WHEREAS, the right to read is a fundamental concern of the OWWL Library System;
WHEREAS, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees all individuals the right to express their ideas without governmental interference and to read and listen to the ideas of others;
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is an essential component to our democracy;
WHEREAS, private groups in various parts of the country prioritize censorship of reading materials perceived as containing controversial views;
WHEREAS, libraries offer materials for all parts of the community and have a longstanding belief in the ability of each person and family to decide what is right for themselves while maintaining collections that reflect the diversity of the entire community;
RESOLVED, that the OWWL Library System, on behalf of its Board of Trustees, affirms the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association, the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association, and the Position Statement on the Defense of Intellectual Freedom by the New York Library Association;
RESOLVED, that it is the responsibility of the OWWL Library System and the library community to contest encroachments upon the freedom to read by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large;
RESOLVED, that the OWWL Library System celebrates the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week to support these beliefs;
RESOLVED, that the OWWL Library System encourages all libraries to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the OWWL Library System encourages people to read freely, now and forever.
Last Updated by the OWWL Library System Board of Trustees on April 13, 2022