I.  Mission and Goal Statements

1. The mission of the Rusk County Community Library is to provide quality materials and services that fulfill educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the entire community in an atmosphere that is friendly, respectful, and professional.
2. The general library goals of the Rusk County Community Library shall be:

1. To serve all residents of the community and the surrounding region.
2. To acquire and make available to all residents of the above area such books, periodicals, media, and other services as will address their needs to:
   1. become well informed
   2. locate answers to important questions
   3. cultivate the imagination and creative expression
   4. develop skills for career and vocational advancement
   5. enjoy leisure by means of reading and other media services.
3. To acquire the means to provide the most frequently requested material locally and upon demand.
4. To maintain a program of service which locates information, guides reading, organizes and interprets material for people of various backgrounds, and stimulates thinking and intellectual development in individuals of any age.
5. To strive consistently to discover new methods and improvements for better service for the library’s customers.
6. To review regularly these goals of the Rusk County Community Library and, if necessary, revise them in the light of new developments.

II.  Who May Use the Library

1. The library will serve all residents of the community and the public library system area. Service will not be denied or abridged because of religious, racial, social, economic, or political status; or because of mental, emotional, or physical condition; age; or sexual orientation.
2. The use of the library may be denied for due cause. Such cause may be failure to return library materials or to pay penalties; destruction of library property, disturbance of other patrons, or any other illegal, disruptive, or objectionable conduct on library premises.

III.  Patron Responsibilities and Conduct

It is a patron’s responsibility to maintain necessary and proper standards of behavior in order to protect his/her individual rights and the rights and privileges of other patrons. If a patron creates a public nuisance, that patron may be restricted from the library and from the use of the library facilities. Those who are unwilling to leave or do not leave within a reasonable amount of time, after being instructed to do so by the staff, will be subject to the law.

Young children:
The Rusk County Community Library encourages visits by young children and it is our desire to make this important visit both memorable and enjoyable for the child. Library staff is not expected to assume responsibility for the care of unsupervised children in the library.

Therefore, it is library policy that all children under age six must be accompanied by a parent or designated responsible person while in the library. Also, if the young child is attending a library program, we require the parent/responsible person to remain in the library throughout the program.

Disruptive children:
Children of all ages are encouraged to use the library for homework, recreational reading, and program attendance. The library staff realizes that the library will be noisier at busy times and that children by nature can cause more commotion. However, children (whether with parents or not) who are being continually disruptive will be given a warning that he/she must settle down or will be asked to leave the library. If after a second warning the child continues to be disruptive, he/she will be asked to leave the library. If the child needs to contact a parent, they may do so and then wait with a staff person until the parent arrives.

IV.  Services of the Library

The library provides materials and resources for information, entertainment, intellectual development, and enrichment of the people of the community. The library should endeavor to:

1. Select, organize, and make available necessary books and materials.
2. Provide guidance and assistance to patrons.
3. Sponsor and implement programs, exhibits, displays, book lists, etc., which would appeal to children and adults.
4. Cooperate with other community agencies and organizations.
5. Secure information beyond its own resources when requested. (Using interlibrary loan and other resource sharing methods provided through the system and state.)
6. Lend to other libraries upon request.
7. Develop and provide services to patrons with special needs.
8. Maintain a balance in its services to various groups.
9. Cooperate with, but not perform the functions of, school or other institutional libraries.
10. Provide service during hours which best meet the needs of the community, including evening and weekend hours.
11. Regularly review library services being offered.
12. Use media and other public relations mechanisms to promote the full range of available library services.

V.  Responsibilities and Authorities of the Library Board

Refer to Chapter 43 of the Wisconsin Statutes (particularly section 43.58), the Wisconsin Public Library Trustee Manual, and individual library bylaws to provide basis and framework for the responsibilities and authority of the library board and individual trustees.

The Rusk County Community Library encourages each library trustee to take advantage of training opportunities for trustees offered by the public library system or statewide agencies and organizations. Likewise, the library encourages trustees to be active in the state library organization and its efforts to inform the governor and legislature of the benefits and needs of public libraries.

