Librarian Receives Key NYLA Award

The New York Library Association named Amanda Lowe the recipient of the 2025 NYLA Intellectual Freedom Award on Friday, November 7 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Ms. serves as the Outreach and Marketing Librarian for the University Libraries. 

First introduce in 1984, the NYLA Intellectual Freedom Award recognizes individuals or institutions who embody the profession's commitment to freedom of information. "Intellectual Freedom means providing free access to all expressions of ideas through which any sides of a question, cause, or movement may be explored," explains NYLA. "Every individual has the right to seek out and receive information from all points of view without restrictions."

Since joining the University Libraries in 2014, Ms. Lowe has ardently championed intellectual freedom in all areas of her work, including in programming and marketing. Of special note is the role she played in organizing the University at Albany's 2023 Free Speech Symposium. This event included a Banned Books Read-Out, with a wide array of participants, including UAlbany alumnus and author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , Gregory Maguire.

When asked about the importance of intellectual freedom in libraries, Ms. Lowe had this to say: "Intellectual freedom is at the very heart of what we do as librarians; it's a promise that we make to our communities that libraries are places where everyone can explore ideas freely, especially ones that make us have to think harder or feel challenged. When books (or other materials) are banned, restricted, or censored, we lose perspectives, identities, histories, and voices that deserve to be part of our collective conversations."

Looking forward, programs related to graphic novels and comic books stand out as priorities for Ms. Lowe. "I want to facilitate deeper conversations on their cultural impact and explore why visual narratives make people so nervous," she explains. "I'm also looking into bringing in a speaker from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), they've been leaders in protecting the freedom to read comics and supporting creators, educators, and librarians in navigating challenges. There's a lot of important work ahead and I'm excited to keep expanding how we talk about comics (and all books), censorship, and the freedom to explore in all forms."

In a climate where intellectual freedom has drawn scrutiny, Ms. Lowe remains undeterred. "Courage in librarianship doesn't always look loud," she says. "Sometimes it just looks like standing calmly and confidently behind your values."