It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some individuals in our society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular, or unacceptable. 

Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession and a basic right in our democratic society. Our goal is to protect Connecticuters’ right to read, oppose attempts to ban books from Connecticut libraries, educate the public about the right to read, oppose any legislation that infringes upon Connecticut citizens’ First Amendment rights and ensure that librarians across Connecticut will be entrusted to continue to do their jobs and serve the needs of ALL individuals and communities. We believe that while a specific book may not be the right fit for one person, it may still be the perfect fit for another. No one individual or group should make sweeping decisions that take that process of careful consideration away from the experts and that choice away from readers.

Censorship is nothing new. However, the volume of attempted censorship efforts and extremist rhetoric we are witnessing across our nation, and here in Connecticut, is unprecedented. We are living in a tumultuous time and we believe the proponents of removing books from library shelves are trying to further divide our country by turning our political disagreements into a culture war. While every individual has a right to challenge a book, we are seeing a coordinated and orchestrated attempt by extremists and well-funded organizations to remove books about racism, sexuality, gender, and history. Even the threat of censorship creates an environment of fear that leads to restrictions on access to information.

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