Introduction

The Hunt Library Collection Management Policy establishes the framework for acquiring, maintaining, and managing the library’s collections in alignment with the academic and research mission of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). Its goal is to ensure that the collections meet the teaching, learning, and research needs of students, faculty, and staff, while also supporting the university's global reach.

As the library of a Carnegie R2: Doctoral University – High Research Activity, Hunt Library develops collections that align with ERAU’s institutional priorities, curricular requirements, and research goals, with a focus on student success, innovation, and scholarly excellence.

In addition to serving the Daytona Beach and Worldwide campuses, Hunt Library provides access to many electronic resources for Hazy Library at ERAU’s Prescott, Arizona campus, supporting ERAU’s unified academic mission across locations.

This policy guides the library’s acquisition and stewardship of resources to support ERAU’s evolving instructional and research needs. It is designed to be adaptable and responsive to changing academic priorities.

Please see Appendix A for a brief institutional overview of ERAU.

Mission and Strategic Alignment

The Hunt Library supports the Daytona Beach and Worldwide campuses of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It provides access to materials, information resources, services, and facilities to students, faculty, and staff in support of the University's commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, and research. As an academic support unit, the Hunt Library maintains flexibility and is proactive in meeting the changing information needs of its community.

Audience

This policy is intended for Hunt Library staff and the ERAU community of students, faculty, staff, and researchers.

Copyright

The library follows U.S. copyright law and relevant guidelines in acquiring and providing access to resources.

Intellectual Freedom

The library upholds the principles of intellectual freedom and affirms the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights (see Appendix B) and Freedom to Read Statement (see Appendix C). These foundational documents guide the library’s commitment to providing equitable access to information and supporting the free exchange of ideas.

Materials are selected based on scholarly merit, relevance, and contribution to knowledge, regardless of format, popularity, controversial content, or the creator’s identity or beliefs.

Collection development decisions are informed by evolving curricula, the needs of ERAU’s diverse student population, emerging research areas, and representation of multiple viewpoints. This ensures the library remains responsive to ERAU’s evolving academic priorities and the varied experiences of its community.

The library is committed to cultivating collections that are representative, balanced, and accessible to all. We prioritize materials that broaden understanding, challenge assumptions, and offer diverse perspectives, supporting an inclusive learning environment where all individuals can engage critically and respectfully.

The library also follows the ALA Interpretation of the Bill of Rights and ACRL Standards for Diversity, which provide additional frameworks for responsible collection development practices.

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

The library acknowledges the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and generative tools in research, teaching, and scholarship. All AI-generated and AI-augmented resources are evaluated for credibility, provenance, and ethical use, as well as alignment with academic integrity and institutional values.

The library relies on publishers and vendors to supply accurate, authentic, and non-fabricated content. While we cannot systematically identify all AI-generated or falsified materials, we may provide notices or guidance to users when specific concerns about content integrity come to our attention.

In collaboration with the ERAU community, the library also explores opportunities to responsibly integrate AI tools in discovery platforms, metadata enhancements, and user services, while maintaining transparency, privacy, and information literacy standards.

Funding and Budget Allocation

The university budget office allocates annual funding for library resources. The University Librarian and the Library Business Manager collaborate with the Senior Associate Director for Collection Strategy and Technical Services, the Electronic Resources Librarian, and the Acquisitions Librarian to administer the acquisitions budget. Funding supports the purchase and ongoing access to resources in a wide range of formats.

Consortia agreements

The library engages in collaborative partnerships to expand access to resources and promote cost-effective stewardship. These efforts include participation in consortia such as Lyrasis and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF). The library also contributes to statewide initiatives as appropriate, including partnerships with the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), the Florida Electronic Library (FEL), and Florida’s multitype library cooperatives, such as the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN).

Collection Scope and Organization

Subject Areas and Collection Organization 

The library primarily collects materials that directly support ERAU’s curriculum and research priorities. Most resources are cataloged using Resource Description and Access (RDA) standards and organized by the Library of Congress (LOC) Classification System.

The library also collaborates with University Archives to build and preserve Special Collections, consisting of primarily historical aviation materials with enduring scholarly and historical value.

Language

English, the primary language of instruction at ERAU, is the dominant language of the library’s collection. In recognition of the global composition of the ERAU community, the library selectively acquires materials in other languages when relevant to ERAU programs or student populations.

