From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:48:43 +0000

Statement of Support for Dale Askey

In response to a personal blog post assessing the quality of Edwin
Mellen Press and its publications, since removed, Edwin Mellen Press
filed two libel lawsuits, one naming Dale Askey and his employer
McMaster University, and one naming only Askey. The 3.5 million dollar
lawsuit against Dale Askey and McMaster University was dropped on
March 8, 2013, however the 1 million dollar lawsuit filed by Edwin
Mellen Press founder Herbert Richardson against Dale Askey remains in
effect.

Academic freedom and freedom of expression are core values of higher
education and librarianship.  Librarians continually assess, review,
and disseminate information about library resources. Sharing
professional opinions about library resources, positive or negative,
does not merit legal action. The lawsuit against Askey is an
unjustified attack on academic freedom.

The library faculty at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the
University of Utah join with the American Library Association, the
Association of College and Research Libraries, and numerous other
academic and professional organizations in calling upon Edwin Mellen
Press to withdraw its remaining lawsuit against Dale Askey.

Rick Anderson
Interim Dean, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
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