MOUNT PROSPECT PUBLIC LIBRARY 10 S. EMERSON STREET, MOUNT PROSPECT IL 60056

February 12, 2020 Dear Prospective Library Board Candidate: Thank you for your interest in the opening on the Library Board. The position we are filling is open due to a resignation, and the term runs through April 2021. If you would like to continue serving past the term end, you would need to participate in the April 2021 election. The Board meets at the library on the first and third Thursday each month at 7:00PM. Requirements are that you be a resident of Mount Prospect and a registered voter. To apply, please submit a short statement of interest and resume to Executive Director Su Reynders by Monday, March 2, 2020 via email to sreynders@mppl.org. Included in this packet is information about the library and serving on the Board of Trustees:

1. MPPL 2020 Board Meeting Schedule 2. Trustee Duties and Responsibilities from Trustee Facts File 3. MPPL Responsibilities of Board and Standard of Conduct for Trustees 4. MPPL Trustee List 5. MPPL 2020 Operating Budget 6. MPPL Bylaws 7. Library Bill of Rights from American Library Association 8. Freedom to Read Statement from American Library Association

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Susan Reynders, Executive Director sreynders@mppl.org 847.590.3220

Mount Prospect Public Library 2020 Board Meeting Schedule

Meetings are held at the Mount Prospect Public Library at 10 S. Emerson Street.

Committee of the Whole Meetings – 7 p.m. Scheduled on the first Thursday of the month

• January 2

• February 6

• March 5

• April 2

• May 7

• June 4

• July 2

• August 6

• September 3

• October 1

• November 5

• December 3

Regular Board Meetings – 7 p.m. Scheduled on the third Thursday of the month

• January 16

• February 20

• March 19

• April 16

• May 21

• June 18

• July 16

• August 20

• September 17

• October 15

• November 19

• December 17 Committee and Special meetings also scheduled occasionally.

The Big PictureIf legions of jobseekers were vying for trustee positions on library boards, awant ad for the job might read as above.

Of course, service on a library board is pro bono public service, so you will nothave arrived here by dazzling a job interviewer. As a library user and supporter,you may have campaigned for an elected trustee position, or perhaps you hesi-tantly accepted appointment. Either way, you have a most important job to do.

A public library might be defined as a repository of information available toall in the community. This public resource addresses and meets a wide variety ofneeds. For some members of the community, the library is the chief or onlysource for recreational reading. For others, it is a valuable professional resource.Young children discover the wide world of ideas in the library. People of all agesuse computers and the Internet at libraries to prepare themselves to function inthe modern digital world. Disabled people find resources in public libraries thatmay not be available elsewhere. You, as a trustee, represent all of these people.

A public library, even of relatively small size, is a complex operation thatrequires informed and skillful administration and management. You, along withthe other trustees on the library board, oversee performance of these roles bylibrary staff.

The Board of Trustees Library trustees do their work collectively on the library board. Though the boardhas broad powers—it is answerable only to the governing body that has oversightover the library or, if elected, to the voters—those powers are exercised collectively.No individual trustee can speak or act for the board, or for the library, unlessspecifically empowered to do so by board action or adopted bylaws.

The board’s crucial partner in administering the library is the library director.This professional has been hired by the board and serves at the board’s pleasure.The board depends heavily on the professional judgment and experience of thedirector. For example, the board of trustees can draft an annual budget for thelibrary, but specific input about what moneys are needed for which purposescomes mainly from the director. As a trained professional, he or she is employedto assess needs such as acquisitions, staff coverage, and public services.

The remainder of this chapter details duties of the board of trustees, boththose assisted and unassisted by the library director; responsibilities of individ-ual trustees; and basic rules of ethics for trustees.

Chapter 1

TRUSTEE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties Broadly speaking, the board of trustees establishes librarypolicies, and the library director implements those poli-cies in the day-to-day operations of the library. However,these roles are interdependent and require careful distinc-tion of responsibility and authority.

The degree to which the board relies on the librarian’sprofessional knowledge and experience will, of course,vary with the situation. In every case, however, coopera-tion is the key to a smoothly run, successful library. Alibrary in which all the players work cooperatively towardthe common goal will inevitably deliver greater benefits tothe community than one in which trustees and librarianwork competitively, at odds with each other. The follow-ing lists detail duties carried out collectively by boards oftrustees in public libraries.

Duties of the Board Assisted by Input from theDirector…

� Write and maintain an official mission statement forthe library.

� Develop long-range plans to address anticipated com-munity needs.

