Books are dangerous. That’s the reason libraries have been destroyed throughout history. Books are dangerous because they contain ideas, and the destruction of the book symbolizes the destruction of ideas. This is not just a problem relegated to ancient times. Consider Berlin in the 1930s, Sarajevo in the 1990s, Baghdad in the early 2000s, and war zones like Ukraine where libraries are being targeted for destruction because they are repositories of information and cultural memory. Books are dangerous. They contain ideas that may not conform to what a ruling body or a prevailing opinion allows. They help us see beyond our own experiences. Books have the power to change minds, to inform, to illuminate dark places, so yes, books are dangerous…to tyranny, oppression, and ignorance. That makes libraries incredibly dangerous, and incredibly important. It also means libraries are not safe spaces for narrow minds and those who only want to see their own beliefs mirrored back to them. This talk focuses on why the freedom to read, enshrined in the First Amendment, is critically important to our democracy and to libraries. We make better decisions when we have access to more information, and having that access is key to intellectual freedom and true freedom of expression. Kerol Harrod is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Before that, he worked for public libraries in Texas for 16 years. Harrod has been actively involved in intellectual freedom advocacy in recent years, publishing an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News and presenting to groups like the American Association of University Women and the Junior World Affairs Council. He has spoken about book bans and intellectual freedom advocacy at conferences hosted by the American Library Association and the Texas Library Association. Harrod has also given multiple newspaper and television interviews on the topic. He currently serves as the chair of the Denton Library Board. In his spare time, Harrod enjoys playing acoustic guitar and spending time with his wife and two children. His pets include a needy chiweenie, two free-range rabbits, and a surprisingly cuddly corn snake. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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