Judith Krug
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Judith Fingeret Krug is a United States librarian. She has been the Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom since 1967. She has held the post of Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation since 1969. She received her B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied political theory. In 1964, she earned her M.A. at the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. She has held positions in various Chicago libraries-including Reference Librarian at the John Crerar Library and Head Cataloger at the Northwestern University Dental School Library. Before assuming her present duties in the Office for Intellectual Freedom, Mrs. Krug was the research analyst for the American Library Association. In addition, she also sat on the 2006 panel of judges for the PEN/Newman's Own Award, which recognizes the First Amendment as it applies to the written word.
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[edit] Participation in other organizations
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Mrs. Krug is Vice-President of the Phi Beta Kappa Society[1], chair of the Board of Directors of the Center for Democracy and Technology, chair of The Media Coalition, vice-chair of the Internet Education Foundation, and a member of the Advisory Board of GetNetWise. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Fund for Free Expression, the Board of Directors of the Illinois Division of the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Public Understanding About the Law, and the Advisory Council of the Illinois State Justice Commission.
[edit] Awards and honors
Awards and honors received by Mrs. Krug include the Irita Van Doren Award, presented in 1976 by the American Booksellers Association for her many contributions to the cause of the book as an instrument of culture in American life; the 1976 Harry Kalven Freedom of Expression Award, presented by the American Civil Liberties Union to the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association; the 1978 Robert B. Downs Award for her outstanding contribution to the cause of intellectual freedom in libraries; the 1983 Carl Sandburg "Freedom to Read" Award, presented by the Friends of the Chicago Public Library; the 1984 Open Book Award, presented by the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union; the 1985 President’s Award of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union; the 1990 Intellectual Freedom Award of the Illinois Library Association; the 1994 Ohio Educational Library Media Association/SIRS Award for Intellectual Freedom; the 1995 Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award; and the 1998 Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the library profession.
In May 2005, Mrs. Krug received an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
[edit] Writing and speaking
Mrs. Krug is a noted speaker and author in the area of intellectual freedom; her articles on this subject have appeared in national library and education journals.
[edit] Public policy positions
She has strongly opposed the notion that libraries ought to censor the material that they provide to patrons. She has said: "We know that there are children out there whose parents do not take the kind of interest in their upbringing and in their existence that we would wish, but I don't think censorship is ever the solution to any problem, be it societal or be it the kind of information or ideas that you have access to."
She has particularly opposed the use of filters and other technical measures to restrict Internet sites that can be accessed from library computers. "Blocking material leads to censorship. That goes for pornography and bestiality, too. If you don't like it, don't look at it ... Every time I hear someone say, I want to protect the children, I want to pull my hair out."
She has supported laws and policies protecting the confidentiality of library use records. When a Florida librarian reported to the police, shortly after the 11 September 2001 attacks, that one of the attackers had been using the Delray Beach public library (although Florida law guarantees confidentiality to library patrons), Mrs. Krug was one of the few people to criticize the action, saying "I would have felt better if she had followed the Florida law."
[edit] Critical responses
Groups that favor restricting access to pornography and other content they deem inappropriate have strongly criticised Mrs. Krug's stands on these issues. For example, in The Internet and the Seduction of the American Public Library Helen Chaffee Biehle strongly criticises Krug and the ALA for their positions that librarians should not act as the representatives of parents and society by restricting access to content, particularly for children. [4]
[edit] External links
- Freedom to Read Foundation
- Office for Intellectual Freedom
- American Library Association profile of Krug
- Phi Beta Kappa
- "Intellectual Freedom 2002: Living the Chinese Curse" A Library of Congress "Luminary Lecture" by Judith Krug. (Lecture presented 23 May 2002)
- Krug's Testimony before the "National Research Council Committee to Study Tools and Strategies for Protecting Children from Pornography" on the subject of Internet filters in libraries
- Krug's Testimony before the Commission on Child Online Protection (August 2000)
[edit] Notes
- ^ When interviewed for a PBS program -- see the transcript "Easy Access?", by Spencer Michels, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Aug. 7, 1997.
- ^ Quoted in "Preventing Kids From Seeing Illegal Smut Is Not Unconstitutional; It's Common Sense" by Janet M. LaRue, National Center for Policy Analysis, 2001.
- ^ Quoted in "A Nation Challenged: Questions of Confidentiality; Competing Principles Leave Some Professionals Debating Responsibility to Government", by David E. Rosenbaum, The New York Times, Nov. 23, 2001.
