Intellectual Freedom
Intellectual Freedom
Regina Public Library supports intellectual freedom and endorses the Canadian Federation of Library Association (CFLA)’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries. This is of such significant importance that it is included in RPL’s Values statement.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) is the united, national voice of Canada's library community. CFLA works to:
- advance library excellence in Canada;
- champion library values and the value of libraries; and
- influence national and international public policy impacting libraries and their communities.
CFLA’s statement says that all persons in Canada have a fundamental right, subject only to the Constitution and the law, to have access to the full range of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion, and to express their thoughts publicly. Further, libraries have a core responsibility to support, defend and promote the universal principles of intellectual freedom and privacy. They are the key institution in Canada for rendering expressive content accessible and affordable to all. Libraries are essential gateways for all persons living in Canada to advance themselves through literacy, lifelong learning, social engagement, and cultural enrichment.
What is Intellectual Freedom?
Intellectual freedom is important to RPL and our community. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows every Canadian to explore different ideas, hear all sides of an issue and gather information to make informed decisions—that’s intellectual freedom.
You use that freedom every time you read a book or a newspaper, watch a film or listen to your favourite podcast. It’s how you discover new worlds and ideas, challenge your mind, and connect with community. Intellectual freedom empowers Canadians to think, learn and dream, while protecting everyone’s right to express their beliefs and opinions without fear of censorship or discrimination.
Libraries protect the intellectual freedom of every person by offering uncensored access to resources on a wide variety of subjects and ideas that they can interpret for themselves.
We do this because intellectual freedom is crucial to a democracy that values diverse perspectives and encourages the free exchange of ideas.
How Do We Decide What Books to Offer?
The library’s role is to provide resources that offer a range of viewpoints on a topic or issue, so all members of the community can use them to form their own thoughts and opinions.
Among other considerations, we look for items that:
- Are responsive to the needs of residents of all ages, educational levels, cultural backgrounds, social conditions, and religious or political affiliations;
- Offer the widest possible range of subjects and views in a variety of formats, treatments, and levels of difficulty;
- Balance with other items in our collection, and across Saskatchewan’s public library system, to provide multiple viewpoints on a particular topic or subject; and
- Represent significant local and national perspectives.
Why? Because diverse materials can help us understand the world from different angles, and foster empathy and respect for others. They give us a chance to explore ideas from all sides so we can develop informed opinions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is this book in your collection?
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Regina Public Library is a publicly-funded library that provides free access to information that is legally available and meets specific criteria. We look at book reviews, demand, customer requests, and more in order to choose books for our collections. Customers choose to read a book for many reasons, and it’s not the library’s role to question those reasons or limit access. - Can I control what my kids see?
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We encourage parents to be actively involved in assessing and selecting the books and other media they feel are appropriate for their children to read, watch, listen to, or play. RPL makes a wide range of materials available to meet our customers’ diverse needs and interests, however:- Children under age 14 must have a signature from their parents or guardians to register for a library card.
- Parents and guardians can access all borrowing records for children under age 14.
- Young adults aged 14 to 17 do not need a parental or guardian signature to register for a library card.
- Parents or guardians of young adults can access the financial portion of their child’s records on request, after verifying their identity.
- Why do you provide unfiltered access to the Internet?
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Like books, magazines, and other documents, the Internet is a method of sharing information. We respect our customers’ use of the Internet to find information. We offer unfiltered access, but all users must comply with the library’s Internet Access Policy. - Why do you host events I don't agree with?
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Regina Public Library offers room bookings to external organizations, community groups, and Regina residents.RPL does not endorse the views of facility renters, nor does rental to one organization preclude rental to other organizations. Third-party rentals are not sponsored by the library nor are they considered library programs.
RPL ensures responsible use of our meeting spaces through our Room Use and Rental Policy.
Providing space to community organizations is part of our commitment to intellectual freedom. That commitment includes the provision of public spaces and services to individuals and groups without discrimination.
- Online Resources
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- Reading Lists
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