From a Column by ALA President Molly Rapahel in the Huntington Post:
Let’s remember that public libraries and public school libraries are for all the people in the community, and that every community embraces a tapestry of beliefs, lifestyles, and values, from gay to straight, from liberal to conservative, rich and poor, and everywhere in between. Libraries are for everyone, and their collections need to be as diverse as the communities that they serve. Just because views are unpopular with the majority in a community does not mean that we should block individuals’ access to those views.
And let’s not forget that publicly funded libraries are government institutions obligated to uphold the First Amendment rights of all people–including young people–to receive information.
Certainly, not every book is right for each reader, and librarians fully support parents’ rights to decide what books are best suited for their children. But no one should be able to make reading choices for other people’s children, or require that the reading materials available to a community be limited to that which comports with their personal beliefs.
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