John Nichols Berry III, editor in chief of the Library Journal for almost 35 years, will present the 2003 Lazerow Lecture “Who are the Patriots Anyway?: The US Patriot Act and the Public Library Mission” at the School’s Annual Convocation & Homecoming Ceremony this Saturday.

An editor, writer, and lecturer, John sees himself as first and foremost a librarian; a librarian fortunate enough to be in an editorial position with a bully platform to discuss important ideas in the world of information, yet nonetheless a librarian. Proud of his years of work in both public and academic libraries, he exalts and celebrates the role of the librarian as the last bastion of those championing the free flow of information.

John believes that information is not merely a commodity, but a public good. In times when the marketplace is seen as the solution to our problems, information professionals must make sure that information is free of charge, accessible, and unsuppressed. Our society’s government, industry, and citizens all function better when they are fully informed.

Grateful that technology has given us greater access and ability to disseminate information than ever before, John emphasizes we must prevent information from being locked up, privatized, or monitored. He feels that, in the end, technology itself will liberate us from any restraints on the flow of information. After all, information always eventually escapes from that which seeks to restrain it, and everything works better when it does.