EMERSON SYKES

Libraries and the Law: Protecting Free Expression and Access to Information in Polarized Times  

Emerson Sykes is Senior Staff Attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and an internationally recognized expert of the intersection of free expression and racial equity.

Date: Thursday, October 19, 2023

Time: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Location: The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington, DC

Audience: Invitation Only—Association of Research Libraries Member Representatives

Early Bird Registration: $400 (July 5–August 15)
Standard Registration: $450 (August 16–September 15)

Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Pacific standard time on September 15, 2023.

As educational and cultural institutions committed to inclusiveness and equity as well as academic freedom and free expression, research libraries and their parent institutions in Canada and the US are experiencing complicated challenges to these deeply held values, both from their constituent communities and in law and policy. This offering is designed to engage research library executives in strategic decision-making and to provide a forum for confidential, peer-to-peer learning and conversation.

Acknowledging that political contexts vary by location as well as institution type; the ARL Executive Institute will focus on shared concerns and common challenges for leaders. Polarization, extremism, and misinformation undermine the potential for open discourse and debate, which is critical to the development of human knowledge and to responsible and effective governance.

In addition to the Keynote speaker presented by the Lumina Foundation, the program will feature:

• Interactive, scenario-based workshops led by experts at PEN America on strategically handling tense moments and their aftermath, and Academic Freedom and Inclusion—using Tools to Uphold Both

• A diverse panel of higher education experts from Canada and the US discussing lessons learned from tensions at the intersection of free expression and inclusion

• Presentations by researchers studying the prevention of polarization and extremism, who will discuss empirical findings on building resilient and inclusive communities of knowledge
   

Participants will have the opportunity to share and learn tools and strategies as leaders within research institutions to navigate internal and external pressures on their commitments to inclusivity and free expression.

This institute is being held in-person only, and is open only to ARL member representatives.