Minors and Online Activity: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
The internet gives people the ability to access, create, and share information. Minors have First Amendment rights to seek, create, and interact with online information in schools and libraries. In particular, they have the right to free expression and the right to privacy.
Minors should have access to social media and other online tools for both learning and recreation. The internet can help develop their social, interpersonal, and academic skills. Examples include:
- creating and sharing documents online;
- uploading pictures, videos, and other visual content;
- playing interactive games;
- organizing and categorizing information; and
- participating in online communities.
Library workers should curate and provide access to age-appropriate online resources and teach minors how to stay safe online. They should help young people develop the skills needed to be responsible digital citizens.
Parents and guardians play a critical role in preparing their children to be online. They should communicate their values and guide their children’s internet use. Libraries and their governing bodies should make it clear that only a parent or guardian can decide what their child—and only their child—can access online.
Libraries and schools often use filters to restrict access to online content. These filters can go beyond what state laws and the Children’s Internet Protection Act require, limiting access to information and social media. Such restrictions deny minors their right to free expression online.
Protecting minors’ online privacy rights is essential. Concerns about sharing personal information or cyberbullying often lead to restrictive policies. These policies can limit minors’ right to free expression and online privacy.
Blocking minors from social media and online communities can prevent them from learning important digital skills. Library workers should teach them how to engage online in ways that match their maturity level. This should be done without restricting access for others.
Library workers should also support strong privacy policies that prevent the collection and use of minors’ online activity for marketing or profit.
The First Amendment protects all speech created by minors and shared online. Blocking social media in schools and libraries violates the Library Bill of Rights and minors’ right to free expression.
Improper use of online tools should be handled as an individual behavior issue, not as a reason to restrict or ban access. Online safety concerns should not justify limiting access for minors. Library workers, educators, and administrators must stay informed about these risks while continuing to support minors’ intellectual freedom.
Libraries defend intellectual freedom and the First Amendment, and they should advocate for greater access when it is limited or restricted. Libraries have a responsibility to provide unrestricted access to online resources to the greatest extent allowed under local, state, and federal laws and to support minors’ right to free expression and online privacy.
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.
