Overview

In this class we discuss many ideas related to intellectual freedom. This assignment gives you the opportunity to reflect on the readings that we have read and discussed thus far, noting the relationship between the ideas presented in these readings.

Student Learning Objectives Addressed

Instructions for Your Paper

Please revisit the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, keeping in mind that it was written in the 18th century, and Mills' 19th-century document, On liberty. What key issues do these documents have in common? How do you see the relationship between the ideas set forth in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the ideas presented in On liberty?

Then re-examine the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (especially article 19) and the American Library Association's "Library Bill of Rights," both authored in the 20th century. Do you see a relationship between the ideas presented in these two works? How do they relate to the two earlier works we read?

Then go a bit further. In America today, have we fully implemented the ideals set forth in these documents? Where have we succeeded? Where do we still have work to do? What role do you see libraries and other information-provision institutions playing in implementing these ideals? How do you envision yourself as making a contribution to the implementation of these ideals?

The text of your paper (excluding title page and "literature cited") should be at least three pages, double-spaced. Citations are required. Please use the author-date method as described in Turabian. A helpful online resource for creating citations using Turabian is provided by the Long Island University B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, available at: http://www2.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citchi.htm.


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