ULA Joins Press Conference

Posted on Posted in Advocacy, General

Utah Library Leaders and Supporters Reaffirm Libraries’ Purpose to Protect First Amendment Rights and Prepare Students for Success

Calling libraries “an investment in our future,” representatives from the Utah Library Association (ULA), Utah Education Association (UEA), Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA), and Utah Library Media Supervisors (ULMS) announced the release of an eBook titled Utah Libraries: Keystone of Healthy Democracy, Student Success, and Prosperous Communities. The eBook highlights the value of libraries and their role in defending the freedom to read by providing useful information and actions that Utahns can take to fight censorship, including a parents’ guide for talking to kids about difficult topics. Also announced was a petition, available at saveschoollibrarians.org/utah, that Utahn’s can use to let elected officials know that they oppose censorship. 

At the Utah Library Advocates Press Conference on December 14, the education and library associations were joined by representatives from other community advocacy organizations in announcing the eBook release and expressing support for inclusive and open access to library materials.

“Today, I stand before you as a representative of every librarian and library in the state of Utah,” said ULA President Rita Baguio Christensen. “Librarians are united and unwavering in their support of the First Amendment that guarantees all Utahns’ five basic freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of petition, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion.”

In addition to Christensen, speakers at the event included the following:

  • ULA President, Rita Christensen
  • UELMA Executive Director, Davina Sauthoff
  • UEA President, Heidi Matthews
  • NAACP Salt Lake Branch President, Jeanetta Williams
  • Utah Pride Center Director of Youth, Family, & Education Programs, Amanda Darrow
  • Equality Utah Executive Director, Troy Williams
  • schoollibraryPALs Board Member, Jim Wilson
  • LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce President, Liz Pitts
  • PIK2AR Literary Coordinator, Lehua Parker
  • ULA Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Peter Bromberg
  • UELMA President, Tricia Fenton

“Every Utahn, regardless of age, enjoys the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The Utah Library Association supports the Supreme Court’s recognition that libraries are places for voluntary inquiry and should contain a diversity of ideas, even those that might be controversial to some. Together, with our allied organizations, we stand for intellectual freedom and the freedom to read, and invite others to do the same,” said Christensen.

Thank you to these ULA members who contributed to the press conference:

  • ULA Executive Director, Mindy Hale
  • ULA Intellectual Freedom Co-Chair, Katie Wegner
  • ULA Intellectual Freedom Co-Chair, Debbie Short
  • ULA Recording Secretary, Matt Kammerer
  • ULA Volunteer, Eden Christensen

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