Our Freedom to Read and Why It’s Important – Boards

What do board members need to know about freedom to read?

Whether you call it Intellectual Freedom, Freedom of Expression, or Freedom to Read – libraries have a responsibility to defend (against censorship) and provide access to a wide variety of constitutionally protected expressions of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion, including those that some individuals and groups consider unconventional, unpopular, or unacceptable (Canadian Federation of Library Associations, 2019).
Libraries face a minority, reactionary book-banning movement that goes against the library ideals of freedom to read, diversity, and the public good (Library Freedom Project, n.d.).
While it’s a requirement for public libraries to have a collections policy in place [under AB Libraries Regulation Part 1, Section 7(2)(b)], it is also recommended that they have an intellectual freedom/censorship policy and that board members and staff know what it says, along with the procedure to follow if a patron makes a complaint about a collections item or library program (e.g., Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form).
The Intellectual Freedom rights of Canadians extend to other areas of the library space and services as well. It is recommended that library boards have comprehensive, clear policies relating to Intellectual Freedom on the following:
- Programs
- Room rental/use (to cover controversial programs, like Drag Queen Storytime or rentals to political/religious groups)
- Displays/Exhibits
- Internet use in place to protect these rights for community members
- User Code of Conduct
- Policy samples for all of the above can be found on the Library Policies Database and various policy checklists relation to Intellectual Freedom policies can be found in the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Manual, Tenth Edition (starting on pg. 38) which is available for borrowing from Parkland’s Reference Collection.

(Turk, 2025, Peace Library Symposium Presentation)

Know your role and responsibilities as Library Board Members and Library Board Meeting protocol.
- When/if a library challenge emerges, offer to assist the senior library staff member with public relations and communication around the challenge. Maintain positive and principled connections with elected officials, provide them with updates on current library issues, and emphasize the library as a shared and unbiased resource for the community (Garnar, 2021).
- While Library Board Meetings are open to the public, if a member of the public would like to speak to a topic at the Board Meeting, they should send the Board this request in advance and receive permission to speak before doing so. Otherwise, members of the public should be silent Board Meeting observers.
- If you’ve never received any Library Board Member training and would like some, please reach out to Parkland at libraryservices@prl.ab.ca.

Talking Points

To Parents/Guardians: “The library does not impose parenting choices, methods, or ideologies. The Library collects materials that reflect the information needs and curiousities of many kinds of families. Materials, programs, or services that are not right for your family might be right for another family. Library staff are happy to help find what your family needs.”
To Community Members: “Choice” is an essential right in libraries; no one is forced to read or check anything out. Library staff choose materials using professional judgment and following criteria outlined in the Library’s collections policy. The Board and staff don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s purchased, but we do make sure the materials chosen have been recommended for the diverse patrons that the Library serves. Children and teens (as well as adults) have rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to seek and receive information.”
To Legislators: “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms prohibits libraries from discriminating against people or groups based on views. Publicly-funded libraries have a responsibility to follow professional standards in selecting materials to meet the wide-ranging needs, interests, identities, and expressions of everyone in the communities they serve.”

(Library Freedom Project, n.d.)

It’s important that the Board “build a shared understanding Intellectual Freedom, its fundamental importance to what a public library is and does, and its importance to the community and democratic society” (Turk, 2025, Peace Library Symposium Presentation). If you would like more information on freedom of expression and censorship, please see the Understanding Intellectual Freedom and Censorship and Intellectual Freedom & Censorship in Canada video tutorials in the PRLS Staff Training Academy.