Intellectual Freedom Advocacy Group

The Maine Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee has the general charge to support intellectual freedom as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. Some of our goals are to:

• Foster an understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of intellectual freedom
• Promote and extend the principles of social justice, equity, and anti-racism as a requisite for intellectual freedom
  
• Promote and extend the principle that the individual has a right to information
• Promote and extend the principle that it is the responsibility of each individual to determine for him/herself what he/she will read, see or hear
• Promote and extend the principle that it is the responsibility of librarians to make accessible the widest possible variety of materials, information, and ideas; and to give the highest priority to the freedom of inquiry for our patrons and for all people

We also provide information and guidance to libraries in which a book or other informational or artistic object’s (art, sculpture, periodical, etc.) presence is challenged, and serve as a conduit for Intellectual Freedom matters generated by the American Library Association and other reliable sources.

The Intellectual Freedom Committee also generates original materials that may be of use to Maine librarians in helping to better educate themselves and their patrons about Intellectual Freedom matters.