Discover Hope Welty Public Library

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 The Hope  Welty Public Library is committed to providing free and open access to information , ideas, and expressions of all perspectives. Intellectual freedom is essential to the democratic principles of our society and we recognize the inherent authority of the library to preserve and make available all expressions of knowledge and creativity. We also understand that censorship, the suppression of ideas or information,undermines these principles and ultimately harms our community. The library endeavors to build a collection representing varying points of view. The choice of library materials of children and adolescents rests with their parents or legal guardians. While a person may reject materials for himself or herself and for his or her children, he or she cannot exercise censorship to restrict access to the materials by others. The library supports intellectual freedom and has adopted the following statements as policy: ALA Freedom to Read Statement, ALA Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to View statement of the American Film and Video Association. To that end : The library will not remove or restrict access to any materials in our collection based on personal, political, or religious beliefs,or on the grounds that the content is controversial or offensive to some. The library does not endorse or promote the ideas,opinions,or viewpoints expressed in any materials in our collection. Rather, we believe that our patrons have the right to access a diversity of perspectives and to form their own opinions based on their own critical analysis. The library will resist any attempt to censor or restrict access to our collection, whether it comes from individuals or organizations within or outside of the library. We uphold the American Library Association's Bill of Rights, which states that Libraries should challenge censorship  in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment." The library board and staff reserve the right to place materials in the age section we deem appropriate based on publisher recommendations, professional judgement, and consideration of age appropriateness of the content, as well as the potential interest and needs of our patrons. If patrons object to specific materials in our collection, we encourage them to express their concerns and engage in respectful dialogue with library staff. We will provide access to alternative materials that may address similar topics or themes. Formal requests for reconsideration my be made only by registered patrons, and shall be made in writing and given to the library director for a written response. Appeals are directed to the Board for final decision. The library believes that intellectual freedom is a fundamental right of all individuals and that access to information is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. We affirm our commitment to upholding these values and to serving the needs of our diverse community.  

         SUPPORT FOR INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

          Selection & Reconsideration

        Intelletual freedom is the right of library users to read, seek information,and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is one of the core values of the library profession; it promotes access to information and guides the defense against censorship.  The Freedom to Read Statement asserts, The Freedom to read is essential to our democracy. " In a democratic society, in dividuals must be sufficiently  knowledgeable to make informed decisions. Libraries provide their users with the necessary information through a wide selection of materials from varying points of view. It is essential that  library resources remain free to use for all, regardless of age. The Library Bill of Rights and its interpretation aly out rationales for these principles of intellectual freedom. Incorporating the tenets of intellectual freedom foundation documents ( such as the First Amendment, the Library Bill of Rights , and the Freedom to Read Statement) into the selection policy provides support for intellectual freedom as a philosophy underlying the policy. Strong selection policies include a statement of support for intellectual freedom. The library provides an impartial environment in which indivduals and their interest are brought together with the universe of ideas and information spanning the spectrum of knowledge and opinions. The library board affirms the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to View, and Freedom to Read policy statements in support of acquiring and managing collections.         Adopted  9/ 11/ 2023