John Palfrey of the MacArthur Foundation

Join us for the inaugural program sponsored by The Dan Bancroft Memorial Endowment for Civic Leadership and Engagement at York Public Library. This endowment was established in memory of Dan Bancroft, who served as president of the YPLA Board of Trustees from 2021 to 2023. Through his engagement in the York community as a dedicated volunteer and outstanding leader, as well as his gift for connecting with people, Dan left an enduring impact on our town. With this fund, the Library has chosen to honor Dan as a remarkable exemplar of the power of a single person to make a real difference in the community.

Combating Censorship and Misinformation: Civic Engagement in a Digital Era

We are witnessing across the United States a sharp rise in censorship, continuing attacks on the freedom to read, a crush of mis- and disinformation, the deterioration of quality local news and information, and massive potential repercussions not only for students, but also marginalized communities whose history some would like to erase. What does that future look like as the development of new digital technologies only continues to speed up? What can "just one person" do? What can libraries and communities do to ensure history is not erased? How can we stand together to protect a student's freedom to read, express, and discuss ideas and a teacher's right to teach without fear? How can we strengthen our communities during such a barrage of challenges?

2023 Keynote Speaker: 

John Palfrey is President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropies with assets of approximately $7 billion, and offices in Chicago, New Delhi, and Abuja, Nigeria.

Palfrey is a well-respected educator, author, legal scholar, and innovator with expertise in how new media is changing learning, education, and other institutions. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a commitment to rigorous thinking, disruption, and creative solutions often made possible by technology, accessibility of information, and diversity and inclusion. Palfrey has extensive experience in social change spanning the education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Palfrey served as Head of School at Phillips Academy, Andover, the only school of its kind to maintain need-blind admissions. During his tenure, the number of faculty members of color doubled, and the student body grew more diverse. He oversaw the creation of the Tang Institute at Andover, which seeks to reform and democratize excellent teaching and learning.

Palfrey was the Henry N. Ess III Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at Harvard Law School. In that role, he expanded the Library’s reach and services, finding innovative ways to use digital technologies to enhance the school’s scholarship and teaching.

From 2002 to 2008, Palfrey served as Executive Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, which seeks to explore and understand cyberspace. He is founding board chair of the Digital Public Library of America, and is the former board chair of LRNG, a nonprofit launched and supported by MacArthur.

Palfrey has published extensively on how young people learn in a digital era, as well as the effects of new technologies on society at large. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces: Diversity and Free Expression in Education. A revised and expanded version of his book Born Digital: How Children Grow Up in a Digital Age, which he co-authored with Urs Gasser, was issued in 2016.

Palfrey is the board chair of the United States Impact Investing Alliance and serves on the board of the Fidelity Non-Profit Management Foundation. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and serves on the governance council. He is the former board chair of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Palfrey holds a JD from Harvard Law School, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and an AB from Harvard College.