The University Library System will host a moderated panel discussion on Thursday, September 26th, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM, focusing on censorship in literature, use of censorship as propaganda in the current political climate, and intellectual freedom in a library setting. The panel will feature faculty members from Information Science and Law, as well as a public librarian, in order to bring together an array of perspectives and experiences. In addition to the panel discussion, there will be time for questions and participation from members of the audience. 

• Robin Kear – Moderator, ULS Liaison Library (English; Film Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies)
  • Robin Kear is a faculty librarian at the University of Pittsburgh working with the English Department, the Film & Media Studies Program, and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program. She has been in the library field for 19 years, written numerous articles and book chapters, presented nationally and globally, and keeps professionally active in national and international organizations. Current subjects of interest include international librarianship, advocacy, social justice, and scholarly communication.
• James “Kip” Currier – Panelist, Assistant Professor, School of Computing and Information
  • James "Kip" Currier (University of Pittsburgh, B.A. (‘85); JD (‘88); MLIS (‘96); PhD (‘07) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information (SCI) in the Information Culture and Data Stewardship Department. His Pitt courses include Information Ethics, Intellectual Property and “Open” Movements, and Managing and Leading Information Services. His forthcoming ABC-CLIO, Inc. textbook, Ethics and Information Today: A Tangled Web, examines digital age ethics issues of bedrock democratic values -- intellectual freedom and censorship, the vital role of a free and independent press, access to information, and more. He maintains several well-trafficked blogs, including Ethics in a Tangled Web.
• Marc Silverman – Panelist, Director of the Barco Law Library
  • In addition to being the Director of the Barco Law Library, Marc Silverman is also an adjunct professor at Pitt’s School of Law where he teaches several research courses. Early in his career he worked with other members of the Society for Photographic Education to address censorship issues revolving around photography. In addition to publishing in the area of law librarianship he has written many articles, interviews, and book chapters on photography and photographic history.
• Tess Wilson – Panelist, Outreach Librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
  • Tess Wilson is an Outreach Librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. She currently serves as the YALSA Blog Manager, presents workshops as a privacy advocate with the Library Freedom Project, and is a regular contributor to the Office of Intellectual Freedom blog. Previously, she was a Guest Editor for the Fall 2018 issue of YALS , a recipient of the Freedom to Read Foundation’s Judith Krug Education Award, and a 2017 ALA Emerging Leader for United for Libraries. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University and her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh. Find her on Twitter @tesskwg.