Politics in American Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. . .” The Library Bill of Rights says that library materials should include “all people” and “all points of view.” There are no restrictions on viewpoint, origin, or politics. Libraries should not exclude opinions just because they are unpopular or offensive to some. This applies even when those opposing views are loud or influential in society.
Associate Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. observed in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964):
[There exists a] profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.
This means libraries should collect, maintain, and provide access to a wide range of materials. Within budget limits and community needs, they should include diverse views on political topics.
A balanced collection does not need to have an equal number of resources for every possible viewpoint. Instead, it should offer a variety of perspectives around each issue.1
Libraries that have designated space for community use must make it available to all community organizations and groups, no matter their views or affiliations.2 This includes political organizations. To guarantee access and to avoid misuse, libraries should have time, place, and manner rules. These rules may include how often a meeting can happen, meeting length, and behavior policies.3 Libraries should create similar rules if they have space for public exhibits or the public distribution of literature.4 Policies about use of the library and its resources should be available to all library users.
A healthy democracy must have a robust exchange of ideas and opinions. American libraries play a key role by providing free, unrestricted access to these ideas. Libraries should support civic engagement by encouraging political discussion in designated forums. They should not avoid these discussions out of fear of offense or controversy.
Library workers may have limitations on workplace speech, including political advocacy.5
When libraries serve as polling places, state or local laws may temporarily limit political expression. These rules can apply to the public, poll workers, and library workers while the polling place is open.
Libraries should implement these guidelines in accordance with their institutional mission and state and local laws.
Notes
1. “Diverse and Inclusive Collections: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” adopted July 14, 1982, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990; July 2, 2008; July 1, 2014, under the previous name “Diversity in Collection Development”; and June 25, 2019 under the previous name “Diverse Collections”; and May 29, 2025. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/diversecollections
2. “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. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/meetingrooms
3. “Guidelines for the Development of Policies and Procedures Regarding User Behavior and Library Usage,” adopted January 24, 1993, by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee; amended November 17, 2000; January 19, 2005; March 29, 2014; and August 16, 2019. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/guidelinesdevelopment
4. “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. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/exhibitsdisplaysbulletinboards
5. “Speech in the Workplace Q&A,” adopted by the Committee on Professional Ethics, July 2001; amended January 2004; June 26, 2006; January 24, 2007; July 1, 2014; and April 30, 2019. https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics/workplacespeechqa
Endorsed by the ACRL Professional Values Committee in June 2017. Adopted June 27, 2017, by the ALA Council; amended June 29, 2025.
