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Intellectual Freedom Resources

Essential References

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom

• Intellectual Freedom Basics
• Libraries and the Internet Toolkit
• Privacy Toolkit

• New York Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Manual

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Celebrating the Freedom to Read

• What You Can Do to Celebrate Your Freedom to Read (ALA):
• What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship (ALA):
• Banned Book Week (ALA)

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ALA's Intellectual Freedom Statements and Policies

• Library Bill of Rights
• Freedom to Read
• Freedom to View
• Privacy, an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
• More position statements

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Laws

• First Amendment to the Constitution (ALA)
  Text of the Amendment, notable First Amendment Court Cases and other resources.
• NYS Law 4509: Library Records [Confidentiality] (from Excerpts from New York State Law and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education pertaining to Libraries, Library Systems, Trustees and Librarians, New York State Library Division of Library Development): The text of the law.
• Children's Internet Protection Act (ALA)
• U.S.A. Patriot Act
  • FAQ: USA PATRIOT ACT (ALA)
  • USA PATRIOT ACT and Intellectual Freedom (ALA)

• Freedom of Information Act (ALA)

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Intellectual Freedom Policy

• See also Sample Policies page

• Public Spaces Guidelines for the Development and Implementation of Policies, Regulations and Procedures Affecting Access to Library Materials, Services and Facilities (ALA)

• Borrower (including a statement about confidentiality) Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records (ALA)

• Acceptable Computer Use and Internet Policies Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy (ALA)

• Collection Development: including Materials Selection & Reconsideration of Library Materials
  Developing a Collection Development Policy (ALA) 

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Resources for Addressing Challenges

• Support for Dealing with or Reporting Challenges to Library Materials (ALA)
• 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (ALA)

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Youth and Intellectual Freedom

• ALSC's Great Sites for Kids Websites for fun and curricular support selected by school and public librarians based on authorship, design, stability, and content.
• Child Safety on the Information Superhighway (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
• Intellectual Freedom and Young People
• NetSmartz (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America):
  "an interactive, educational safety resource that teaches kids and teens how to stay safer on the Internet."

Training Session Scenes

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This web site is supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services via the Nioga Library System. Use of this material must include credit to the ABLE Project, Nioga Library System.

Last Updated: July 16, 2014