VI.  Volunteers and Friends

The Library Board encourages individuals and groups to volunteer their time and efforts in the service of the Rusk County Community Library. In appreciation of volunteer services, the library acknowledges the need to organize volunteer activities and provide for appropriate recognition befitting the benefit to the library and the communities it serves.

Annual recognition will be given based on the number of hours of service. This will include a listing of volunteer names in a newspaper release, a certificate of appreciation, and the addition of a book to the collection in each volunteer’s name.

A library friends group is a formal association of people who unite to plan and execute, in conjunction with library goals and the needs of the library director, programs and events to benefit the library. In particular, a friends group is often heavily involved in fund-raising for the library and often oversees periodic book sales. Friends groups always serve at the pleasure of the library board which is the only body with legal authority to set policy for the development of the library.

VII.  Personnel Policy

1. Management Policy: The duly appointed library board shall have all management rights, authorities, and responsibilities as stated in Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 43.
   1. The library board shall select, appoint, and when necessary for valid reasons, dismiss the director of the library.
   2. The board shall establish all other positions and all wages and benefit levels for all library staff shall be in conformity with the union contract.
   3. The library board shall provide an effective orientation for new directors to assure that the director understands:
   4. the policies and processes related to the daily operation of the library,
   5. reporting and budgetary requirements that assure accountabilityand compliance with the law,
   6. the expectations of the board in regard to administrative processes and protocol, particularly as they relate to conducting effective and efficient board meetings, and
   7. rules and requirements for state certification and any assistance which is provided by the library to acquire and maintain appropriate certification.
   8. The library board shall conduct annual appraisals of the library director’s performance, at which time personal and management goals can be discussed and negotiated.
      
      
2. Administrative Policy: The person appointed as library director shall be charged with the sole administration of the library.
   1. The director shall be responsible to the library board in matters pertaining to and concerning the library; be present at monthly board meetings and prepare and present such reports and meeting documents as requested.
   2. The director shall maintain financial records in an efficient manner; present periodic reports to the library board and to the municipal governing bodies, prepare the draft of the annual budget to be presented to the library board, and assist trustees with presentation of the adopted request for appropriation to the municipal governing body.
   3. The director shall hold regular meetings with staff and/or volunteers for training and interpreting board policy.
   4. The director will be responsible for preparing annual performance assessments for library staff.
   5. The director shall have the responsibility for collection development for all materials in the library; this includes selection, ordering, processing, weeding, and inventory of the collections according to the guidelines in the policy.
   6. The director will recommend changes in or additions to library policies as needed.
   7. The director will perform preparatory work to assist the board with regular library planning.
      
      
3. Salaries: A classification and salary schedule has been adopted by the City of Ladysmith. The plan is subject to regular revision so that it will remain equitable for both the library and director. (Staff salaries: See union contract).
4. Health Insurance Policy (See union contract).
5. Vacation Policy (See union contract).
6. Holiday Policy (See union contract).
7. Sick Leave (See union contract).
8. Leave of Absence (See union contract).
9. Bereavement Leave (See union contract).
10. Military Leave (See union contract).
11. Jury Duty (See union contract).
12. Work Schedule Policy (See union contract).
13. Meetings, Conventions, and Workshops (See union contract).
14. Disciplinary Policy (See union contract).
15. Resignation and Retirement Policy (See union contract).
16. Grievance Procedure (See union contract).
17. Equal Opportunity Employment Policy (See union contract).
18. Drug-Free Workplace Policy (See union contract).
19. Sexual Harassment Policy (See union contract).

VIII.  Material Selection/Collection Development Policy

1. Objectives

   The purpose of the Rusk County Community Library is to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.

   Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs.

   The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.

   The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Rusk County Community Library Board and are integral parts of the policy.

   The materials selection/collection development policy, like all other policies, will be reviewed and/or revised as the need arises.

2. Responsibility for Selection

   The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the library director who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Rusk County Library Board. This responsibility may be shared with other members of the library staff; however, because the director must be available to answer to the library board and the general public for actual selections made, the director has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.

