National PTA believes that students need access to information in order to explore and experience the diversity of ideas in a pluralistic society. PTA recognizes and supports the rights of parents to guide their children in choosing appropriate reading and educational materials. PTA supports the rights of both public libraries and school libraries to provide materials and information that include all points of view on current and historical issues and that are free of censorship based on bias, partisanship or doctrinal disapproval.
National PTA urges its members at all levels to monitor, support and advocate for laws, regulations, policies and programs that:
- Support a person’s right to use a library without bias because of origin, age, background or view.
- Encourage the establishment of local school system policies to ensure the rights of educators, parents, students and other community members to assume roles in the evaluation, selection and adoption or removal procedures for instructional materials and of school library materials used by children in public schools.
- Provide schools with materials that are free of bias, challenging and interesting to students, providing a means to explore ideas and concepts, make informed judgments and expand students’ access to a variety of resources.
- Present the diverse racial and ethnic heritages of this country, and the contributions of all groups in the educational materials and textbooks used by our schools.
- Portray accurately the role and contribution of both men and women of all racial, regional and occupational groups in textbooks and materials used by our public schools.
- Maintain school libraries and media centers in all public schools with the support of school boards and, when needed, PTAs and communities.
This position statement was written to update and combine resolutions and position statements concerning “Libraries and Educational Material.” The original resolutions and position statements will be archived in the Historical Records as reference on this issue.
Libraries, Public Schools and Censorship; Library Bill of Rights; Textbook Credibility; Parents’ and Students’ Role in the Selection, Review, and Removal of Educational Materials; School Libraries/Media Centers and the PTA
**Please refer to position statement entitled “Mass Media” for further information on pornography and children’s access to pornographic material.