Library
Bill of Rights

Access to Resources and Services in the School Library: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

School libraries are dynamic learning environments. They bridge the gap between access and opportunity for all learners. The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights applies to all school libraries. This means every student should have equitable access to the library’s facilities, resources, and programs. School libraries play a crucial role in supporting learners’ freedom to explore and learn about different ideas. School libraries should be staffed by full-time certified librarians. School librarians play a crucial role in the ongoing process of selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and deselecting library materials. They do this to ensure the collection meets the diverse needs of learners and supports their intellectual freedom rights. School librarians consider curriculum requirements, learner interests, and community needs.

School libraries ensure that students of all abilities can fully participate in their education. They do this by integrating adaptive technologies and digital resources into the curriculum and classrooms in collaboration with teachers. This inclusive approach makes sure everyone can join in discussions, a vital part of a democracy. It also ensures that every student has equitable access to information.

School librarians ensure access for all learners by including resources in different languages, not just English. When choosing materials, school librarians should consider the languages of learners in their community. These resources assist learners who are learning English and allows all learners to see and learn about different languages.

School librarians choose materials that meet the needs and maturity levels of the learners. These resources:

• support the school’s goals and curriculum;

• offer a variety of viewpoints on both current and historical issues, including those considered controversial;

• foster intellectual growth and personal development; and

• meet learners’ recreational reading needs.

By providing these resources, school librarians support lifelong learning for all students.

School librarians select materials that support the curriculum and independent reading. They do this without letting personal beliefs or biases get in the way. The goal is to provide access to resources and services without restrictions imposed by personal beliefs or group opinions. Common barriers that prevent students from accessing resources in school libraries include:

• age- or grade-level restrictions

• limitations on interlibrary loans

School library policies should remove any barriers and support free and open access to information. School librarians recognize that every parent reserves the right to guide what their learner reads and to select instructional resources that support their family’s unique set of views and opinions but this right to exercise control extends only to their own learner.

The role of school librarians extends beyond the library walls. They provide transformational leadership that prepares students to excel in a complex, interconnected world. School boards are responsible for supporting these roles. They do this by creating policies that:

• ensure students can access a wide range of ideas;

• foster a well-rounded educational experience; and

• prepare students for lifelong success.

Policies should include how to handle concerns about library resources in a fair and timely manner and should include a certified school librarian in the review process for challenged materials. The review process should be guided by professional standards and educational relevance, not by partisan or doctrinal viewpoints. School librarians should implement these policies to make sure all students have equitable access to the library’s resources and services.

Adopted July 2, 1986, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990; July 12, 2000; January 19, 2005; July 2, 2008; July 1, 2014; and June 29, 2025.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/accessresources

Library 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.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. See the documents designated by the Intellectual Freedom Committee as Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill