(Ottawa. November 17, 2015) – Today, the Canadian Library Association (CLA) released of a new Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries.
This new Statement replaces the previous 30 year old Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom. The Statement seeks to provide a broader national and international context for the role of libraries in ensuring intellectual freedom as well as a framework for Canadian libraries to provide, defend, and promote equitable access to the widest possible variety of expressive content and resist calls for censorship and the adoption of systems that deny or restrict access to resources.
“I am very excited to have had the privilege of shepherding a revised statement of intellectual freedom principles on behalf of the Canadian Library Association” stated Alvin Schrader, Chair Intellectual Freedom Advisory Committee. “I am indebted to Community members who provided valuable feedback on an earlier draft and to my intellectual freedom advisory committee members for their contributions.”
The CLA would like to thank the hard work of Alvin Schrader and the CLA Intellectual Freedom Advisory Committee in reviewing and updating this core statement for the library and information community. “The Committee has presented a strong and compelling update to one of the library field’s most important value statements,” noted Sandra Singh, President of the Canadian Library Association. “Without the active vigilance of librarians and library workers across this country, there is always a risk of slow erosion to the fundamental information rights protected through intentional and active adoption of statements such as this.”
The Statement can be accessed at: Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries
-30-
About CLA:
The Canadian Library Association is Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers, and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy. For more information please visit: www.cla.ca.
For more information, contact:
Valoree McKay, CAE
Executive Director, Canadian Library Association
Phone: 613-232-9625 | Email: vmckay@cla.ca