Prepared for Pride

Pride month displays, programming, and materials with LGBTQ content have been heavily targeted by groups attempting to dismantle, deface, or completely remove them. Librarians and library workers in academic and special libraries, or those who identify as LGBTQ, have also faced challenges in their workplace. In this webinar, ALA OIF and Freedom to Read Foundation staff will share experiences and strategies supporting LGBTQ materials, programs, and displays for pride month and beyond.

Outcomes:

• Attendees will learn ways to maintain their collection and support Pride Month exhibits and programming.
• Attendees will learn practical preparation and safety considerations to keep the library a welcoming place for patrons, staff, and presenters.
• Attendees will learn advocacy and outreach tools to help them respond to challenges of all types throughout the year.

Presenters

Joyce McIntosh is the Assistant Program Director for the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), an organization dedicated to First Amendment education, litigation, and advocacy. She has worked at the intersection of intellectual freedom, communication, and the First Amendment for three decades. Her background and education in journalism and library and information science have led her to work for newspapers, non-profits, and for the last two decades in libraries. She worked in a public library outside of Chicago, IL providing reference, programming, outreach, and assistive technology before joining FTRF. With FTRF and the American Library Association, her work has focused on education about the First Amendment and censorship and helping librarians navigate challenges in their school and public libraries.

Eric Stroshane is the Office for Intellectual Freedom's (OIF) Assistant Director of Member Services. He has twenty years of experience working in public, special, and academic libraries. At OIF he directly supports school and library professionals defending the freedom to read; maintains the database of banned and challenged materials; assists with publications; and curates a weekly news compilation for ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Blog. He was the news editor for the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and is a former president of the Mountain Plains Library Association. He has delivered training and presentations on intellectual freedom issues to a variety of audiences nationwide.