HomeStatements and Policies Related Links Revisions to ALA Intellectual Freedom Policies

On June 30, 2004, the ALA Council adopted eight intellectual freedom policies as amended. (See Background on Revised Intellectual Freedom Policies below.)

Five of these policies are revised Interpretations to the Library Bill of Rights:

• Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials (formerly: Access for Children and Young People to Videotapes and Other Nonprint Format)
• Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation (formerly: Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Gender or Sexual Orientation)
• Exhibit Spaces and Bulletin Boards
• Free Access to Libraries For Minors
• Restricted Access to Library Materials

The other three policies are:

• Policy on Government Intimidation
• The Freedom to Read Statement
• Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information about Library Users

Links to these policies are at http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/interpretations.

In addition, in its Report to the ALA Council (June 30, 2004), the IFC reported that the following six Interpretations had nonsubstantive changes [primarily grammatical corrections (e.g., substituting thats for whiches) or were updated with see and see also references]:

• Challenged Materials
• Diversity in Collection Development
• Economic Barriers to Information Access
• Evaluating Library Collections
• Library-Initiated Programs as a Resource
• The Universal Right to Free Expression

Links to these policies with nonsubstantive changes are at http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/interpretations.

See and see also references will be added to these two policies:

• Expurgation of Library Materials
• Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records

Links to these policies will be found either at http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/interpretations or http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/morepolicies.

In its report, the IFC also informed the ALA Council that these six policies have no changes:

• Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries
• Meeting Rooms
• Privacy
• Resolution on Access to the Use of Libraries and Information by Individuals with Physical or Mental Impairment
• Resolution on the Use of Filtering Software in Libraries
• Statement on Library Use of Filtering Software

Links to these policies will be found at http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/interpretations, http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/morepolicies, and http://www.ala.org/oif/policies/ifresolutions.

These four policies are still under consideration:

• Access to Electronic Information Services and Networks
• Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program
• Libraries: An American Value
• Statement on Labeling

BACKGROUND ON REVISED INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM POLICIES

The Office for Intellectual Freedom is working with ALA Editions toward publication of the seventh edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual by the 2006 Midwinter Meeting. In preparation for each new edition, the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) reviews all ALA intellectual freedom policies.

In the spring, the IFC identified and proposed revisions to nine Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights and three additional intellectual freedom policies, including the Freedom to Read Statement.

Proposed revisions to the Interpretations and other policies were mailed April 16, 2004, to the ALA Executive Board, Council, divisions, Council committees, and round tables. The IFC considered comments received both prior to and during the 2004 Annual Conference and submitted eight revised policies for Council's adoption:

• Access for Children and Young People to Videotapes and Other Nonprint Format
• Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Gender or Sexual Orientation
• Exhibit Spaces and Bulletin Boards
• Free Access to Libraries For Minors
• Policy on Government Intimidation
• The Freedom to Read Statement
• Restricted Access to Library Materials
• Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information about Library Users

On June 30, 2004, the ALA Council adopted these policies as amended.