Selection and Evaluation

Selection and Collection Development Oversight

The selection of library materials is a collaborative effort led by the Collection Management Team (CMT), the University Librarian, the Senior Associate Director, the Electronic Resources Librarian, and the Acquisitions Librarian. The CMT meets regularly to review and evaluate purchase requests, new acquisitions, and subscription renewals.

In guiding collection development, the CMT considers curricular relevance, user needs, library and university goals, material availability, and budget. Feedback is gathered formally and informally from the ERAU community, with faculty input being highly valued. Liaison librarians work closely with academic departments to ensure subject expertise informs the collection.

General Selection Criteria

The library selects materials based on the following criteria:

  • Depth of existing coverage in the subject area
  • Enduring relevance and scholarly value
  • Anticipated demand and usage
  • Suitability of format
  • Author and/or publisher credibility and authority
  • Cost-effectiveness in relation to the library’s overall budget
  • Accessibility, particularly for electronic resources available online
  • Duplication policy: The library generally acquires a single copy of most print materials

All materials purchased with funds allocated to the library become the library’s property.

Selection and Evaluation Tools

A variety of tools and resources are used to guide selection decisions, including subject-specific and general review sources such as Choice and Library Journal. Selection decisions are also informed by faculty recommendations, interlibrary loan requests, usage statistics, and student feedback.

Selection Levels

Graduate Program subject areas Advanced Study Level
Undergraduate Program subject areas
 Initial Study Level
General Education subject areas
 Basic
All other academic subject areas
 Basic
General Interest / Leisure
 Minimal Level

Collection Codes

These codes were developed by the American Library Association.1

Advanced study level. A collection which is adequate to support the course work of advanced undergraduate and master’s degree programs, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs both current and retrospective, complete collections of the works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, and the reference books and fundamental apparatus pertaining to the subject.

Initial study level. A collection which is adequate to support undergraduate courses. It includes a judicious selection from currently published basic monographs (as are represented by Choice selections) supported by seminal retrospective monographs (as are represented by Books for College Libraries); a broad selection of works of secondary writers; a selection of the major review journals; and current editions of the most significant reference tools and bibliographies pertaining to the subject.

Basic level. A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

Minimal level. A subject area in which a few selections are made beyond basic works.

1 Anderson, J.S. (1996). Guide to written collection policy statements (2nd ed.). Chicago: American Library Association.

Special Policies

Textbooks

For the purposes of this policy, a textbook is defined as a publication specifically designed and marketed to serve as the primary instructional material for a course. As a general practice, Hunt Library does not purchase textbooks due to high cost, frequent edition changes, and limited long-term value. In addition, many textbook publishers restrict textbook sales to individuals, which often prevents libraries from acquiring them.

Exceptions

A textbook may be acquired under the following circumstances:

  • It is recognized as a foundational or definitive work within its discipline.
  • It represents the most comprehensive and authoritative resource available on a given subject.

To support student success, limited access to select textbooks may be provided in print (typically via course reserves) or electronically. These decisions are made case by case, considering academic need, usage, cost, and the availability of sustainable, multi-user licensing.

Recognizing the financial burden of textbook costs, the library also promotes affordable alternatives, including the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) and other low- or no-cost instructional materials.

Gifts and Donations

The library generally does not accept unsolicited donations of books or other information resources. However, select items may be considered for inclusion in the collection if they meet the following criteria:

  • Are in excellent physical condition (intact covers, quality paper stock, and absence of mold, mildew and dirt)
  • Are published within the past five years, or have significant historical value
  • Support scholarship in one or more ERAU academic programs
  • Are expected to receive high use

All gifts and donated materials are evaluated using the same criteria and standards as purchased materials, as outlined in this Collection Management Policy. Accepted items become the property of the library and may be housed, displayed, or withdrawn at the library’s discretion.

The library is unable to provide appraisals or assign monetary value to donated materials. Accepted gifts may be acknowledged with a letter of thanks, and donor recognition may be included in the catalog record (e.g., “Donation to Hunt Library from Jane Doe”). Please note that desk or instructor’s copies are not eligible for donation. For additional information, please see the library’s Donations page.

The University Archives accepts donations of photographs, documents, memorabilia, or artifacts from alumni, students, faculty, and staff that reflect their ERAU experiences. For inquiries about archival donations, please contact the Archives Librarian or the Hunt Library University Librarian.

