Declaration for the Right to Libraries is a campaign from the American Library Association designed to build public support for all library types. The campaign includes a toolkit with ideas for hosting a signing of the declaration in your library.
While some points in the declaration fit best with public libraries, the spirit of the document fits well with libraries of all types. Instilling in our users the idea that having a library is a basic right is a powerful advocacy tool.
Please visit the Declaration for the Right to Libraries website for more information and access to the toolkit.
The preamble to the Declaration is reprinted below.
In the spirit of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we believe that libraries are essential to a democratic society. Every day, in countless communities across our nation and the world, millions of children, students and adults use libraries to learn, grow and achieve their dreams. In addition to a vast array of books, computers and other resources, library users benefit from the expert teaching and guidance of librarians and library staff to help expand their minds and open new worlds. We declare and affirm our right to quality libraries -public, school, academic, and special – and urge you to show your support by signing your name to this Declaration for the Right to Libraries.
The Declaration can be signed online at http://www.ilovelibraries.org/declaration/sign