Pat Schroeder will speak at this year's Julie J. Boucher Memorial Lecture on Intellectual Freedom

Since 1997, the Julie J. Boucher Memorial Lecture series has provided a showcase for speakers on intellectual freedom for the Colorado library community. This year, Pat Schroeder has been selected as the "Julie" speaker.

Schroeder says:

"These are the times that try publishers' souls! The First Amendment is the main pillar of America's vibrant publishing industry. 'Speech should be FREE' is our cry. Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows the government to ask libraries and bookstores what their patrons are reading and buying. Having Big Brother looking over your shoulder as you read certainly places a major chill on 'free speech.' The digital age created groups defining 'free speech' in a new, novel, but devastating way, for creators of intellectual property.

Publishers are trustees for authors. Authors like to be paid. The digital age promises everyone 'free' access to any author's works. This is a different definition of 'free' than the definition for the First Amendment, but people don't want to hear that. You don't have to be a politician to know which side of the argument is the easiest to debate!

How to balance rights in the emerging digital age is a challenge to us all. We want privacy, First Amendment Rights preserved, and we must pay the creators or they will have to move on to other endeavors."

Join us for the lecture at the CAL Conference Saturday morning, November 12. The CAL Intellectual Freedom Committee will host a reactor panel immediately following the Boucher lecture (location to be announced). The lecture and the reactor panel promise to be thought provoking sessions, so bring your questions and comments.

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