Content Controls and Access Guidelines for Vendors

Introduction  

Libraries exist to give everyone access to information, no matter their age, what they want to read, or the format of the material. When libraries offer digital tools—like ebook or audiobook platforms—those tools should make access easier, not harder. Digital collections must be just as open and available as the physical books on library shelves. Any technology used to access these materials should be designed with fairness, openness, and intellectual freedom in mind.

Libraries often work with outside companies (vendors) that provide apps, websites, and other tools for accessing digital content. Some vendors let library staff choose which digital items to include, while others supply a preselected collection. Some of these products include content filters or controls that can block certain materials. These controls can affect a user’s own account, their child’s account, or even another person’s account. Depending on how they work, these features may conflict with core library values.

Because equal access is especially important for young people, libraries and vendors must work together to ensure that content filters or similar features do not limit what users can read or discover.

Choosing a Third-Party Vendor

When libraries consider new digital platforms, they should ask vendors clear questions about access, filtering, labeling, and how minors use the product. Important questions include:

• What content filters or controls exist or are being developed?
• How does the vendor decide which materials get filtered or categorized?
• Do library staff or users have input when new access‑related features are created?
• Can libraries turn off features they don’t want?
• How will the vendor notify libraries before making changes that affect access?
• Does the product meet accessibility standards, including for users with low or no vision or hearing?

Access for Minors

All people, including children and teens, deserve equal access to library resources, including digital ones. Libraries recognize that every young person is different. Age alone does not determine what someone is ready for or interested in. In a physical library, a young person can simply walk to another section to find what they need. But in a digital platform that automatically filters content by age, they may be blocked from discovering materials outside those categories.

Features that let one user block another user’s access—such as password‑protected “kids modes”—are especially concerning. Parents and guardians have the right to guide their own children’s reading, but the library cannot make those decisions for families, and digital platforms should not do so either. A generic filter cannot know what is right for any individual child. These tools often replace thoughtful parental involvement with broad, one‑size‑fits‑all restrictions.

Labels and Ratings

Labels used in libraries or digital platforms must be neutral and fair. They should help users find materials, not judge them. Genre labels like “mystery” or “fantasy” are neutral because they simply describe the type of story.

However, labels like “mature content” or “adult content” are not neutral. They imply that certain people should not read the material and can be used to discourage or block access. When labels are used to restrict or warn rather than to guide, they become a form of censorship.

Many digital platforms do not clearly explain how they classify materials. Libraries rely on trained professionals who use standardized subject headings, but digital platforms may use rating systems or reviews instead. Rating systems are meant to judge appropriateness, which goes against the Library Bill of Rights when used in library settings. Individuals may choose to use ratings for themselves, but libraries should not use them to limit access.

Privacy

Everyone has a right to privacy in their library use, including what they read or view on digital platforms. If a platform requires a user to ask permission to access certain materials—such as when a content filter blocks them—this forces them to reveal their reading interests. That loss of privacy can discourage people from seeking the information they need.

Content filters are often designed for parents to limit their child’s reading, but requiring a child to ask for access can violate their privacy and may prevent them from exploring topics important to their growth.

User Consent

Digital platforms should give all users full access by default. If content controls exist, users must be able to choose whether to use them. No feature that restricts access should ever be turned on automatically without the user’s clear consent.

Conclusion

Libraries purchase or subscribe to digital platforms to serve their communities, and these digital collections must follow the same principles of access, privacy, and intellectual freedom as physical collections. Vendors may design their products as they wish, but they should communicate openly with libraries and professional organizations when making changes that could affect user access. Collaboration helps ensure that digital tools support, rather than limit, the freedom to read.

Adopted May 5, 2026 by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee.