Town of Taos Public Library

Public Policy Manual

February 2020

TAOS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Table of Contents

1. Mission ……..…………………………………………………………………………… 3 2. Who may use the library…………………………………………………………….. 3 3. Patron Responsibility and conduct …..……………………………………………

3Rules of behaviorSafe Child Policy

4. Services ………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 5. Materials Selection Policy …………………………………………………………….

7Criteria for selectionWeedingControversial subject matterChallenged materialGifts

6. Circulation Policies ………………………………………………………………….. 10Issuing of library cardsTemporary cardsLost or forgotten cardsLoan periodsNon-circulating materialsHolds and reservesInterlibrary LoanFines and FeesLost and/or Damaged MaterialsConfidentiality

7. Equipment Use Policy ……………………………………………………………….14 8. Internet Use Policy ……………………………………………………………………

15GuidelinesInternet safety

9. Meeting Room Policy …………………………………………………………………17

10. Displays and Exhibits Policy ……………………………………………………… 1911. Public Notice Bulletin Board ……………………………………………………….2012. Disaster Policy …………………………………………………………………………

2013. Policy Revision ...................................................................................... 20

*Appendix Freedom to Read Statement*Library Bill of Rights

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1. MISSION

The mission of the Taos Public Library is to provide quality materials and services to help meet the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of all patrons in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and professional.

2. WHO MAY USE THE LIBRARY

A. The library serves all residents of the Town of Taos, County of Taos, and visitors to the community. Service will not be denied or abridged because of religious, radical, social, economic, or political status, or because of mental, emotional or physical condition, age, or sexual orientation.

B. The use of the library may be denied for due cause. This includes failure to return materials or to pay penalties, destruction or theft of library resources, disturbance of staff or other patrons, or any illegal, disruptive, or objectionable activity on the library premises.

3. PATRON RESPONSIBILITY AND CONDUCT

Rules of behavior

Taos Public Library seeks to:1. Provide a safe and appropriate environment to facilitate the

public’s use of the Library’s resources and service;2. Outline clearly the standards of conduct for use of the library and

its collections;3. Maintain standards that comply with federal, state, and local laws

and ordinances;4. Provide for safety of persons and property on the library

premises;5. Ensure equitable access to and the use of, Library facilities and

services; and

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6. Apply the foregoing standards consistently.

The following general rules of behavior shall apply to persons entering and using library facilities:

1. Shoes are to be worn in the building at all times.2. Intoxicated persons are not allowed on the premises.

Other impermissible behavior:1. Acts subject to prosecution under criminal and civil law;2. Loud talk, threatening behavior, or harassment which interferes

with the use of the library by other persons;3. Blocking exits or entrances to the building with objects such as

bicycles or dogs;4. Smoking, eCirgarettes, sleeping, eating, or drinking (other than

water at the fountain in the lobby);5. Consuming alcohol or drugs in the library or on library property 6. Bringing animals, other than service animals with proper

certification into the library;7. Any other actions not conducive to reading and enjoyable use of

the library; and8. Cell phone use is prohibited within the main library and

children’s library. Cell phone use is allowed in lobby.

Refusal to cooperate with the established policies of the library will constitute grounds for discontinuing Library services for such person or persons.

If a patron violates any of the above rules or interferes with a library staff member’s performance of duties, any or all of the following steps will be taken:

Staff member will:1. Give a verbal warning, stating that the person(s) will be asked to

leave if the objectionable behavior does not cease;2. Request that the person(s) leave the premises;3. Call the Taos Police; and4. Complete a Security Incidence Report and submit to Library

Director.

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If at any time a staff member feels that a patron’s behavior is threatening to the safety of other patrons or staff members, the police will be called immediately.

The library reserves the right to bar a person for violating the public policy for up to three months at a time and extend that period as needed.

Safe Child Policy

Children are always welcome in our library. While library staff is always working to maintain a safe environment for all, it is necessary for parents and caregivers to cooperate as well.

