they are constitutionally impermissible. An approach is proposed that balances First Amendment interests with the need…

This paper is a presentation, in outline form, of the development of the "quasi-nonpublic forum," where cases involving student free speech push the envelope of what is acceptable under Constitutional law and what is appropriate/acceptable student behavior under constraints set by school regulations. Context is set by presenting court…