McGill Libraries,
Collection Policy


		Intellectual Freedom

The following statement on intellectual freedom was unanimously adopted
by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries in June 1986 and was
circulated by the Director of Libraries shortly thereafter.
Besides providing us with a formal expression of library policy defending
our right to hold and make available controversial materials the statement
articulates our responsibility to select literature expressing a broad
range of views in order to provide scholarly access to a wide variety
of artistic, scientific, political, religious, moral, etc. thought.

	Freedom of Expression in Research Libraries

All persons in Canada have a fundamental right, as embodied in the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Bill of Rights, to have access
to all expressions of knowledge, creativity, and intellectual activity.

It is the responsibility of research libraries to facilitate access
to all expressions of knowledge, opinion, intellectual activity,
and creativity from all periods of history to the current era
including those which some may consider unconventional, unpopular,
unorthodox, or unacceptable.

To this end research libraries shall acquire and make available,
through purchase or resource sharing, the widest variety of materials
that support the scholarly pursuits of their communities.

September, 1986