ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 470 IC&KL N ew s ■ J u n e 1999 ACRL STATEMENT Prepared by the ACRL Intellectual Freedom Committee I T h e p riv a c y o f lib ra ry u s e r s is s a c r o ­ s a n c t . P o l i c i e s s h o u l d b e i n p l a c e th a t m a in ta in c o n fid e n tia lity o f library b o ro w in g re c o rd s a n d o f o th e r in fo rm a tio n r e ­ latin g to p e rs o n a l u s e o f lib ra ry in fo rm a tio n . T h e s e p o lic ie s s h o u ld e m b ra c e b o o k s b o r­ ro w e d , re s e rv e ite m s u s e d , a re a s o f re s e a rc h activity, a n d d a ta b a s e s c o n su lte d . T h e lo c a ­ tio n o f s o m e c o m p u te r w o rk s ta tio n s s h o u ld b e p l a n n e d to p ro v id e a d e g r e e o f privacy. 2 T h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f lib ra ry c o lle c tio n s s h o u ld tra n s c e n d th e p e rs o n a l v a lu e s o f th e se lec to r. In th e in te re s ts o f re s e a rc h a n lea rn in g , it is a p p ro p ria te th a t co lle ctio n s c o n ­ ta in m a te ria ls re p re se n tin g a v a rie ty o f p e r ­ sp e c tiv e s o n su b je cts th a t m a y b e c o n s id e re d c o n tro v e rsia l. 3 P r e s e r v a t i o n a n d r e p l a c e m e n t e ffo rts s h o u ld e n s u r e th a t t h e b a la n c e in library m ate ria ls is m a in ta in e d a n d th a t c o n tro v e sial m a te ria ls a re n o t lo st to th e c o lle c tio n s th ro u g h theft, loss, o r n o rm a l w e a r a n d tear. Staff s h o u ld b e a le rt to effo rts b y s p e c ia l in ­ te re s t g ro u p s to b ia s a c o lle c tio n t h o u g h sy s­ te m a tic th e ft o r m u tilatio n . 4 L icensing a g re e m e n ts a re th e o n ly legiti­ m a te re a s o n fo r re stric tin g a c c e s s to d a ­ ta b a se s. T h e s e a g re e m e n ts s h o u ld n o t b e i co n flict w ith th e L ibrary Bill o f Rights a n d s h o u ld m a x im iz e access. 3 O n ly u n filte re d a c c e s s to th e In te r n e t sh o u ld b e o ffe re d in a n a c a d e m ic library. F ilte rin g d e v ic e s a re a c o n tra d ic tio n o f th a c a d e m ic lib ra ry m is s io n to fu r th e r re s e a rc h a n d lea rn in g th ro u g h e x p o s u re to th e b ro a d ­ e st p o ss ib le ra n g e o f in fo rm a tio n resources. r e 6 F re e d o m o f in fo rm a tio n a n d o f e x p re s ­ sio n s h o u ld b e p ro m o te d in lib ra ry e x ­ r­ h ib its a n d re fle c te d in lib ra ry p o lic y d o c u ­ m e n ts a s a n e sse n tia l A m e ric an v a lu e . 7 L ib ra ry m e e t i n g r o o m s a n d r e s e a r c h c a rre ls s h o u l d b e a v a i l a b l e t o a ll lib ra ry u s e r s r e g a r d l e s s o f r e s e a r c h b e i n g p u r s u e d o r s u b je c t b e in g d is c u s s e d . A n y re s tr ic tio n s m a d e n e c e s s a r y b e c a u s e o f l im ite d a v a il­ a b ility s h o u l d b e b a s e d o n s u c h fa c to r s a s a c a d e m i c s t a tu s a n d n e e d fo r t h e s p a c e r a t h e r t h a n o n c o n t e n t o f r e s e a r c h o r d i s ­ d c u s s io n . 8 W h e n e v e r p o s s i b l e , l i b r a r y s e r v i c e s s h o u ld b e a v a ila b le w i th o u t c h a rg e in o rd e r n o t to disc o u rag e inquiry. W h ere charges a re e sse n tia l, a fre e o r lo w -c o s t a lte rn a tiv e (e .g ,, d o w n lo a d in g to disc ra th e r th a n p rin t­ ing) s h o u ld b e a v a ila b le w h e n p o s s ib le . ­ 9 A se rv ice c u ltu re s h o u ld b e p ro m o te d th a t a ffo rd s e q u a l a c c e ss to in fo rm a tio n fo r all in th e c o lle g e o r u n iv e rs ity c o m m u ­ n ity w ith n o d isc rim in a tio n o n th e b a sis o f ra c e , v a lu e s, sex, s e x u a l o rie n ta tio n , cu ltu ral o r e th n ic b a c k g ro u n d , re lig io u s be lie fs, o r v iew s. n W A p ro c e d u r e e n s u rin g d u e p ro c e s s s h o u ld b e in p la c e to d e a l w ith r e ­ q u e s ts b y th o s e w ith in a n d o u ts id e th e c o l­ le g e o r u n iv e rs ity c o m m u n ity fo r re m o v a l o f lib ra ry re s o u rc e s , e x h ib its, o r services. n it is re c o m m e n d e d th a t this s ta te m e n t o f p rin c ip le b e e n d o r s e d b y a p p r o p ri­ a te in stitu tio n a l g o v e rn in g b o d ie s , in c lu d in g th e fa cu lty se n a te . Intellectual freedom principles for academic libraries: Third draft C & R L N e w s ■ J u n e 1 9 9 9 / 4 71 Developing the statem ent A s t r o n g i n t e l l e c t u a l f r e e d o m p e r s p e c t i v e is c r i t i c a l t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a c a d e m i c l i b r a r y c o l l e c t i o n s a n d s e r v i c e s t h a t d i s p a s ­ s i o n a t e l y m e e t t h e e d u c a t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h n e e d s o f a c o l l e g e o r u n i v e r s i t y c o m m u ­ n i t y . T h e g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e s s e t f o r t h i n t h e L ib r a ry B i l l o f R ig h t s f o r m a n i n d i s p e n s ­ a b l e f r a m e w o r k f o r b u i ld i n g c o l l e c t i o n s , s e r ­ v i c e s , a n d p o l i c i e s t h a t s e r v e t h e e n t i r e a c a ­ d e m i c c o m m u n i t y . T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s s t a t e m e n t is t o p r o v i d e a n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f g e n e r a l i n t e l l e c t u a l f r e e d o m p r i n c i p l e s in a n a c a d e m i c l i b r a r y s e t t i n g a n d , i n t h e p r o ­ c e s s , r a i s e c o n s c i o u s n e s s o f t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l f r e e d o m c o n t e x t w i t h i n w h i c h a c a d e m i c l i ­ b r a r i a n s w o r k . A C R L ’s I n t e l l e c t u a l F r e e d o m C o m m i t t e e ( I F C ) d e v e l o p e d t w o p r e l i m i n a r y d r a f t s o f t h i s d o c u m e n t p r i o r t o A L A ’s 1 9 9 9 M i d w i n ­ t e r M e e t i n g . A t its J a n u a r y 3 0 m e e t i n g in P h i l a d e l p h i a , t h e c o m m i t t e e a d o p t e d r e v i ­ s i o n s t h a t w i l l s e r v e a s t h e b a s i s f o r r e v i e w b y A C R L m e m b e r s h i p . P a r t o f t h e A C R L / IF C p r o g r a m a t t h e 1 9 9 9 A LA A n n u a l C o n f e r e n c e in N e w O r l e a n s w ill b e a l l o c a t e d t o a n o p e n h e a r i n g o n t h i s s t a t e m e n t . T h e p r o g r a m is s c h e d u l e d f o r M o n d a y , J u n e 2 8 , 9 : 3 0 - 1 1 a .m . P r i o r t o t h e h e a r i n g , S t e v e H e r b , c h a i r o f A L A ’s I F C a n d a n a c a d e m i c l i b r a r i a n , w i l l g i v e a p r e s e n t a ­ t i o n e n t i t l e d , “F r e e d o m , P r i v a c y , a n d t h e I n t e r n e t : a n A c a d e m i c L ib r a r y P r i m e r .” M e m b e r s o f t h e I F C a r e L a u r e n c e M ille r , c h a i r ; S u s a n B r y n t e s o n ; J a c k F o r m a n ; C h a r ­ l o t t e H e s s ; K e i t h W . R u s s e l l ; M a r ty S t i l w e l l ; K a r e n B a c s a n y i , i n t e r n ; J e n n i f e r S . B u r r , i n ­ t e r n . R e a d e r s a r e i n v i t e d t o s e n d c o m m e n t s a n d s u g g e s t e d r e v i s i o n s t o L a u r e n c e M ille r , c h a i r o f t h e A C R L I n t e l l e c t u a l F r e e d o m C o m ­ m i t t e e , e - m a i l : M i l l e r L @ f i u .e d u o r v i a f a x a t ( 3 0 5 ) 3 4 8 - 3 4 0 8 . ■ ( “A n d t h e iv i n n e r s …" c o n t . f r o m p a g e 4 6 9 ) La w and P o litica l Scie n ce (LP SS) V i c e - C h a i r / C h a i r - E l e c t : J a n i c e S . L e w i s ( 5 4 ) ; L is a R . S t i m a t z ( 5 3 ) . M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 2 - y e a r t e r m ) : M a d i s o n M o s e l y ( 6 0 ) ; B a r b a r a P. N o r e l l i ( 4 7 ) . S e c r e t a r y ( 2 - y e a r t e r m ) : G a b r i e l l e M . C a r r ( 9 4 ) ; W r i t e - I n C a n d i d a t e ( 3 ) . Rare B o o k s an d M an u scrip ts (RBM S) V ic e -C h a ir/ C h a ir-E le c t: M a r k G . D i m u n a t i o n ( 1 9 5 ) ; R o b e r t L. M a x w e l l ( 8 0 ) . M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 3 - y e a r t e r m ) : J e a n W . A s h t o n ( 1 3 7 ) ; P e g g y E . D a u b ( 1 2 6 ) . S e c r e t a r y ( 2 - y e a r t e r m ) : T h o m a s L . A m o s ( 1 4 1 ) ; D . B r u c e W h i t e m a n ( 1 1 6 ) . Scie n ce and T e c h n o lo g y (STS) V i c e - C h a i r / C h a i r - E l e c t : J u l i e M . H u r d ( 1 6 3 ) ; J u l i a M . G e l f a n d ( 1 1 6 ) . S e c r e t a r y / M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 3 - y e a r t e r m ) : A m y W . S h a n n o n ( 1 4 5 ) ; K a t h l e e n A . C. F l e m i n g ( 1 1 4 ) . S la v ic and E a st E u ro p ean (SEES) V ic e - C h a ir / C h a ir - E le c t : M i e c z y s l a w ( M i s c h a ) B u c z k o w s k i ( 2 7 ) ; G r a z y n a S l a n d a ( 2 0 ) . M e m b e r -a t-L a r g e ( 3 - y e a r te r m ): D i a n a G r e e n e ( 2 7 ) ; M a ria K ry s ty n a B o r y s ie w ic z ( 2 1 ) . U n iv e rsity L ib ra rie s (ULS) V i c e - C h a i r / C h a i r - E l e c t : E l a i n e K . D i d i e r ( 5 1 3 ) ; J a m e s J . K o p p ( 3 9 8 ) S e c r e t a r y ( 2 - y e a r t e r m ) : J o h n A . L e h n e r ( 4 2 0 ) ; M a r c M e o l a ( 3 9 5 ) . M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 3 - y e a r t e r m , 2 t o b e e l e c t e d ) : I l e n e F . R o c k m a n ( 5 8 0 ) ; J e a n n e G . S o h n ( 5 3 8 ) ; C h a r l e s W i lt ( 3 1 3 ) ; W r i t e - I n - C a n d i d a t e ( 8 ) . W estern European Sp e cialists (WESS) V i c e - C h a i r / C h a i r - E l e c t : J e f f r e y G a r r e t t ( 6 0 ) ; M a r je S c h u e t z e - C o b u r n ( 4 5 ) . S e c r e t a r y ( 1 - y e a r t e r m ) : K a t h l e e n H u n t e r R u t t e r ( 6 0 ) ; M a r i a n n a M c K i m ( 4 4 ) . M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 1 - y e a r t e r m ) : K a t a l i n R a d i e s ( 5 5 ) ; L a u r a D a l e B i s c h o f ( 5 0 ) . W o m e n 's S tu d ie s (W SS) V i c e - C h a i r / C h a i r - E l e c t : T h e r e s a A . T o b i n ( 6 7 ) ; E m i l y S . S i l v e r m a n ( 5 4 ) . S e c r e t a r y ( 1 - y e a r t e r m ) : S a n d r a A . R i v e r ( 6 8 ) ; C h a r l e n e E . H o v a t t e r ( 4 7 ) . M e m b e r - a t - L a r g e ( 2 - y e a r t e r m ) : D o l o r e s F i d i s h u n ( 6 1 ) ; M a y M o n t a s e r J a f a r i ( 5 6 ) . ■ mailto:MillerL@fiu.edu C & R L N e w s ■ J u n e 1 9 9 9 / 4 7 3 C&RL News ■ June 1 9 9 9 / 473