Loyola eCommons is an open-access, sustainable, and secure resource created to preserve and provide access to research, scholarship, and creative works created by the university community for the benefit of Loyola students, faculty, staff, and the larger world.

Loyola eCommons provides access to both published and unpublished works, including:

• journal articles
• conference papers
• presentations
• creative works
• theses and dissertations
• audio and video
• teaching materials
• data sets

Participation in the eCommons allows the Loyola research community to share their research broadly, expanding access to knowledge, allowing their research to be re-purposed and re-used, and expanding the visibility and influence of the research being done at Loyola University Chicago.

Book Bans and Challenges

According to the American Library Association (ALA)'s Office for Intellectual Freedom, preliminary data on book bans and challenges for 2023 shows a record number of documented challenges to books, up 20 percent over the numbers for 2022, which had the highest number of book challenges since ALA started tracking them.

The American Library Association Banned and Challenged Books Page provides information on book bans and challenges that is compiled by the Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. In addition to information on what is being banned or challenged and where, the page provides access to tools to report challenges and guidance for how to respond to book challenges.

PEN America's Book Bans Page provides access to research and reports on this topic in a variety of settings, including schools and prisons, as well as information on the history of book banning in the United States and information on how you can advocate for the freedom to read.

Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Freedom

The development of generative artificial intelligence tools such as Bard and ChatGPT has started a global conversation about the ethics of using these tools responsibly.

The Pew Research Center's Artificial Intelligence Page provides access to reports on how artificial intelligence affects privacy and employment in the United States and how US citizens are implementing and reacting to artificial intelligence.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Page provides an overview of the sorts of ethical questions raised by depending on artificial intelligence tools and recommendations on how to take action to ensure these technologies are used well.

Open Access

Loyola University Libraries maintains an Open Access Research Guide with information about research content available through the Libraries, events happening on campus, and resources for authors and researchers to learn more about open access.

The Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association maintains a list of resources including declarations, best practices, and other information on open access for authors and researchers.

SPARC compiles information about and supports systems for open and equitable research and education.