2. Freedom to Read
• The ability to have the freedom the read is
very important to our country. It is
something that has been challenged
numerous times over the years. Different
groups constantly try to get rid of books that
they consider objectionable from libraries
and create lists of books that should not be
read.
3. Freedom to Read
• This is saying that people do not have the ability
to make their own choices, which includes
accepting good ideas and disregarding bad ideas.
Some people are trying to make everyone conform
to one way of thinking and these same people
want to get rid of anything that creates controversy
or creates a situation where people need to think
for themselves and make their own decisions.
4. Freedom to Read
• American Library Association feels that people
should have the freedom of choice and the freedom
of expression and ideas. One of many good points
they bring up is, “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
controversy and difference.” (ALA website).
5. Freedom to Read
• There are so many issues and problems that
we have to deal with today that the freedom
to read should not be one of them. We want
to keep out country a democracy and allow
people to be open-minded. The ALA has
come up with several propositions that
concerning the freedom to read.
6. Freedom to Read
• It is in everyone’s best interest to have libraries provide an
extensive range of views including those that may be
considered not held by the majority.
• Librarians and others do not need to endorse every idea out
there. It is actually a conflict of interest for them to give their
opinions on everything.
• It is unlawful for librarians and others to refuse access to books
by an author of differing political ideas or because of personal
history.
• It is wrong to coerce everyone to think the same and force
people to read only certain books.
7. Freedom to Read
• It is not in the best interest of people to force them
to accept labels given by others to certain works or
authors.
• It is the responsibility of librarians and publishers to
contest the encroachment of those individuals or
groups that try to impose their standards and ideas
on society as a whole.
• It is up to the librarian and others to make sure that
patrons are allowed access to books that show the
diversity of thoughts and expressions.
8. Freedom to Read
• All of these propositions are very important
to our freedom to read. Reading is
something that is very important to people
and our society. Even though ideas can be
dangerous people should be allowed a
choice. The suppression of choice is a much
more grave offense than allowing people to
read ideas that are not held in the majority
of society.
9. Freedom to Read
• Not allowing people the freedom of choice could
be something that leads to the end of our
democracy. Freedom can have consequences and
be dangerous but it is the choice that we made
long ago in our country to allow people freedoms.
If interested in viewing more information go to
ALA’s (American Library Association) website to
view the Freedom to Read Statement.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/stateme
ntspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement.cfm
