Visual and Performing Arts in Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Visual and performing arts transform how people see and appreciate the world’s cultural diversity. The American Library Association (ALA) believes these arts are essential parts of library collections and services. They play a vital role in sharing a wide range of ideas to everyone. Understanding and valuing the arts builds artistic literacy. Libraries should create opportunities for the community to experience and engage with art.

Art serves many purposes. It can be personal, political, or purely aesthetic. It can:

  • convey social, historical, or political messages;
  • enhance daily life;
  • create visual delight; or
  • challenge the status quo.

In this interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights, art means work created or chosen by a person to evoke an emotional response or engage the senses. In the end, art combines the artist’s creativity, the viewer’s perception, and a reflection of the culture and time in which it was created.

Humans make visual art with intention. Visual art includes:

  • painting
  • drawing  
  • sculpture  
  • photography
  • printmaking  
  • textile and decorative arts
  • digital art and design
  • architecture and installation art

All visual art includes formal elements such as line, shape, color, form, and texture.

Performance art includes traditional forms like theater, dance, and music. It also includes modern live artistic expressions that use body, voice, or actions to convey meaning. Like visual art, performance art can reflect or challenge cultural understanding. By providing access to the arts, libraries uphold Article I of the Library Bill of Rights, supporting the “interest, information, and enlightenment”1 of all community members.

Libraries may provide in-person and digital spaces for users to experience, interact with, and create art. Visual and performing art pieces may be:

  • temporary exhibits;
  • permanent installations;
  • programs;  
  • performances; and
  • viewable or archived collections.

When creating arts exhibits and programs, libraries should include diverse opinions and viewpoints. They should not avoid controversial content or exclude art because of the artists’ beliefs or affiliations. Libraries don’t endorse the views of artists, artwork owners, or exhibit organizers. This applies to both internal and external contributors.2

Libraries that allow the community to use gallery or performing space should create clear policies about when, where, and how the spaces can be used. They may consider criteria such as the:

  • size of the artwork;
  • space needed for an audience;
  • length of display or performance time;
  • frequency of use by the same group or person; and
  • eligibility for submitting work.

Policies should use inclusive language and ensure that space is provided equitably. Policies and outreach should encourage a wide range of groups and people to use library display, exhibit, and performance spaces.3 However, libraries can choose to limit the use of these spaces to “strictly ‘library-related activities.’” If they do, the policy must be clearly defined and viewpoint neutral.4

These policies should be easy for the community to access. Behavior policies should not be used to limit access to art or performances in the library. Users should have a clear process to voice concerns about a work of art or performance, such as through a reconsideration policy.

Art in the library’s permanent or exhibit holdings are an integral part of the collection. It is just as important as books, movies, and digital materials. When possible, collection development policies should include art. Libraries should create welcoming, engaging spaces where users can explore, experience, and create art. They should actively include diverse voices in creative projects, performances, and exhibits. This allows art to reflect many cultural traditions. When planning exhibits, programs, and performances, the library should consider all the communities they serve and provide a variety of viewpoints.

Laws may require libraries to use internet filters.5 These filters can block moving and still images—an issue for users seeking information on the visual arts. Library policies should encourage users to ask for unfiltered online access that respects their privacy. Libraries should consult the “Internet Filtering” interpretation for more information on the Children’s Internet Protection Act.

Visual and performing arts should be accessible to all, without content-based restrictions. This includes ensuring equitable access for children and teens. Library workers should actively seek out a wide variety of art, with limits only due to space, budget, and technical constraints. The same access standards for books and other library materials apply to the visual and performing arts. 

Notes

1. Library Bill of Rights, adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; and January 29, 2019; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

2. “Politics in American Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” adopted June 27, 2017, by the ALA Council; amended June 29, 2025.

3. “Exhibits, Displays, and Bulletin Boards: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” adopted July 2, 1991, by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 2004; and July 1, 2014, under the previous name “Exhibit Spaces and Bulletin Boards”; amended June 25, 2019 under the previous name “User-Initiated Exhibits, Displays, and Bulletin Boards”; and May 29, 2025.

4. “Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” adopted July 2, 1991, by the ALA Council; amended June 26, 2018; amended version rescinded August 16, 2018; amended January 29, 2019; and June 29, 2025.

5. “Internet Filtering: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” adopted June 30, 2015, by the ALA Council; amended June 29, 2025.

Adopted February 13, 2018 by ALA Council; amended May 29, 2025.