� Establish and support library policies. Examples ofsuch policies include

levels of service (for example, open hours).registration and circulation policies and other rulesdirectly affecting patron use.types of service (in addition to circulation andinformational services, will the library provide spe-cial programs for children? the disabled? the visuallyimpaired? or literacy training?).confidentiality and privacy policies.patron access to the Internet.collection development policy.

� Authorize salary and benefits plans for library staff.� Assess maintenance of library grounds and buildings,

and authorize purchase of lands or construction ofnew buildings when necessary and appropriate.

� Develop an annual budget.� Review monthly financial reports to ensure accounta-

bility to budget goals.� Provide financial information and an independent

audit as required by Illinois law.� Advocate for funding necessary to meet community

library needs.� Engage in other fundraising activities as necessary and

appropriate.� Promote the library in the community.

Duties of the Board, Exclusively…

� Hire a qualified library director.� Evaluate director’s performance periodically, at least

annually.� Establish policies for the functioning of the board.

Such policies include by-laws governing meetings, quorums, selection ofofficers and the length of their terms as officers; andother matters relating to handling the business ofthe board.finance policies (for example, how funds will be dis-persed or invested, or who will be authorized towrite checks).trustee’s code of ethics.

For more information about division of dutiesbetween the board of trustees and the library director, goonline to the Illinois State Library Administrative ReadyReference Menu,http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_have/readyref/index.htm: select Policy Model;select Division of Responsibility….

You, Personally

For the library machine to hum smoothly, every partici-pant—trustee and staff—must shoulder a fair and properload. To carry out the trustee duties which you haveaccepted, you will need to make a substantial commit-ment of time and effort.

Your Duties as a Trustee…

� Attend board meetings.� Preview agenda, minutes, and documents before each

board meeting.� Participate in discussion and decision making at board

meetings.� Stand by decisions made by the board.� Serve on committees as assigned by chair.� Commit time outside of board meetings for the work

of the board, as necessary and appropriate.� Participate in activities sanctioned by the board, such

as fundraising or public relations in the community.� Represent the library at community events—be visible

and accessible to those your represent.� Become informed about library issues through partici-

pation in the regional library system, ILA, and ALA.� Become informed about state laws that govern public

libraries in Illinois.

� Become an advocate for the library community.As with any position of responsibility and accountability,library trusteeship calls for adherence to high standards ofethical behavior.

2 TRUSTEE FACTS FILE

Your Ethical Responsibilities…

� If you have a conflict of interest in a matter taken up bythe board, you must remove yourself from considera-tion and voting on that matter. For example, your finan-cial stake in a firm with which the board does or intendsto do business would constitute a conflict of interest.(For more information about conflicts of interest, seeChapter 4, “Legal Responsibilities and Liability.”)

� Respect the opinions and contributions of othertrustees; refrain from dogmatic or bullying behavior at board meetings. Work towardacceptable compromise on contentious issues.

� Do not voice opposition to board decisions in public;limit criticism to debates within board meetings.

� Respect confidential information: do not reveal contentof closed session board discussions.

� Refer patron/public requests for information to thelibrary director.

� Refer staff grievances or problems to the library director,who has full responsibility for managing staff; refrainfrom becoming involved in controversy or conflictamong staff.

� Refer complaints from the public to the library director.� Do not initiate or participate in ad hoc board meetings

called without advance notice and knowledge of all par-ticipants. Conform to the Open Meetings Act in postingrequired meeting notices for the public and the press.

� Assume full responsibility as a board member. Attendboard meetings regularly and perform all assignedcommittee work in a timely manner. If you are unableto fulfill your duties, consider resigning so that some-one else can better serve.

� Support open access to information and resist movestoward censorship.Finally, consider the benefits you will derive from serv-

ing as a library trustee. You will make new acquaintancesand friendships with people who are passionate about, anddedicated to, values of public service. Some of these peoplewill become personal friends; others will remain good pro-fessional associates. Whether you are a worker in a trade, aprofessional, a homemaker, an independent businessper-son, or are engaged in some other life activity, the peoplenetwork you establish during your tenure of trusteeshipwill likely prove to be of great benefit to you.

Then, of course, there is the obvious: you will be makingan important contribution to the people in your communityand to your community’s future. A public library is one of themost universal and accessible institutions in our society. Yourcontribution as a public library trustee will help bring oppor-tunity to all the people, irrespective of all the differences thatsometimes divide communities in other spheres. Don’t under-rate the satisfaction you will derive from this endeavor.

Resources Duca, Diane J. Nonprofit Boards: Roles, Responsibilities,

and Performance. New York: Wiley, 1996.

Gale, Robert L. Board Source, Governance Series Booklets,#9: Leadership Roles in Nonprofit Governance.Washington, D.C.: Board Source, 2003.

Grace, Kay Sprinkel. Board Source, Governance SeriesBooklets, #6: The Nonprofit Board’s Role in Settingand Advancing the Mission. Washington, D.C.: Board

Source, 2003.

Ingram, Richard T. Board Source, Governance SeriesBooklets, #1: Ten Basic Responsibilities of NonprofitBoards, revised ed. Washington, D.C.: Board Source,

2003.

O’Connell, Brian. The Board Member’s Book: Making aDifference in Voluntary Organizations. New York:

Foundation Center, 2003.

3TRUSTEE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Mount Prospect Public Library Responsibilities of Board and Standard of Conduct for Trustees

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Board Follow power and duties as outlined in the Illinois Revised Statutes 5/4-7. Establish and revise library policies, through careful study and thoughtful discussion that will determine the proper course of action. Keep abreast of library trends and standards. Know the community needs for library services. Maintain adequate funding for the library. Promote good public relations. Provide orientation for new trustees. Study and support legislation that will bring about the greatest good to the greatest number of library users. Support American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, Interpretations of the ALA Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read. Trustee Advocate for Mount Prospect Public Library within community. Advocate for libraries with other elected officials at local, state and federal levels. Attend regular and special meetings or committee of the whole. Be active in community. Be familiar with and abide by the basic tenets of parliamentary procedure. Come prepared for meetings. Have an open mind and respect all opinions. Participate actively on the board. Participate in continuing education opportunities. Understand the role of the board and the role of the director.

MOUNT PROSPECT PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD LIST 2019-2020

LIBRARY TRUSTEES BOARD OFFICERS PRIMARY E-MAIL CURRENT TERM YEARS SERVED

Marie Bass mbass@mppl.org 2019-2021 2019 - to present

Michael Duebner Vice President mduebner@mppl.org 2017-2023 2015 - to present

Sylvia G. Fulk sfulk@mppl.org 2015-2019 2014 - to present

Terri Gens Assistant Treasurer tgens@mppl.org 2017-2019 2017 - to present

Brian Gilligan Secretary/Treasurer bgilligan@mppl.org 2017-2023 2011 - to present

Sylvia M. Haas President shaas@mppl.org 2015-2021 2008 - to present

02/10/2020jrp

BudgetAcct. Description 20204110 Salaries 5,783,4404120 IMRF 549,7494130 MCFICA 442,4334140 Medical insurance 770,0004150 Unemployment 7,000

Payroll subtotal 7,552,622

4210 Audit 7,0004220 Legal 10,0004230 Printing 40,2004240 Marketing 71,7004250 Resources 5,4004260 Professional Dues 7,0004270 Board Development/Training 6,5004280 Human Resources 111,2004290 Other Operating 73,100

Management subtotal 332,100

4310 Telecommunications 51,0004320 Insurance 86,5004340 Office Supplies 16,3004350 Library Supplies 23,0004360 Postage 22,4004380 Contract Services 32,3004390 IT Services 65,700

Operating subtotal 297,200

4410 Building Maintenance 213,7004420 Equipment Maintenance 131,5004440 Janitorial 72,6004450 Equipment 133,6004460 Utilities 56,500

Building subtotal 607,900

4610 Adult Books 205,0004620 Adult AV 64,8004630 Youth Books 135,5004640 Youth AV 33,5004650 Subscriptions 18,4004660 Electronic Resources 179,8004661 Digital media 156,0004662 E-Learning 53,2004663 Library of Things 5,0004670 Microform 9004680 Processing Supplies 26,0004690 Programs 45,200

Services subtotal 923,300

GRAND TOTAL 9,713,122

MOUNT PROSPECT PUBLIC LIBRARY - 2020 AMENDED OPERATING BUDGET

MOUNT PROSPECT BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES BY-LAWS

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SECTION I. Composition of the Board of Library Trustees – Officers II. Duties of Library Trustees III. Meetings IV. Minutes of Meetings V. Conduct of Business during Meetings VI. Order of Business (Regular Meetings only) VII. Committees of the Board of Library Trustees VIII. Executive Director IX. Legal Counsel X. Additional Rules and Regulations – Amendment I. Composition of the Board of Library Trustees – Officers (A) The Board of Library Trustees shall be composed of seven (7) members

(each member is referred to hereinafter by the title "Library Trustee"), each of whom shall be elected for a term of six years until his/her successor is elected and qualified, pursuant to the Illinois Compiled statutes, made and provided.