A staff member may intervene to prevent injury to the child or others or to prevent destruction or misuse of equipment and property.

A parent or caregiver must be present with children under the age of 10 at all times; including those who attend a program in the library. Children aged ten and over may be left unattended at the discretion of responsible adult. If behavior problems occur, this privilege may be suspended. If the parent or caregiver does not want the child to leave the building without adult supervision, the child should not be in the library unattended.

Children will be expected to display appropriate behavior conducive to maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the building for all patrons. Disruptive children will be asked to leave for the day after one warning.

Children must know how to reach an adult in case of an emergency, and both the child and adult must be aware of library hours. Within 10 minutes of closing time, police will be called to escort unattended children from the library.

If a child or juvenile causes a disruption which interferes with patrons and staff, staff may elect to call the parent or caregiver and bar the child or juvenile from the library unless accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Staff will call the police if necessary.

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Adults are not allowed to use computers designated for teens or children. Adults should not loiter in teen library or children’s library unless they are with a child.

4. SERVICES

The library provides materials and resources for information, entertainment, intellectual development, and the enrichment of the community. It may be used for research, reading or study purposes without obtaining a library card. However, a library card is required to check out circulating materials. (See circulation policies, issuing of library cards.)

The library will endeavor to:

A. Provide service during hours that best meet the needs of the community within budgetary limitations;

B. Select, organize and make available books, periodicals, and other materials;

C. Provide internet access and wireless internet access to the public;

D. Provide guidance and assistance to patrons; E. Sponsor and implement programs, exhibits, displays, book lists,

etc., which appeal to children, teens, and adults; F. Cooperate with other community agencies and organizations; G. Secure information beyond its own resources when requested; H. Lend to other libraries upon request; I. Develop and provide services to patrons with special needs; andJ. Maintain a balance in its services to various age groups; K. Cooperate with, but not perform the functions of schools and

other institutional libraries; L. Regularly review the offered library services; andM. Actively promote the full range of available library services.

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5. MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY

The Taos Public Library strives to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.

Because the volume of publishing greatly exceeds the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet the community interests and needs.

The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the Library Director. Suggestions from library patrons are welcomed and given full consideration within the framework of established policy.

Criteria for selection

1. The main points considered in the selection of materials are:A. Individual merit of each item;B. Popular appeal;C. Existing library holdings; andD. Budget

2. Reviews in professionally recognized periodicals are a primary source of materials selection.

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3. The lack of review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title, which is in demand. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media. Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.

Weeding

An up-to-date, attractive, and useful collection is maintained through a continual withdrawal and replacement process. Replacement of worn and outdated materials is dependent on current demand, usefulness, and availability of newer editions. This ongoing process of weeding is the responsibility of the Library Director. Withdrawn materials will be handled in a similar manner and under the same authority as donated materials.

Controversial Subject Matter

As far as possible, all sides of controversial issues about which there is general concern will be provided. Sensationalism and materials containing undocumented statements and accusations of poorly researched facts will be avoided. Occasionally, materials with doubtful value may be included for their timeliness and discarded when they are no longer of interest.

Responsibility for the reading matter of children rests with the parents or legal guardians. Selection of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.

Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents and no library materials shall be sequestered except to protect it from damage or theft.

Challenged Material

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Complaints

A patron who wishes to object to any material in the library must speak with the Library Director.

Reconsideration Procedure1. The Director will review all complaints in consultation with

members of the library staff and reply in writing within six working days.

2. If complaint is not satisfied with the Directors reply, the complaint will be referred to the Library Advisory Board Chairperson for further review by a three member panel composed of members of the Advisory Board. This panel, appointed by the Board President, will review the complaint and render its decision within 12 days of appeal.

3. Finally, the patron may appeal the review panel’s decision to the full Library Advisory Board at its quarterly meeting. Upon the Board’s determination of the issues, the library’s internal review procedure shall be considered.

