Nebraska Intellectual Freedom Manual

As defined by the American Library Association (ALA), intellectual freedom is "the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause, or movement may be explored."

Intellectual freedom is a tenet that makes the library profession unique, in serving the minority as well as the majority-in collections that reflect the unpopular as well as the popular-and in protecting the utmost privacy of library users. Intellectual freedom cannot be limited or extended by personal beliefs and preferences. Intellectual freedom is a foundational principle that encourages tolerance and diversity.

Intellectual freedom is a challenging area of discussion which lends itself to increasingly complicated concerns. These issues often involve law and court decisions, so they can be affected by changing decisions and ongoing appeals and suits.