Vermont Library Freedom to Read Statement

Vermont Library Freedom to Read Statement.pdf

Joint Statement form the VT School Library Association and the VT Library Association

Intellectual freedom is the right of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as

guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is one of the core values of the library

profession and a basic right in our democratic society; it promotes access to information and

guides the defense against censorship.

In 1953, the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers jointly

released the Freedom to Read Statement. This statement reminded us that, “The freedom to

read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack” (ALA, 2004). Now, seventy

years later, a resurgence of attacks on the freedom to read again threatens our democracy.

Calls for book bans, the adoption of unconstitutional legislation, and campaigns to criminalize

librarians for distributing materials protected by the First Amendment threaten our fundamental

liberties.

Vermont librarians are joining together to emphatically reaffirm their commitment to the values

expressed in the American Library Association’s intellectual freedom documents, including The

Freedom to Read Statement. We believe all Vermonters deserve free access to materials that

function as windows and mirrors, both reflecting individuals’ experiences and providing

expanded, diverse views of the world (Bishop, 1990). We also believe that people are only truly

free when they can read freely.

Jointly issued by the governing boards of the Vermont School Library Association and the

Vermont Library Association, January 2024.

REFERENCES

American Library Association. "The Freedom To Read Statement." ALA Advocacy, 2004,

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

Bishop, Rudine Simms. "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors." Perspectives: Choosing and Using

Books for the Classroom, vol. 6, no. 3, 1990.