Challenged materials will be removed from circulation for the purpose of the review and study during steps 1 and 2. If, at step 2, the material deemed appropriate for the collection, it will be returned to circulation, pending any final determination to be made by the full Library Advisory Board. Whenever materials are removed from the library collection at steps 1 and 2 above, the Advisory Board must be apprised of the action at its next quarterly meeting and may affirm or reverse the earlier decision.(The Harwood Advisory Board as policy adopted this materials policy for the Harwood Library April 18, 1983. The Taos Public Library Advisory Board has approved this policy February 2020.)

Gifts

The library is pleased to receive gifts of materials from individuals or groups. The same general standards of merit and relevance that apply to all materials selection shall be used to evaluate gifts. It is understood that all gifts are given freely without conditions attached, and that all donations will be used or disposed of as the library sees fit. All donations are tax deductible. A form will be offered to all donors for tax purposes. Library staff does not give out tax advice to patrons.

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6. CIRCULATION

A. Issuing of Library Cards

Taos Public Library issues library cards without charge to any resident of the Town of Taos and Taos County.

All borrowers must be registered and have a valid local library card in order to borrow library materials. To register, an applicant must provide positive identification, including a local driver’s license or picture ID. Proof of local mailing address will be asked for those with an out of state photo ID. A General Delivery or “in care of” address is not acceptable. Some ways of validating a Taos County address (or communities along adjoining county lines e.g. Ojo Caliente, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, etc.) include mail that came to the patron at a local address and/or preprinted checkbook with a local mailing address. Applicants under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian give their consent on the application form before a new card can be issued.

Materials cannot be checked out until a library card has been issued.

Each individual must obtain his or her own card. Family cards are not issued. (Exception: See Temporary Card Policy) Although a person may allow another individual to check out materials on his or her card, the card owner

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will be fully responsible to the library for any such materials. The practice is not encouraged.

Cardholders in good standing may borrow circulating materials from the library for the time period specified for the materials. Cardholders are responsible for the care and preservation of materials during period in which they are checked out to them. They are responsible for returning the materials promptly by the date they are due. Loss or damage of library materials is considered to be the liability of the cardholder on whose card they were checked out. The cost to the library for lost or damaged materials will be expected of the borrower when the loss or damage occurred. Patron has the option to replace the exact item at personal expense.

B. Temporary Cards

Temporary cards for a period of six months will be issued to temporary residents for a fee of $30.00, $25 of which will be refunded when the patrons leaves the area. It is the responsibility of the patron to retain their receipt. If the patron has not reclaimed their deposit in person six months after their expiration date, the deposit will be forfeited. Five (5) items can be checked out at a time with a temporary card. For regular seasonal residents, a family temporary card may be issued enabling the family to check out five adult and five children’s books or materials.

C. Lost or Forgotten Cards

If a patron loses a card library card, the library staff should be notified as soon as possible. Lost cards are replaceable for a $3.00 fee.

Library materials may not be checked out to patrons who do not present their card. D. Loan Periods

1. Books and audio books in the general collection are checked out for 28 days.

2. DVD’s are checked out for 7 days.3. Circulating materials may be renewed twice in person, on the

phone, or by logging on to library users’ account, unless an item is on hold for another patron.

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4. Interlibrary loans are due by the date indicated by the lending library. They are not renewable. Fines will not accrue for Interlibrary loans. If material is not returned within two (2) weeks of due date, user will be responsible for the cost of the material as well as any processing fees accrued from the lending library.

5. Magazines and Periodicals, except for cataloged art magazines, do not circulate. Art magazines, except for current issues may be borrowed for 28 days.

E. Non-circulating Materials

Materials may be held on “closed shelf” status by reason of their unusual value or rarity, or their inclusion in one of the designated “special collections” is needed to protect materials from theft or mutilations.

Books and materials designated Ready Reference do not circulate. These are titles that are not intended to be read cover to cover, but are used to find answers to inquiries and must be readily available to staff and patrons.

F. Holds and Reserves

Holds may be placed on materials either in person, by telephone, or on their library user accounts. Patrons will be notified when the materials are available by phone or email.

G. Interlibrary Loan

Cardholders may request books or copies of periodical articles through interlibrary loans. Patrons are required to fill out the appropriate form in person or online. Although the library budget pays for cost of search, location of obtaining interlibrary loan materials and postage, a fee of $2.00 will be charged if the item requested is not picked up. Patrons must be in good standing in order to use the ILL service.

H. Fines and Fees

A fine of $0.20 per day is charged for materials more than one day overdue, up to a maximum of $5.00. Patrons who have overdue fines outstanding shall be denied borrowing privileges until payment has been arranged. The

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non-payment or non-return of materials more than 30 days overdue shall result in suspension of borrowing privileges until the matter is resolved.

I. Lost or Damaged Materials

Lost or damaged materials (including audio/visual materials) must be paid for by the borrower. The amount paid is based on replacement cost in addition to a $5.00 service charge. Borrowers returning audio/visual materials with damaged or missing covers will be charged $5.00 to replace.

J. Confidentiality

Library records are confidential. Taos Public Library records on individual users are for the sole purpose of protecting private property. Taos Public Library endorses the Constitution of the State of New Mexico that requires such confidentiality. The Library also endorses the American Library Association’s Confidentiality of Library Records policy. The circulation and other records identifying the names of library users are confidential. Circulation records will not be made available to any agency of state, federal, or local government, except under authority of, and pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of, and pursuant to, federal procedures or legislative investigation power.

No library records shall be made available to the public, press, or governmental agency, except by such process, order of subpoena authorized by federal, state or local law. Any costs uncured by the library in any such search of records shall be charged to the agency demanding such a search.

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7. EQUIPMENT USE POLICY

The Library’s policy is to outline clearly what equipment and supplies are available to the patrons and to provide equal access to such equipment and supplies for all library users. The staff should consider resources when determining what supplies and equipment are available.

The following shall be provided free of charge:

DVD/Blu-Ray viewing device with headphonesPublic Access TerminalsPublic Access ComputersWireless internet accessMagnifying glassStapler

The following shall be provided for a fee: Microfilm printing - $0.15 per sheetComputer prints - $0.15 per sheetCopy Machine printing - $0.15

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(Copy machine users are advised that there are restrictions on copyrighted materials. Any violation is the responsibility of the copy machine user.)

8. INTERNET AND PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTER POLICY

Guidelines All internet and public access computer users are expected to use this resource responsibly and courteously. Users should be aware that they are working in a public environment shared by people of all ages and sensibilities. Users shall refrain from the use of computer sounds and visuals that might be disruptive to others. Failure to cooperate with these policies will lead to restriction of internet and public access computer use.

Users are allowed two (2) thirty (30) minute sessions per day via Guest Pass or Library Card number. Time may be expanded at the discretion of the library staff and based on the need for computer access by other users. All Material saved onto Public Access Computers including downloaded material must be deleted before session time expires. All account, including, but not limited to email, bank, and social media accounts must be signed-out of before session time expires.

Users are required to delete all cookies, browsing histories and anything saved to the public access computer before session time expires. The library cannot guarantee that user information will stay private if accounts are not

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signed-out of before session time expires. Library staff can assist in signing-out of accounts and deleting browsing histories and cookies if help is sought before session time expires.

The library is not responsible for any material or information left on computers.

Users may not:A. Damage equipment, alter the setup of computers, or degrade

system performance;B. Alter or damage software, software settings, or data stored on

computers;C. Install or run personal software;D. Set any bookmarks, links, or shortcuts;E. Make unauthorized copies of copyright protected materials;F. Infringe on the privacy or computer use of other patrons;G. Transmit threatening, harassing, or abusive languages or images;H. Deliberately propagate computer worms or viruses;I. Represent oneself as another for purposes of fraud or other illegal

activity;J. Incur a debt to the library;K. Access pornography, material with violent content or other material

that may be deemed inappropriate, or L. Consume large amounts of system resources through activities that

require large file transfers, such as online gaming and media downloads. Such activity degrades overall system performance and obstructs the work of other internet users.

Violations may result in loss of access. Illegal acts involving Library resources may be subject to prosecution by local, state, or federal officials. The library reserves the right to end an internet/public access computer session at any time for any violation of public policy.

The Library does NOT:A. Guarantee privacy or confidentiality of internet users,B. Guarantee access if connections fail or computer “freezes”,C. Guarantee internet information to be accurate, complete, or current;D. Provide one-on-one patron assistance beyond a basic introductory

instruction which may be scheduled in advance; or

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E. Provide assistance in booking tickets, doing taxes, or other personal matters.

Internet Safety

For a good Internet experience, be aware of the following precautions:A. Don’t give out personal information like phone number, address,

social security numbers, birthday, etc;B. Don’t use public computers for online purchases;C. Be careful of meeting someone in person whom you have met

online;D. Report harassing behavior to Library staff and use good etiquette

yourself;E. Be wary of the information and advice you get online;F. Beware of moneymaking scams such as pyramid schemes and

chain letters; andG. Discuss Internet use and content with your children.

9. MEETING ROOM POLICY

A group that is permitted to meet at the Library does not constitute an endorsement of the group’s policies or beliefs by the Library staff, Advisory Board, or volunteers. Reservations may be made by contacting the Library. Please make your reservations well in advance.

A. Meeting room reservations are subject to cancellation with two weeks’ notice if the room is needed for library programming or Town of Taos use. Library or Town of Taos sponsored programming will always have first priority in scheduling.

B. Meeting room may be used for educational, cultural, informational, or governmental/civic activities and may include public lectures, panel discussions, workshops and other similar functions.

C. Meeting room will not be used for personal study time or social gatherings.

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D. Users agree to abide by all regulations of the library relating to the use of the facilities and accept responsibility for all damages caused to the building and/or equipment beyond normal wear.

E. Meeting room can only be scheduled during the hours the library is open.

F. There is a group limit of 50.G. The library does not allow groups to store any items in the

meeting room. The library is not responsible for lost or any items left in the room.

H. No pets are allowed in meeting room except registered Service dogs.

I. Fire code prohibits the use of candles, incense, smudge pots, flammable materials and cooking in the room as per Town Fire Code.

J. There must be a clear path to emergency exit in meeting room at all times.

K. Meeting room attendees may not leave children in the library under the age of 10.

L. The individual making the reservation, as well as the group as a whole, will be held responsible for any and all damages that may occur as a result of the use of the facilities.

M. Set up and take down is included in scheduled time. Meetings must end on time so the room can be cleared for other meetings following.

Equipment and Media : There is a black board/chalk board for groups to use. Dry erase markers, erasers, and chalk are not provided by library.

Smart TV, DVD/Blu/Ray player are available and can connect to the internet as well as a personal computer via an HDMI cable. HDMI cable is not provided. Participants must abide by the Library’s Internet Policy (Section 8, Public Policy). Equipment cannot be taken out of the meeting room.

The library does not provide operators for the equipment beyond basic setup. The individual requesting equipment is responsible for damages or missing equipment.

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Wireless internet access is available in the meeting room.

Food or Drinks :

If the group provides refreshments a $50.00 cash deposit will be applied per meeting (alcoholic beverages not allowed).Responsible party must clean up spills, trash, and leave the room in the condition in which it was found or forfeit $50.00 cash deposit.