(1) A vacancy shall be declared in the office of Library Trustee by the

Board of Library Trustees, whenever:

(a) A Library Trustee declines or is unable to serve, or (b) A Library Trustee is absent without cause from all regular

board meetings of the Board of Library Trustees for a period of one (1) year, or

(c) A Library Trustee is convicted of a misdemeanor for failing,

neglecting, or refusing to discharge any duty imposed upon a Library Trustee by the Illinois Compiled statutes, or

(d) A Library Trustee becomes a non-resident of the Village of

Mount Prospect, or (e) A Library Trustee fails to pay the taxes of the Mount

Prospect Public Library as levied by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Mount Prospect.

(2) If a vacancy occurs upon the Board of Library Trustees, the

vacancy is filled by the remaining Library Trustees by appointment until the next regular library election at which Library Trustees are scheduled to be elected under the consolidated schedule of elections in the general election law of the State of Illinois, at which

MOUNT PROSPECT BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES BY-LAWS

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election a Library Trustee shall be elected to fill such vacancy. In the event of a failure to elect a Library Trustee, the appointed Library Trustee, if any was so appointed, may continue in the office of Library Trustee until his successor has been elected and qualified.

(B) At or before the regular May meeting following the regular library election,

newly elected Library Trustees shall take their oaths of office and meet with the incumbent Library Trustees to organize the Board of Library Trustees.

The first action taken at the regular May meeting of the Board of Library

Trustees shall be the election (from amongst the membership of the said Library Trustees) of a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer.

II. Duties of Library Trustees (A) Library Trustees shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed

for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties from the funds of the Mount Prospect Public Library.

(B) Each Board of Library Trustees shall carry out the spirit and intent of the

Illinois Compiled statutes in establishing, supporting, and maintaining the Mount Prospect Public Library – exercising such powers as shall be conferred by the said Illinois Compiled statutes.

(C) All officers of the Board of Library Trustees shall hold such office for a

term of one (1) year or until their successors are elected. An officer may not ordinarily be elected to succeed himself/herself more than once, but officers may be elected to a third successive term under special circumstances. Five affirmative votes of board members are required to extend the tenure of an officer to a third successive term.

(D) Duties

(1) The President shall supervise the affairs of the Board of Library

Trustees. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Board, and shall appoint such committees and subcommittees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Board. The President shall be the ex-officio member of all committees and subcommittees so appointed.

(2) The Vice President shall act as a presiding officer in the absence of

the President and assume the duties and responsibilities of the President in the event of a vacancy in the office of the President.

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He or she shall review the minutes and audio tapes of closed meetings prior to the Board’s semi-annual review of such minutes.

(3) The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds under the

authority of the Board of Library Trustees; and shall prepare or cause to be prepared the appropriate monthly reports and annual reports of the funds. The Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Library Trustees shall give and thereafter maintain his/her bond to be approved by the Board of Library Trustees in a principal amount not less than fifty percent (50%) of the amount of the total funds received by the Board of Library Trustees in the preceding fiscal year. Said bond shall be conditioned upon his/her safely keeping and paying over to the order of the Board of Library Trustees all funds received and held by him/her for this Board. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve on the Finance Committee.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain and keep true and accurate

minutes and account of all proceedings and correspondence of the Board of Library Trustees; issue or cause to be issued all notices for all meetings of the Board of Library Trustees; and be the custodian of all records of the Board of Library Trustees and of the Mount Prospect Public Library.

(4) The Assistant Treasurer shall review all bills so that checks may be

issued with final approval for payment of such bills to be done at the regular meeting. The Assistant Treasurer shall serve on the Finance Committee.

(E) A library trustee will attend the monthly meeting of the Mount Prospect

Public Library Foundation as representative of the Board of Trustees.

(F) The Board of Library Trustees shall approve a strategic plan every three years. The plan will be reviewed annually and modifications made if appropriate.

(G) Biennially the Library Trustees shall determine whether these By-Laws

shall be amended, with the understanding that any such amendment shall carry out the spirit and intent of and shall be consistent with the applicable Illinois Compiled statutes.

III. Meetings (A) The regular meetings of the Board of Library Trustees of the Mount

Prospect Public Library shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Mount Prospect Public Library.

MOUNT PROSPECT BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES BY-LAWS

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(B) Special meetings may be called by the President or any two (2) Library Trustees, upon forty-eight (48) hours written notice to each Library Trustee and which notice otherwise shall be given in the manner provided by law.

