Charles Brownstein, CBLDF’s Executive Director, was elected President of The Freedom to Read Foundation during their annual meeting last week in New Orleans. A prolific public speaker on Free Expression and comics, Brownstein also serves as the chair of the Banned Books Week Coalition, as a board member of the Media Coalition, an organization representing the First Amendment rights of content producing industries, and on the steering committee of SPX, the United States’ premiere event for independent cartooning, comics and graphic novels.
Brownstein says, “The Freedom to Read Foundation is the library profession’s voice in the First Amendment. We go to court, monitor legislation, and speak out on behalf of libraries in legal cases that matter. For those of us who believe in Free Expression, being a participant is more important than ever. I’m honored to do my part to aid the Freedom to Read Foundation in making a meaningful impact in shaping today’s First Amendment environment. I hope you will too by joining the FTRF today.”
To see who else was elected, check out the full press release from FTRF below. To read about this year’s additions to FTRF Board of Trustees, see CBLDF’s coverage from May – Calvin Reid Comics Advocate and Journalist Joins Freedom to Read Foundation.
Freedom to Read Foundation Announces Elected Officers to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees
For Immediate Release
Tue, 06/26/2018
Contact:
Yumeka Brown
Program Officer
Freedom to Read Foundation
312-280-4223
ybrown@ala.org
Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) trustees and staff are excited to announce the results of the 2018 election of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. Newly elected executive committee members began their new roles at the conclusion of the Freedom to Read Foundation annual meeting in New Orleans. Please join us in congratulating the following:
President:
Charles Brownstein, Executive Director, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Portland, Oregon
Vice President:
Emily Knox, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Information Sciences, Champaign, Illinois
Treasurer:
Mario Gonzalez, Executive Director, Passaic Public Library, Passaic, New Jersey
Executive Committee Members:
Robert P. Holley, Professor Emeritus, Wayne State University, School of Information Sciences, Detroit, Michigan
Valerie Nye, Library Director, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
About the Freedom to Read Foundation
The Freedom to Read Foundation is a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association. FTRF was created in 1969 with the following purpose; promoting and protecting the freedom of speech and of the press; protecting the public’s right of access to information and materials stored in the nation’s libraries; safeguarding libraries’ right to disseminate all materials contained in their collections; and supporting libraries and librarians in their defense of First Amendment rights by supplying them with legal counsel or the means to secure it.
The Freedom to Read Foundation is managed by a board of 15 trustees, 11 elected and four ex officio. Terms are two years, and board members may serve two terms. Trustees meet twice a year in conjunction with ALA Midwinter and Annual meetings.
Visit us at www.ftrf.org to learn more.