Charges :

All scheduled events are charged $15.00 per hour. A $50.00 deposit is required if refreshments will be served or if the group plans on doing anything that may damage the room beyond basic cleanup (arts and crafts, etc). No refund after payment has been received. A credit will be issued for one year.

10. DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITS POLICY

It is the policy of the Taos Public Library to provide information through both displays and exhibits from the Library’s own collections and/or services of other community agencies or individual.

A. Any display created by an employee of the Taos Public Library will be considered a staff display and not a public display. Staff may create displays to encourage the use of the information resources of the library to celebrate various weeks or months such as “Black History Month”, and to promote a positive view of

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the Library in the community. Such displays shall reflect all viewpoints on a given subject where appropriate.

B. For public displays, the display case in the lobby must be reserved in advance. The display case can be reserved for one calendar month. Political materials may not be displayed in the Library. Materials may not be taped to the glass of the case and users may not climb into the case to erect displays. Please provide any special supplies, such as scotch tape, colored paper, and scissors.

C. Displays inside the library and on the counter top may be exhibited with permission of the Library Director.

D. The Library assumes no responsibility for the preservation or protection, and no liability for possible damage or theft of any item displayed or exhibited. All items placed in the display case or on an exhibit tables are there at the owner’s risk. A release must be signed by the exhibitor before any artifact can be used for display or exhibit.

11. PUBLIC NOTICE BULLETIN BOARD POLICY

Bulletin board materials may be posted on the kiosk for civic, educational, or cultural purposes. Limited space allows only short term notices. All posting are removed on the first of every month. Postings that do not meet Library standards will be removed. Library staff will dispose of postings.

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12. DISASTER POLICY

Fire: At the first indication of smoke or flame, notify a staff member. Staff will decide if the threat can be contained. If necessary, they will set off the fire alarm and clear the building. Occasional fire drills will be held throughout the year. There will be regular maintenance of smoke alarms, sprinklers, and the alarm system in the library.

Health Emergencies: Staff members should exercise caution when administering any first aid. Keeping a sick or injured person comfortable until medical help arrives is the wisest policy. No medication should ever be given to a member of the public.

13. POLICY REVISIONS:

Policy revisions take place every five years or more frequently if needed.

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APPENDIX A - FREEDOM TO READ STATEMENT

1. The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a

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view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as citizens devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read. Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that theordinary citizen, by exercising critical judgment, will accept the good and reject the bad. The censors, public and private, assume that they should determine what is good and what is bad for their fellow citizens. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisionsabout what they read and believe. We do not believe they need the help of censors to assist them in this task. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be “protected” against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression. These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy. Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference. Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections. We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings. The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these

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constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

2. We therefore affirm these propositions:

1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox or unpopular with the majority.Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated. Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.

4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression. To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young

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to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and valuescannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept with any expression the prejudgment of a label characterizing it or its author as subversive or dangerous. The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for the citizen. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.

6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people’s freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large.It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive.

7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a “bad” book is a good one, the answer to a “bad” idea is a good one.The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader’s purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the majorchannel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testingand growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all citizens the fullest of their support. We state these propositions neither lightly nor as

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easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that theapplication of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.Adopted June 25, 1953; revised January 28, 1972, January 16, 1991, July 12, 2000, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee.A Joint Statement by: American Library Association Association of American Publishers Subsequently Endorsed by: American Association of University ProfessorsAmerican Booksellers Foundation for Free ExpressionAmerican Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe American Society of Newspaper EditorsAnti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rithAssociation of American University PressesCenter for Democracy & TechnologyThe Children’s Book CouncilThe Electronic Frontier FoundationFeminists for Free ExpressionFreedom to Read FoundationInternational Reading AssociationThe Media InstituteNational Coalition Against CensorshipNational PTAParents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and GaysPeople for the American WayStudent Press Law CenterThe Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression

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Library Bill of RightsThe American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not beexcluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because ofpartisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939. Amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; and January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996, by the ALA Council.

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