(C) Notice of all meetings of two (2) or more trustees shall be posted forty-

eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. Notices thereof shall be posted at the Mount Prospect Public Library.

(D) Electronic conferencing for meeting attendance and voting may occur

providing all pertinent provisions of the Open Meetings Act are complied with.

(E) Any gathering of a majority of a quorum of the Board of Library Trustees

for the purpose of discussing public business shall be deemed a meeting and, aside from the required notices discussed above, shall be open to the public except for meetings closed to the public authorized by the Illinois Compiled statutes.

(1) The Board of Library Trustees may hold a meeting closed to the

public or close a portion of a meeting to the public, upon a majority vote of a quorum present, taken at a meeting open to the public for which the required notices have been given and for purposes of closed sessions as provided by the Illinois Compiled statutes. Only the topic specified may be discussed during such meeting.

(a) A single vote may be taken with respect to a series of

meetings, a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public, provided each meeting in such series involves the same particular matters and is scheduled to be held within no more than three (3) months of the vote.

(b) The vote of each Library Trustee on the question of holding

a meeting or portion thereof closed to the public and a citation to the specific statutory authorization for such closed meeting shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the meeting or portion thereof open to the public.

(2) Only topics specified in the aforesaid vote to hold a closed meeting

to the public may be considered during such meeting. IV. Minutes of Meetings (A) Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of the Mount Prospect Board of

Library Trustees, whether regular or special, or open or closed to the public. Such minutes shall include but need not be limited to:

MOUNT PROSPECT BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES BY-LAWS

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(1) The date, time, and place of the meeting, (2) The Library Trustees recorded as being present or being absent,

and (3) A general description of all matters, proposed, discussed, or

decided; as well as a record of any votes taken thereon. (B) Minutes of meeting or portions thereof open to the public shall be

approved within thirty (30) days after the meeting or at the Library’s second subsequent regular meeting, whichever is later.

(C) Minutes of meeting or portions thereof open to the public shall be available

for public inspection within ten (10) days of their approval by the Board of Library Trustees; however, minutes of meetings closed to the public shall be available only after the Board of Library Trustees determines that it is no longer necessary to protect the public interest or the privacy of an individual by keeping them confidential.

V. Conduct of Business During Meetings (A) Quorum: A majority of the Library Trustees of the Board shall constitute a

quorum for the conduct of business at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Library Trustees and a majority of a quorum may transact any business of the said Board of Library Trustees.

(B) Enforcement of Decorum During Meetings: In accord with the Illinois

Compiled Statutes and ordinances of the Village of Mount Prospect, it is unlawful to disturb or interrupt any meeting of the Board of Library Trustees; any person violating any provision of this Section is subject to arrest.

(C) The Board of Library Trustees shall be governed by parliamentary law as

laid down in The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Sturgis. VI. Order of Business (Regular Meetings Only) (A) On the stated time and date of each regular meeting, the Library Trustees

and Executive Director shall take their places in the designated location at the Mount Prospect Public Library.

(B) Immediately thereafter the business of the Board of Library Trustees shall

be taken up in the order set out in the written agenda circulated or caused to be circulated amongst the Library Trustees by the Secretary/Treasurer at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting.

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(C) A waiver of the rules for the purpose of discussing an item out of order or not on the written agenda may be requested by any Library Trustee and shall be allowed by concurrence of a majority of all the Library Trustees present.

VII. Committees of the Board of Library Trustees (A) Committees shall be: committee of the whole, standing, special/ad hoc

and advisory. (1) The Committee of the Whole studies and discusses specific issues. (2) Standing committees shall be appointed annually one month after

election of officers at the regular meeting of the Board. Each committee shall be appointed by the President. Standing committees are personnel and finance.

(3) Special/ad hoc committees for the study and investigation of

particular issues may be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Library Trustees. The make-up may include staff, but must include at least one board member. Each committee shall serve until the completion of the work for which it was established.

(4) Advisory committees may be established by the Board of Library

Trustees in order to provide citizen input and advice to the board. VIII. Executive Director (A) The Executive Director of the Mount Prospect Public Library shall be

appointed by the Board of Library Trustees of the Mount Prospect Public Library at a salary to be evaluated on a yearly basis.

