Library Bill of Rights: Difference between revisions

The Library Bill of Rights was adopted by the association in its earliest form in [[1939]], and has been revised several times since. Its original adoption was introduced with the statement, "Today indications in many parts of the world point to growing intolerance, suppression of free speech, and [[censorship]] affecting the rights of minorities and individuals," a reference to the emergence of totalitarian states during that time.{{ref|39proc}} During the [[Cold War]] period, the Library Bill of Rights supported opponents of censorship of materials interpreted as communist propaganda. In [[1948]], the association adopted a major revision of the document, which strengthened it significantly to address the new wave of censorship attempts that marked the beginning of the [[Red Scare]], and was subsequently attacked in newspapers as "leftist," a "red front," and a "Communist organization."{{ref|hist}} A [[1967]] revision shortened the document and removed rhetorical flourishes, also removing the qualification "of sound factual authority," which it was felt could have been used to justify censorship. The document was revised again in [[1980]], and in [[1996]] the inclusion of age, along with background, origin, and views, as an attribute that should not be the basis for denying access to information, was reaffirmed following a debate within the association that was spurred by community activists who were concerned about protecting children from materials intended for mature audiences.{{ref|lbr}}