To make a monetary gift, please visit the University’s philanthropy site: Giving to Embry-Riddle.

Formats of Materials

Books

Hunt Library acquires both electronic and print monographs to support ERAU’s curriculum. The library acquires ebooks with unlimited or multi-user access whenever available. Single-user licenses may be upgraded to multi-user access based on demonstrated need. The library also invests in current and archival e-book collections. For print, hardbound editions are preferred for durability. In addition to curricular needs, the library leases a small rotating collection of popular titles to support leisure reading.

Electronic Databases

Electronic database purchase and cancellation decisions are made by the CMT, in alignment with ERAU’s academic priorities and the library’s budget:

Database Selection Criteria:

  • Availability of funding and sustainability of future costs
  • Licensing terms, including authorized users and fair use provisions
  • Technical considerations (authentication, hosting, and discovery compatibility)
  • Relevance to the collection, research needs, and university curriculum
  • Minimal overlap with existing resources
  • Content quality, with preference for full-text and DRM free resources
  • Intended audience
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Ease of use (interface, search functionality)
  • Accessibility standards (ADA compliance / accessible design preferred)

Database Selection Process

Requests for new databases may originate through various channels, with the most common sources being direct requests from faculty or librarians.

The Senior Associate Director and the Electronic Resources Librarian coordinate the evaluation process in consultation with the CMT, gathering key information such as cost, licensing terms, technical specifications, and relevance to institutional needs. Database trials may also be arranged to solicit librarian feedback.

Electronic Resources

To maximize access for ERAU’s global and distance learners, the library prioritizes acquiring resources in electronic formats whenever feasible. This approach supports the broader shift in academic libraries toward digital collections.

Electronic resources must generally meet the following criteria (exceptions may be considered):

  • Multi-site licensing for access on all campuses
  • Licensing permissions for interlibrary loan (ILL)and reproduction of materials for educational use
  • 24/7 access, including off-campus
  • Core curricular resources that are essential to a specific program or discipline may be considered even if they include access or usage restrictions

As a general rule, the library does not collect freely available and easily discoverable online materials for the cataloged collection.

Films and Streaming Content

The library acquires film and video content to support ERAU’s curriculum and provides access to a variety of licensed streaming video collections. DVDs are no longer added to the collection. Due to copyright restrictions, the library cannot provide access to streaming content that is limited to the individual consumer market (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu).

Government Documents and Technical Reports

The library is not designated as a federal or state government document depository but maintains a small collection of government documents and technical reports that support the ERAU mission.

Manuscripts, Rare Books, and Archival Materials

Acquisitions of manuscripts, rare books, and other historical materials for the library’s Special Collections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the University Librarian, the Senior Associate Director, and the Archives Librarian. The Special Collections, with a primary focus on historical aviation materials, are largely comprised of donations and gifts.

Maps and Atlases

The library does not actively collect maps but retains a small number for reference purposes. A representative selection of general and specialized atlases is maintained to support research and instruction.

Microforms

The library no longer acquires materials in microform or microfiche formats unless these formats represent the most cost-effective option or the sole available means of access.

Open Access (OA), Open Educational Resources (OERs), and Scholarly Publishing

The library supports emerging publishing initiatives and scholarly communication models that promote equitable, affordable access to research and educational materials, including Open Access (OA) and Open Educational Resources (OER). The library also provides access to high-quality, mission-aligned OA resources such as databases, electronic journals, and e-books, and supports Scholarly Commons, ERAU’s institutional repository, to showcase and preserve the university’s scholarly output.

To further these goals, the library pursues transformative publishing agreements (such as Read + Publish) that enable ERAU authors to publish in reputable journals while ensuring broad access to scholarly content for the university community.

Pamphlets, Brochures, and Similar Materials

The library selectively acquires pamphlets, brochures, annual reports, article reprints, clippings, and similar materials when they directly support the curriculum. All collected materials must comply with applicable copyright laws.

Serials, Periodicals, and Newspapers

The library provides access to a diverse range of serial publications, including scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, conference proceedings, abstracts, indexes, annual publications, and monographic series. Most of the library’s journal subscriptions are accessible electronically, with a small collection of scholarly and trade/popular journals are maintained in print. When possible, the library also acquires electronic archival collections featuring essential journal titles.

The library is committed to maintaining ongoing subscriptions to serials that support the university’s mission and demonstrate strong usage. Serials are reviewed regularly for relevance, cost-effectiveness, and demand. Decisions to renew, cancel, or add titles are based on these assessments, with consideration given to program alignment, cost, indexing and abstracting availability, and recommendations from reputable sources.

Software and CD-ROMs

The library does not actively collect or maintain computer software or CD-ROMs.

Standards

The library generally does not purchase individual industry or technical standards due to restrictive licensing terms, unsustainably high costs, and limited access models. In some cases, legal restrictions prevent the library from distributing certain standards, even for educational use or under fair use. Many standards produced by private industry are especially difficult for libraries to obtain, and if not covered by existing subscriptions, they may be unavailable for purchase or interlibrary loan (ILL).

To support the ERAU community, the library assists users in locating and accessing standards whenever possible. Requests are evaluated case by case, and staff will help identify alternative access options when available. The library also maintains a comprehensive Standards Research Guide, which offers guidance on finding and using standards, links to key databases and open-access resources, and instructions for requesting materials.

Theses and Dissertations

The university requires all graduate students to submit an electronic version of their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation to the library. These works are submitted for inclusion in Scholarly Commons, the university’s institutional repository, and in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility.

Works of Art, Photographs, Models, and Realia

The library does not actively collect these materials but may consider them for inclusion in the collection if offered as donations.

Evaluation of the Collection

Deselection and Withdrawal

Deselection is the decision-making process for removing materials from the collection. Withdrawal (weeding) is the permanent removal of outdated, damaged, or redundant items. The Senior Associate Director and the Acquisitions Librarian collaborate with the CMT to coordinate weeding initiatives and make deselection decisions, with input from other staff as needed. A regular weeding schedule ensures the collection remains current, relevant, and aligned with ERAU’s academic and research needs.

Criteria for deselection and withdrawal include:

  1. Physical condition (damaged, deteriorated, or beyond reasonable repair)
  2. Obsolescence or supersession by newer editions
  3. Lack of historical, scholarly, or institutional value
  4. Low or zero circulation activity for at least ten years
  5. Redundancy (e.g., duplicate copies no longer justified by usage)
  6. Changes in curriculum or research focus
  7. Availability in more accessible or cost-effective formats (e.g., electronic versions

Replacement

All reported missing or lost items are evaluated for possible replacement. Decisions on replacement consider factors such as cost, availability, anticipated use, existing holdings, and newer publications related to the subject. The CMT is consulted as necessary throughout this evaluation and process.

Preservation and Conservation

The library strives to maintain and to preserve the physical condition of items through temperature regulation, humidity and pest control, and in-house repairs. Additional preservation measures, such as archival boxes or binding of materials, are implemented when needed.

Appendix A

Embry-Riddle Institutional Overview

Since its founding in 1925 as a flight school, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has been a leader in aviation education. ERAU earned accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 1968 and achieved university status in 1970. Today, as a Level VI institution, ERAU also holds accreditations and approvals from bodies such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The university’s mission is to teach the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace.

ERAU comprises three campuses: Daytona Beach, Florida; Prescott, Arizona; and Worldwide, which delivers courses online and through physical centers around the globe. Hazy Library and Learning Center serves the Prescott campus, while Hunt Library supports the Daytona Beach and Worldwide campuses by providing specialized resources and services tailored to the university’s unique academic and research needs.

In alignment with ERAU’s mission, Hunt Library focuses its collection development efforts on acquiring resources that promote exploration, research, and learning. The library is dedicated to supporting both ERAU’s specialized academic programs as well as the broader general education curriculum.  In addition, the library is committed to preserving and providing access to its distinctive aviation and aerospace collections, which are housed in Archives and Special Collections.

Appendix B

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

  1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
  3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
  4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
  5. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
  6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961;
June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. See the documents designated by the Intellectual Freedom Committee as Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.

Appendix C

Freedom to Read Statement

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

  1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.

    Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

  2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

    Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.
     
  3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

    No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.
     
  4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.

    To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.
     
  5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

    The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.
     
  6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.

    It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.
     
  7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one, the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.

    The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers. Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

A Joint Statement by:

Subsequently endorsed by:

 

 

 

Revised December 2025.