Judith Krug, the librarian who was responsible for founding Banned Book Week, died this past Saturday in Evanston, IL. at the age of 69.
Throughout the years, Krug has been a proponent of First Amendment rights for The American Library Association. She even fought to have books that she herself found offensive to be stocked on library shelves, such as The Blue Book from the ultraconservative John Birch Society.
In a 1972 interview with the New York Times, Krug said that "My personal proclivities have nothing to do with how I react as a librarian. Library service in this country should be based on the concept of intellectual freedom, of providing all pertinent information so a reader can make decisions for himself."
2 comments:
As a member of the ALA, I'm truly saddened by the loss of such an ally. I do hope that we can continue on with Ms. Krug's good fight.
Anon--- I agree with you. And you can tell Krug was really dedicated to what she was doing, especially since she pushed for libraries to stock books that she herself found offensive.
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