The Library Association is committed to the widest possible freedom in the dissemination of information. For a democratic, civilised society to thrive, its citizens should have the right to access all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity. Intellectual freedom and freedom of expression are necessary conditions for freedom of access to information.

The function of a library or information service is to provide, as far as resources allow, all publicly available information in which its users claim legitimate interest. Such provision should be regardless of format and include factual and fiction material. The materials, electronic information services, networks and other facilities provided directly or indirectly by the library or information service should be equally accessible to all users. Those who provide library or information services should not restrict this access except as required by law. The legal basis of any restriction on access should always be stated. If publicly available material has not incurred penalties under the law it should not be excluded on moral, political, religious, racial or gender grounds, to satisfy the demands of sectional interest. Users of library and information services are entitled to rely upon these services for access to information and enlightenment upon every field of human experience and activity.

Over the years librarians and information staff have fought many shades of opinion to defend the principle of the free dissemination of information. Librarians recognise the need for a balance to be maintained within the materials which they make available to reflect differing views or shades of opinion on matters which might be thought to be contentious. Librarians are expected, by their Code of Conduct, to resist undue pressures to discontinue the collection of and access to material which is thought to be unacceptable. The consequence of such pressures might be to deny users reasonable access to a representative range of published material.

The Association believes that the professional responsibilities of the librarian include full discretion over the collection of and access to information by the library service within the terms of general guidelines laid down by an employer. Such guidelines are not expected to allow restriction of access solely for the reasons already stated. The provision of access to materials by a library does not imply sponsorship, endorsement or promotion of these materials, especially in the case of materials which may be thought to encourage discrimination.

The Association calls upon all employers of library and information staff to adhere to the principle of uninhibited access to information, and to recognise the necessary discretion that their professional staff should be allowed in meeting the legitimate interests of their users.

Any librarian who considers that undue pressure has been brought to bear over matters concerning selection policies is asked to inform the Association.

This statement was originally published in 1963 and revised in 1978, 1989 and 1997.

The Library Association 1998