Library Values

Alisha Short

Ivy Tech Community College

 The foundation of libraries rests on its core values. There are many statements and

documents that teach us the values of libraries. Diversity, privacy, intellectual freedom and

lifelong learning are a few of these values. These are defined well in the Library Bill of Rights,

the Library Code of Ethics and the Freedom to Read statement. I found these to be the most

helpful and to the point. The Library Bill of Rights is the ALA’s statement that all libraries are

forums for information and ideas. The Code of Ethics is a guideline for library staff to uphold the

values of the library. The Freedom to Read statement defines the responsibilities of publishers

and librarians to protect our freedom to read. I believe these three statements define what the

core values of libraries are today.

The Library Bill of Rights states: “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied

or abridged because or origin, age, background, or views”. This is a very important and powerful

statement. Diversity helps a community grow. Everyone has the same rights as another. It does

not matter if you are Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, ten years old or sixty-nine years old. All

patrons are entitled to the same resources and materials. It also states: “Books and other library

resources should be provided for the interest, information and enlightenment of all people of the

community the library serves”. All patrons are entitled to the same benefits as other library

members. All materials are available to whoever wants it. Whether it is reading for pleasure,

work related or for school. Library patrons are entitled to all the library has to offer.

The Library Code of Ethics states: “We provide the highest level of service to all library

users through appropriate and useful organized resources”. Libraries play an important role in the

lives of others. It is where the community comes together, and we learn to better ourselves. This

statement is vital to the library’s success. Librarians strive for excellent service to all their

patrons. They provide the resources needed to succeed. Another important value in the Code of
Ethics is “We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to

information sought or received”. All library members deserve the right of privacy. Librarians are

not going to go out into the community and tell others what items you are getting from the

library. That is a breach of confidentiality. Protecting patron’s privacy and confidentially is

necessary for intellectual freedom and important to library staff.

The Freedom to Read statement protects our freedom to read. Reading is one of the

greatest freedoms we have in this country. It states: “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”. This statement proves that libraries will stand behind their patrons and encourage

them to be themselves. Read anything you like; it does not matter what anyone else says. If you

prefer romance novels to autobiographies, that is perfectly acceptable. No one should be able to

tell someone what they should be reading. Unfortunately, this is always under attack. Public

authorities and some in society think they know what is best for everyone. They want to ‘ban’

books that are not suitable to read. The Freedom to Read makes it possible for readers to freely

choose the books they prefer.

There is a proposed bill in Missouri that is threatening our Freedom to Read. It calls for a

library review board to “identify and restrict materials those boards deem age-inappropriate for

children. In addition, the bill proposes criminal prosecution for librarians who make those

materials available to minors” ("Proposed Library Legislation in Missouri Threatens Freedom to

Read"). The Library Bill of Rights says, ‘books should be provided for all the community’ and

patrons should ‘not be denied because of age or views’. The Code of Ethics says patrons

‘deserve privacy and confidentiality’. The Freedom to Read statement is the Freedom to Read

anything a patron wishes. As with the statement I mentioned earlier, “There is no place in our
society for efforts to coerce the taste of others”. It seems to me that some in our society are

trying to take away some of our freedoms. Why can’t the parents of these children, be parents,

and watch the materials their kids are checking out of the library? Why is the blame put upon the

librarian when children check out materials that are deemed ‘not appropriate’? Some libraries

have self-checkouts. How would the librarian know what they are checking out? Also, there is

always the problem with ‘book banning’. This occurs when organizations or officials remove

books from libraries because of their content. The top three reasons are; sexually explicit

material, offensive language and unsuited content. An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

states,  “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents, and only parents, have the

right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children, and only their children, to

library resources.” (Ediaz, 2019). Censorship violates the first amendment. Everyone is entitled

to the Freedom to Read.

Libraries play such a huge role in the lives of their community members. Libraries give

people the ability to experience new ideas and get lost in wonderful stories. They are a place of

community gathering and equal opportunities for the patrons to enhance their knowledge. The

Library Bill of Rights, Code of Ethics and the Freedom to Read Statement define the values of

what libraries stand for today. They educate the rights of library users to read, speak freely and

seek information. Intellectual freedom is a basic right in our society. Libraries provide free and

confidential access to all information for everyone in the community.

 References

Ediaz. (2019, July 30). Banned Book FAQ. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned-books-qa

Proposed Library Legislation in Missouri Threatens Freedom to Read. (2020, January 16).

Retrieved from https://ncac.org/news/proposed-library-legislation-in-missouri-threatens-

freedom-to-read