(B) The Executive Director shall be the chief administrative officer of the

Mount Prospect Public Library and shall:

have charge of the administration and operation of the Mount Prospect Public Library under the direction and review of the Board of Library Trustees;

hire, dismiss, oversee and supervise all Mount Prospect Public Library personnel;

be responsible and accountable for the care of the building, equipment, furnishings and Mount Prospect Public Library materials;

be responsible for the efficiency of services rendered to the residents of Mount Prospect;

MOUNT PROSPECT BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES BY-LAWS

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be responsible for the selection of books and other materials used in the Mount Prospect Public Library following the materials selections policies adopted and outlined by the Board of Library Trustees;

be in attendance at board meetings and participate in the discussions of the Board of Library Trustees;

certify the receipt of all Mount Prospect Library materials as ordered and billed to the Mount Prospect Public Library;

present to the Board of Library Trustees an annual budget for adoption at the regular December meeting thereof;

implement strategic plan in accordance with Board direction and perform all other duties specified by the Board of Library Trustees.

(C) The implementation of administrative and personnel matters concerning

the Mount Prospect Public Library are the primary responsibility of its Executive Director. Any concerns of any Library Trustee regarding such matters must be directed only to the Executive Director or, in his or her absence, to the Executive Team.

IX. Legal Counsel Library Trustees will retain legal counsel. Such counsel shall be used as needed

by the President of the Board of Library Trustees and the Executive Director. Requests for legal counsel by the other Library Trustees shall be made through the President.

X. Additional Rules and Regulations – Amendment (A) The Board of Library Trustees shall make and adopt from time to time

such additional rules and regulations as may be necessary for their own guidance and for the governance of the Mount Prospect Public Library.

(B) It is expected that each Library Trustee comply with other statutory

requirements and/or obligations attendant to his/her holding office, including but not limited to: Filing a statement of economic interest with the office of the Mount Prospect Village Clerk for the Village, and with the Cook County Clerk for Cook County and State of Illinois.

(C) These By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of

Library Trustees at a regular meeting thereof, provided that the notice of the meeting includes the proposed amendment, or amendments, in full.

Library Bill of RightsLibrary Bill of RightsLibrary Bill of RightsLibrary Bill of Rights The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide

their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be

excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.

Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and

enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups

concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms

available to the public they serve should make such facilities

available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939.

Amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; and January 23, 1980;

inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996, by the ALA Council.

2/10/2020 The Freedom to Read Statement | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues

www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement 1/4

The Freedom to Read Statement

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and publicauthorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, tocensor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books orauthors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of freeexpression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety ornational security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, asindividuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish toassert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinaryindividual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans torecognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read andbelieve. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be"protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise inideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education,the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actualcensorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntarycurtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by governmentofficials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression isnever more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States theelasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enableschange to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes thetoughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write isalmost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initiallycommand only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untriedvoice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussionthat serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture.We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety ofinquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every Americancommunity must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its ownfreedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity tothat freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm onthese constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompanythese rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

2/10/2020 The Freedom to Read Statement | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues

www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement 2/4

1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views

and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the

majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thoughtis a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves inpower by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. Thepower of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of itscitizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle everynonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, onlythrough the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strengthdemanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make

available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or

aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge andideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster educationby imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom toread and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian orpublisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to whatanother thinks proper.

3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of

the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of itscreators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen,whatever they may have to say.

4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the

reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic

expression.

To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut offliterature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachershave a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which theywill be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves.These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from readingworks for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot belegislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting thefreedom of others.

5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing

any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

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The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determineby authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed inmaking up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do theirthinking for them.

6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to

contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own

standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to

reduce or deny public access to public information.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or theaesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individualor group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read,and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But nogroup has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics ormorality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded onlyto the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creativewhen the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.

7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by

providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of

this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one,

the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for thatreader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision ofopportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the majorchannel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testingand growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmostof their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim forthe value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety andusefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions maymean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We donot state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believerather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression ofideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American LibraryAssociation and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the AmericanEducational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.

Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

A Joint Statement by:

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American Library Association (/)Association of American Publishers (http://www.publishers.org/)

Subsequently endorsed by:

American Booksellers for Free Expression (http://www.bookweb.org/abfe)The Association of American University Presses (http://www.aaupnet.org/)The Children's Book Council (http://www.cbcbooks.org/)Freedom to Read Foundation (http://www.ftrf.org)National Association of College Stores (http://www.nacs.org/)National Coalition Against Censorship (http://www.ncac.org/)National Council of Teachers of English (http://www.ncte.org/)The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression (http://www.tjcenter.org)