'See Librarian': University libraries and intellectual freedom

Alex Byrne

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) recently approved a Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom which provides a touchstone for all libraries, including university libraries, in Australia as elsewhere. It offers a foundation on which university libraries may build their policies and procedures to ensure that they strongly support both academic freedom and intellectual freedom. While the form of the challenges may have changed as we wade into the Internet's informational ocean, the need to adhere to our principled support for intellectual freedom is undiminished. All of us who work in university libraries should join the fight to preserve intellectual freedom. The IFLA Statement, approved by the Executive Board on 25 March 1999, should be displayed in our libraries and promoted to academic staff and students.