3. Criteria for Selection
   1. The main points considered in the selection of materials are:
      1. individual merit of each item
      2. popular appeal/demand
      3. suitability of material for the clientele
      4. existing library holdings
      5. budget
   2. Reviews are a major source of information about new materials. The primary sources of reviews are Library Journal, Booklist, and School Library Journal.
   3. The lack of a review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title that is in demand. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media. Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.
      
      
4. Interlibrary Loan

   Because of limited budget and space, the library cannot provide all materials that are requested. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of this library’s collection.

   In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Rusk County Community Library agrees to lend its materials to other libraries through the same interlibrary loan network, and to have its current holdings listed in a tool that is accessible by other libraries throughout the state.

5. Gifts and Donations

   The library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only if appropriate and needed. If they are not needed because of duplication, condition, or dated information the director can dispose of them as he/she sees fit. The same criteria of selection which are applied to purchased materials are applied to gifts. Memorial gifts of books or money are also accepted with suitable bookplates placed in the book. Specific memorial books can be ordered for the library on request of a patron if the request meets the criteria established by the board. It is desirable for gifts of or for specific titles to be offered after consultation with the library director. Book selection will be made by the director if no specific book is requested. The Rusk County Community Library encourages and appreciates gifts and donations.

   By law, the library is not allowed to appraise the value of donated materials, though it can provide an acknowledgment of receipt of the items if requested by the donor.

6. Weeding

   An up-to-date, attractive and useful collection is maintained through a continual withdrawal and replacement process. Replacement of worn volumes is dependent upon current demand, usefulness, more recent acquisitions, and availability of newer editions. This ongoing process of weeding is the responsibility of the library director and is authorized by the Board. Withdrawn materials will be handled in a similar manner and under the same authority as donated materials.

7. Potential Problems or Challenges

   The Rusk County Community Library recognizes that some materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons. Selection of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the basis of the principles states in this policy.

   Responsibility for the reading of children rests with their parents or legal guardians. Selection of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.

   Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents, and no library material will be sequestered except to protect it from damage or theft.

8. Challenged Materials

   Although materials are carefully selected, there can arise differences of opinion regarding suitable materials. Patrons requesting that material be withdrawn from or restricted within the collection may complete a "Statement of Concern About Library Resources" form that is available in the library. The inquiry will be placed on the agenda of the next regular meeting of the Rusk County Community Library Board.

IX.  Circulation Policy

1. Registration

   All borrowers must be registered and must have a valid local or system patron card to borrow library materials.

   Patrons must fill out an application form to register for a new library card. The following statement will be printed on the registration form for the patron’s information and acceptance:

I agree to follow the policies of the Bi-County Library and Information Consortium Libraries and accept responsibility for all materials used.

Signature________________________

Identification is required. A driver’s license or student ID is preferred, however, any other official ID or recent non-personal piece of mail may be acceptable.

Applicants under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian give their consent on the application form before a new card can be issued. This parental signature is not required for children who are renewing cards.

2. Lost for forgotten cards

   If a patron loses his/her library card, he should notify the library as soon as possible and request a replacement card for a fee.

   All patrons, adult and juvenile, are expected to bring their library cards with them if they intend to check out items.

3. Loan periods
   1. Four weeks for books. New fiction, two weeks.
   2. Generally, reference books do not circulate. Upon request, some reference materials may be checked out overnight.
   3. Interlibrary loans are due the date indicated by the lending library.
   4. Books may be renewed once if there is not a waiting list for the title.
   5. Current issues of periodicals do not circulate.
   6. Non-current periodicals may be checked out for two weeks.
   7. Four weeks for cassettes, audio books, and music compact discs.
   8. Seven days for videocassettes and CD-ROMS.
      
      

   The director may establish the loan period for special collections, materials that are temporarily in great demand, such as for student projects, or materials added to the collection that are in a new format, e.g., computer software.

   The items a patron can borrow at one time are five videos, five periodicals and twenty-five books.

