Megan Schliesman Winner of 2014 Intellectual Freedom Award

Megan Schliesman - IF Award Winner 2014

Megan Schliesman, long-time librarian at the Cooperative Children’s Books Center (CCBC) and manager of its intellectual freedom services, is the winner of the 2014 Intellectual Freedom Award. The award is given jointly by the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA). She will be recognized during this year’s WLA conference at the Awards and Honors Reception on Thursday, November 6 which begins at 5:30pm. 

Besides managing the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services, Schliesman also manages its online forum, “What IF . . . Questions and Answers on Intellectual Freedom.” She currently serves on the American Library Association/Association for Library Service to Children Board, and is past member of the ALA/ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee. She is past chair of the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association’s Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group, and a past member of the Wisconsin Library Association Intellectual Freedom Round Table board. 

The authors of the nomination letter recommending Schliesman note “Megan exemplifies the spirit of intellectual freedom through her unflagging support for those defending against censorship and her outreach to inform others about intellectual freedom. Being a librarian at the CCBC is more than a job for Megan, it is a calling that she takes seriously. Wisconsin is fortunate to have Megan as an intellectual freedom advocate and defender of minors’ First Amendment right to read." 

Since 2010, WLA and WEMTA have collaborated to give the annual 

intellectual freedom award. This award recognizes the contribution of an individual 

or group who has actively promoted intellectual freedom in Wisconsin. The award is given based on the following criteria: 

• Role in actively promoting intellectual freedom in their sphere of influence and beyond; 
• Degree to which an individual or group exemplifies the spirit of intellectual freedom; and 
• Efforts to promote intellectual freedom and challenge censorship.

         Funding for the award is generously provided by TeachingBooks.net and the Center for Information Policy Research and the School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.