Lists values that should underpin librarians' work: stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, privacy, rationalism, commitment to literacy and learning, unfettered access to recorded knowledge and information, and democracy. Discusses how these values should be used to shape a vision of the future library, a "library as a place" that challenges…

Reviews legal rulings related to student evaluation of faculty (SEF), their implications, and assumptions with regard to accuracy and psychometric validity when SEF is integral to the denial of academic freedom, tenure, promotion, and reappointment. The legal principles of Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact are considered in relation to SEF.…

Presents elements of democratic political theory to advance an interpretation of principled student activism on campuses as citizen-engagement and an opportunity for hands-on citizenship education. Describes a brief scenario of campus dissent to illustrate democratic aims, processes, and underlying principles. Offers implications for…

The Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois, Chicago is a high-visibility urban-policy research center that is sometimes drawn into controversial issues. University leadership must defend academic freedom vigorously, but that freedom cannot be used indiscriminately for faculty pronouncements; faculty and administrators must ensure…

Describes a program (initiated by the Independent Journalism Foundation) to introduce high school newspapers and "fact-based" journalism to students in Eastern Europe to help establish a free press in those countries. Notes the personal connections established between Eastern European students and teachers and students in the United…

These articles address the core values of librarianship, focusing on democracy and public libraries; equity of access to information, including building collections, circulation policies, interlibrary loan, and intellectual property and licensing; intellectual freedom, including rating systems for various media; and library service in the light of…

Presents a lesson for secondary students where they learn about the historical forces that have shaped the U.S. Constitution through the amendment process, examine the constitutional amending process, and discuss the freedoms of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment. Includes three student handouts. (CMK)

Outlines the role of faculty and issues that need to be addressed early on if large-scale distance education is going to be successful. Discusses academic freedom; intellectual property; training; compensation; and royalties and revenue sharing. Notes the importance of active involvement by faculty in shaping the university of the future. (AEF)

Asks to what degree should social studies preservice teachers be prepared to deal with academic freedom issues? Argues that preparing students for citizenship can involve teachers in controversial issues and challenges to curriculum content. Reports that methods professors agreed that preservice teachers should be required to investigate academic…

Used cases of democratic and non-democratic governmental systems and freedom of speech to investigate 6- to 11-year-olds' notions of political fairness and democracy. Found that political fairness concepts were applied at all ages to evaluate governmental systems and reject non-democratic alternatives. Older children were more likely than younger…

A high-school English teacher deplores barking-media sound bites of politicians pretending to resolve complex educational problems with one-dimensional "solutions." Highlighting specific classroom learning situations, he ponders three paradoxes: justice is not necessarily fair; freedom comes with limits; and clarity comes through…

Examines how libraries can encourage and increase youth access to information. Discusses the role of the school library media center; law, illegal information, and censorship; parental rights; information policy; and promoting youth access before a challenge occurs in the library. (AEF)

"Rosenberger" prohibits public colleges and universities from discriminating against religious viewpoints in their allocation of student activities funds that are equally available to other groups. The Supreme Court decision also extends the range of facilities equally available to student religious organizations for free-speech…

The Supreme Court, in "Rosenberger," ruled against the University of Virginia when it denied student newspapers with religious perspectives equal access to student activities funds. Discusses decisions by all the courts and implications for future changes in the legal standard by which cases involving public assistance for religious…

"Rosenberger" revises Establishment Clause jurisprudence in several aspects: (1) ends "Lemon versus Kurtzman" as a main precedent; (2) alters First Amendment law by holding that government efforts to treat religious speech differently amounts to discrimination against people based on their "viewpoint"; and (3)…