4. Reserves

   Reserves may be placed by patrons either in person, over the phone, or online. Patrons will be notified by mail or phone when the materials are available. There is no charge to the patron for placing a reserve or for interlibrary loan services.

5. Fines and charges

   $.10 per day; $1.00 per day for videos and CD-ROMS. A first notice is sent after the material is due. If the material is not returned within a designated period, a bill will be sent for the material with the cost of replacement of the material and a service charge for processing, cataloging and postage. Patrons who have been sent an overdue notice shall be denied borrowing privileges until those overdue materials are returned or paid for if lost and/or damaged.

6. Damaged materials

   If materials are damages so as to be judged by the library as being unsuitable for the collection, the patron must pay the replacement cost.

7. Confidentiality

   As specified in Wisconsin Statutes 43.30, "records of any library that is in whole or in part supported by public funds, including the records of a public library system, indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library's documents or other materials, resources or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records, or to libraries authorized under subs. (2) and (3)."

   The Rusk County Community Library adheres strictly to all sections of this Statute regarding the protection of the confidentiality of its users.

X.  Reference Service Policy

The Rusk County Community Library:

1. Will provide information in the form of short answers to specific questions and guidance in locating material for patrons who appear in person, call on the telephone, or request information through correspondence;
2. Will assist patrons in the use of the library and teach basic research methodology, when appropriate (this includes providing help in developing a research strategy and advice on whether a trip to the library would be worthwhile for individuals who telephone);
3. Will provide bibliographic verification of items both in the library and not owned by the library and will assist patrons in obtaining materials through interlibrary loan, when appropriate
4. May refer library users to other agencies and libraries in pursuit of needed information;
5. May use, not only the library’s resources in printed form, but consult appropriate digital resources as well as the regional resource library and other agencies in pursuit of "ready reference" information.

XI.  Programming Policy

A "program" is a planned interaction between the library staff and the program participants for the purpose of promoting library materials, facilities, or services, as well as offering the community an informational, entertaining, or cultural experience.

Programming includes such activities as story times, films and activities on no-school days, summer library program for children, speakers for young adults, and book or author discussion groups for adults.

The board, in conjunction with the library director, will establish a budget and goals for programming to facilitate the effective implementation of this service.

XII.  Public Relations Policy

1. Public relations goals of the Rusk County Community Library are:
   1. To promote a good understanding of the library’s objectives and services among governing officials, civic leaders, and the general public;
   2. To promote active participation in the varied services offered by the library to people of all ages.
      
      
2. The board recognizes that public relations involves every person who has connection with the library. The board urges its own members and every staff member to realize that he or she represents the library in every public contact. Good service supports good public relations.
   
   
3. The director will be expected to make presentation and to participate in community activities to promote library services. A reasonable amount of library time will be allowed for preparation and speaking. Materials to be used by press, radio, or television will be approved by the director.

XIII.  Equipment Use Policy

Computers are available to patrons on a first-come, first-served basis. Instructions for operating hardware are displayed near the computer. There is no charge for use of the computers, however, in order to make the service available to as many patrons as possible, a time limit for usage has been imposed. That time limit is thirty minutes to one hour. Library staff is available for general assistance in using the computer. However, staff are not expected to train patrons in the use of application programs. Tutorial manuals will be provided when available.

A printer is available. Printer paper will cost $.15 per sheet and must be paid for at the conclusion of the session.

A photocopy machine is available to patrons who wish to copy materials at the rate of $.15 per page.

Copy machine users are advised that there are restrictions on copyrighted materials. Any violation of copyright is the responsibility of the copy machine user.

XIV.  Internet Use Policy

Statement of policy:  The Rusk County Community Library makes the Internet available as part of its continuing effort to ensure all members of our community have the right and means to free and open access to ideas and information which are fundamental to democracy. Internet access shall be reasonable, fair and equitable to all users.

Disclaimer:  Since the Internet is a global electronic network, there is no local, state, or federal control over its users or contents. It may contain inaccurate materials or materials of a controversial nature. The Rusk County Community Library does not monitor information accessed over the Internet and cannot guarantee the validity or accuracy of information found on the Internet. Library patrons are advised, as with all library materials, to exercise judgment and discrimination when evaluating the usefulness and reliability of material found on the Internet.

The Library expects parents to monitor their children’s use of Internet resources as they do their children’s use of information resources in other forms.

The Library expects Internet users will:

1. Not make any changes to the setup or configuration of the software or hardware on Library computers.
2. Use these resources in a responsible manner consistent with the educational and informational purposes for which they are provided. Responsible use of such resources includes:
   1. Using resources for educational, informational and recreational purposes only, not for unauthorized, illegal or unethical purposes.
   2. Respecting the privacy of others by not seeking unauthorized access to any computer system, or damaging or altering software components of any network or database.
   3. Further respecting the privacy of others by not interfering with their use.
   4. Making only authorized copies of copyrighted or licensed software or data.
   5. Not sending, receiving, or displaying, text or graphics that may reasonably be construed as obscene. If there is a complaint about an image, the user will be asked to leave that web page. Upon a second complaint, the user’s Internet session will be terminated.
   6. Refraining from objectionable activities (a violation of generally accepted community standards or a violation of terms listed in this policy) while using the Internet.

The library will:

1. Provide time slots for Internet use at 30-minute intervals, on a first come, first served basis. Users may request an additional half hour if no one is waiting to use the computer.
2. Expect users to register with their library card or other identification and notify staff when finished.
3. Limit users to one hour per day.
4. Deny access to the Internet to patrons who have overdue materials or fines.
5. Consider peeking over shoulders, being part of a group clustered around a machine or any such configuration as use time.
6. Charge $.15 per page for printing.
7. Assist patrons to the best of our ability. A minimal level of competence is expected of Internet users. Staff may not be familiar with every application a patron might wish to use and cannot provide complete technical support.
8. Enforce this policy by withholding Internet access privileges for the first infraction for ten days, for the second infraction 20 days and for the third infraction indefinitely withhold Internet access. The Library will immediately revoke a user’s privileges whose acts or behavior jeopardize the library’s access to the Internet.

May, 1998

These policies may change as public library Internet services change.

XV.  Meeting Room Policy

Lower level meeting rooms are under the jurisdiction of a joint city/county committee. Individuals or groups should check with City Hall for availability and rules.

XVI.  Displays and Exhibits Policy

As an educational and cultural institution, the Rusk County Community Library welcomes exhibits and displays of interest, information and enlightenment to the community. Displays of handiwork, historical material, nature study, or any other material deemed of general interest may be exhibited. The director shall accept or reject material offered for display based on its suitability and availability.

The library assumes no responsibility for the preservation or protection, and no liability for possible damage or theft of any item displayed or exhibited. All items placed in the library are there at the owner’s risk.

XVII.  Public Notice Bulletin Board Policy

Bulletin board materials may be submitted for posting by nonprofit organizations for civic, educational, or cultural purposes. Such organizations may submit literature publicizing a specific event. Limited space generally allows only short-term notices. The director must approve all postings and may prohibit postings that do not meet library standards. Library staff will place and remove postings promptly.

Each item posted must be dated. A request for return of items, along with name and telephone number of person to be contacted, should be printed on the back of each article. Unless such arrangements are specified, items must be picked up the day following the date of the publicized event if the owners want them returned. Otherwise, the library will not be responsible for returning materials.

XVIII.  Disasters Policy

Fire

Do not panic, but do not under-estimate the potential danger to customers or staff represented by a fire. At the first indication of smoke or flame, investigate the situation to determine location and extent of the fire. If the fire can obviously be contained and extinguished quickly and safely by staff, proceed to do so. However, if there is any doubt about whether the fire can be controlled, immediately call 911 or the fire department and then clear the building.

The time to think about fires is before they happen. Familiarize yourself with the type, location, and application of the fire extinguisher(s) in the building. Orient all staff and volunteers to this information. If you share a building with another agency and it occasionally initiates fire drills, library staff should respect those training exercises and respond as they would in the case of a real fire.

Health emergencies

Staff members should exercise caution when administering first aid of even a minor nature because of the safety of the injured individual and the potential liability of the staff member. Without specialized training it is not advisable for staff to undertake more than keeping the sick or injured patron comfortable and protected from needless disturbance until medical help can be obtained. Since each case is unique, staff members should use their own judgment to do what is prudent and reasonable.

The Rescue Squad/Police (911) should be called immediately in the event of any serious problem.

No medication, including aspirin, should ever be dispensed to the public.

Bomb threats

Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. Ask the caller to repeat the message and try to write down every word spoken by the person.

If the caller does not indicate the location of the bomb or the time of possible detonation, ASK FOR THIS INFORMATION.

Pay particular attention to peculiar background noises such as motors running, background music and any other sounds that may indicate the location from which the call is originating.

Listen closely to the voice (male, female), voice quality (calm, excited), accents and speech impediments.

Immediately after the caller hangs up, call the police. Clear the building. The police will handle the actual bomb search.

Snowstorms

The library will follow the recommendation and actions of the city. Closing will be at the discretion of the Library Director.

XIX.  Review and Revision of Library Policies

The preceding statements of Rusk County Community Library’s policies shall be subject to review and need revision at least every five years by the Library Board. Individual policies will be reviewed or added as needed.

Adopted:___________________________________________

XX. Appendices

1. Form: "Statement of Concern About Library Resources"
2. Form: "Internet Use Agreement"
3. "Library Bill of Rights"
4. "Freedom to Read Statement"

The Council of the American Library Association reaffirms its belief in the following basic policies that should govern the services of all libraries:

1. As a responsibility of library service, books and other library materials should be chosen for values of interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community. In no case should library materials be excluded because of the race or nationality or the social, political, or religious views of the authors.
   
   
2. Libraries should provide books and other materials presenting all points of view concerning the problems and issues of our times; no library materials should be proscribed or removed from libraries because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
   
   
3. Censorship should be challenged by libraries in the maintenance of their responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment.
   
   
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
   
   
5. The rights of an individual to the use of the library should not be denied or abridged because of his age, race, religion, national origins, or social or political views.
   
   
6. As an institution of education for democratic living, the library should welcome the use of its meeting rooms for socially useful and cultural activities and discussion of current public questions. Such meeting places should be available on equal terms to all groups in the community regardless of the beliefs and affiliations of their members, provided that the meeting be open to the public.

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continually under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove books from sale, to censor textbooks, to label "controversial" books, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as citizens devoted to the use of books and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating them, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

We are deeply concerned about these attempts at suppression. Most such attempts rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary citizen, by exercising critical judgment, will accept the good and reject the bad. The censors, public and private, assume that they should determine what is good and what is bad for their fellow citizens.

We trust Americans to recognize propaganda, and to reject it. We do not believe they need to help of censors to assist them in this task. 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 in ideas and expression.

We are aware, of course, that books are not alone in being subjected to efforts at suppression. We are aware that these efforts are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, films, radio and television. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures lead, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of uneasy change and pervading fear. Especially when so many of our apprehensions are directed against an ideology, the expression of a dissident idea becomes a thing feared in itself, and we tend to move against it as against a hostile deed, with suppression.

And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with stress.

Now as always in our history, books are among our greatest instruments of freedom. They are almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. They are the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. They are essential to the extended discussion which 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 towards conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that 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 on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

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 or unpopular with the majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded 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 contained in the books 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 books should be published or circulated.

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

3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to determine the acceptability of a book on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

A book should be judged as a book. No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish which 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 literature is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will 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 reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters taste differs, and taste cannot be legislated; not can machinery be devised which will suit the demand of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept with any book the prejudgment of a label characterizing the book or author as subversive or dangerous.

The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for the citizen. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking 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.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or 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 no group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive.

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 expended on the trivial; it is frustrated when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for the reader’s purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of their freedom and integrity, and the enlargement of their service to society, requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all citizens the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of books. We do so because we believe that they are good, possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.