North Carolina Library Association

Censorship Statement

The mission of the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) is to promote libraries, library and information services, and librarianship; and to champion intellectual freedom and literacy programs. NCLA further acknowledges that one of our own goals is to identify and help resolve special concerns of minorities and women in the profession. With this, we recognize the pain and harm that challenges of this nature inflict on the LGBTQIA community – a minority community. We also recognize that the challenges raised recently speaks to the heart of intellectual freedom and why it is so important for libraries to have access to materials that cover all points of view. It’s for all the reasons outlined above that we: 

1. Support the actions of Wake County Public Libraries in reinstating Gender Queer back to their shelves for circulation.
2. Support the letter written by ACLU of North Carolina, Equality NC, and the LGBT Center of Raleigh condemning its initial removal. 

We encourage all libraries to review and update selection processes to ensure collections are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Public libraries have a responsibility to represent a broad range of materials in their collections and to meet the needs of everyone in the community, including those who may be marginalized or part of a minority. While individual library users have the right to voice their concerns about a library book and select different materials for themselves and their own families, those objecting to a book should not be given the power to restrict other users’ right to access those books. Library selection policies should reflect these concepts.