Monday, April 20, 2009

Ammendment* (for Amendment*)

Judith Krug, the ALA icon who founded the Office for Intellectual Freedom in 1967, died on April 11, 2009. A matchless crusader for freedom of speech, her death has struck many in the library community speechless. Krug was director of the OIF and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation for over forty years. She was also the founder of Banned Books Week and the recipient of numerous awards, most recently including the William J. Brennan Jr. Award for her "remarkable commitment to the marriage of open books and open minds." Krug is often quoted as saying, "Censorship dies in the light of day" and, despite her own passing, will continue to be a beacon of light to all those who cherish the freedoms granted us by the First Amendment. Though it's a paltry gesture in the face of her lifetime achievement, let's honor Judy Krug's memory today by helping improve access to records containing the word amendment*. There are 39 hits on Ammendment* in OhioLINK and too many to count in WorldCat.

(Judith Krug from the website TheCemetery.net.)

Carol Reid

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