First Amendment Defender Will Be Missed

Although Judith Krug's name may not be a familiar one to gamers, she was well-known - and highly-regarded - by those on the front lines of the battle against censorship of games and other forms of media.

Krug, 69, who died on Saturday, is best known as the founder of Banned Books Week. The annual event celebrates the freedom to choose what one reads. She was the Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation and Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association.

Jennifer Mercurio, VP and General Counsel of the Entertainment Consumers Association, commented on Krug's passing:

Judith was instrumental in pushing for First Amendment issues being broadened to include video games.

Sean Bersell, VP of Public Affairs for the Entertainment Merchants Association, added:

Judith was instrumental in the fight against video game censorship. She was a forceful advocate for Media Coalition amicus briefs in the Indianapolis, St. Louis, Illinois, Minnesota, and California video game cases. It would have been easy for the librarians to say, "That's not our battle," but thankfully that wasn't Judith's temperament.
 
Judith was a fierce believer in the importance of freedom of expression to our culture and our society and was zealous defender of the First Amendment. We all have truly benefited from her passion.

The American Library Association has posted a tribute to Krug.