Ontario Library Association

Statement on the Intellectual Rights of the Individual

(i)

That the provision of library service to the Canadian public is based upon the right of the citizen, under the protection of the law, to judge individually on questions of politics, religion and morality.

(ii)

That it is the responsibility of librarians to maintain this right and to implement it in their selection of books, periodicals, films, recordings, and other materials.

(iii)

That intellectual freedom requires freedom to examine other ideas and other interpretations of life than those currently approved by the local community or society in general, including those ideas and interpretations which may be unconventional or unpopular.

(iv)

That freedom of the press requires freedom of the writer to depict what is ugly, shocking, and unedifying in life when such depiction is made with serious intent.

(v)

That free traffic in ideas and opinions is essential to the health and growth of a free society and that the freedom to read, listen, and view is fundamental to such free traffic.

(vi)

That it is therefore part of the library's service to its public to resist any attempt by any individual or group within the community it serves to abrogate or curtail the freedom to read, view, and listen by demanding the removal of any book, periodical, film, recording, or other material from the library.

(vii)

That it is equally part of the library's responsibility to its public to ensure that its selection of materials is not unduly influenced by the personal opinions of the selectors, but determined by the application of generally accepted standards of accuracy, style, and presentation.