Marcellus Turner and Carla Graebner join CFE Working Group on Intellectual Freedom

Marcellus Turner, CEO and Chief Librarian at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and Carla Graebner, Data Services and Government Information Librarian at Simon Fraser University, are the newest members of the Centre for Free Expression Working Group on Intellectual Freedom.

Turner spent the past ten years as the Executive Director and Chief Librarian at The Seattle Public Library in Seattle, Washington which, in 2020 under his leadership, was awarded the prestigious 2020 Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal. 

Graebner is a former Chair of the Canadian Association of University Teachers Librarians' and Archivists' Committee and has been Vice President of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, past co-chair of the British Columbia Library Association’s Information Policy committee, and past President of the Simon Fraser University Faculty Association.

“At a time when there are growing challenges to intellectual freedom, we are delighted that Marcellus and Carla are joining the CFE Working Group”, said James Turk, Director of the Centre for Free Expression.

 “Marcellus is an outspoken champion of intellectual freedom who skillfully guided the Seattle Public Library through a very difficult period of challenges in recent years,” Turk said. “Carla has been a leader among academic librarians both nationally and in British Columbia.”

The CFE Working Group guides the work of the Centre in advocacy, education, policy development, and research related to intellectual freedom and in providing support and assistance to libraries facing intellectual freedom challenges.