Judy Krug - Thanks for the good work
About 20 years ago, Judy Krug changed my attitude toward librarians. Raised in a childhood environment in which librarians were viewed as disciplinarians, my adult exposure to librarians as resourceful facilitators of my access to knowledge hardly shook that early childhood impression — until I met Judy.
I had been in the trenches of the defense of First Amendment freedoms against government censorship. Video retailers were still the new kids on the block, and state and federal lawmakers pandering to prudes saw a ripe opportunity to gain re-election points by pressing laws to suppress every American’s freedom to choose which movie to watch from the family couch. I grew used to having to explain American values like freedom of speech to lawmakers who had sworn to uphold the First Amendment even as they trashed it, saying “I’ll leave it to the court’s to decide” the constitutionality. I felt alone in an uphill battle.
Then I met Judy. Judith Krug was the head of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. She had been in the trenches long before me, had more battle scars, and let me know that I was preaching to the choir – no, I should shut up for a moment and listen to her preach. Her positions on First Amendment freedoms were well developed, and she proved to be a terrific ally in coalition efforts to keep our choice of reading, viewing and listening material free, as the First Amendment to our Constitution intended.
I had lost touch with her, and saddened to learn of her untimely death. Her life touched millions in a way they will never know. When you walk into a library and reach for a book of your own choosing, when you pick the movie you want to watch without restraint, when you listen to the music of your choice, you can thank Judy. There have been countless low-life lawmakers intent on suppressing your freedom in exchange for a few votes. Judy was there to point their colleagues to the high road. Though she will be missed, the fruit of her labor will be enjoyed for years to come.