……reading is a reading is a problem for young problem for young people only if we—people only if we—the adults who the adults who already read—make already read—make it a problem.it a problem.

Herbert KohlHerbert Kohl

You do not make You do not make ideas safe for ideas safe for students; you make students; you make students safe for students safe for ideas.ideas.

William BennettWilliam Bennett

There is a peculiarly There is a peculiarly persistent Vicgtorian persistent Vicgtorian affection that there are some affection that there are some books that every child should books that every child should know. This notion has its know. This notion has its roots in the Renaissance; but roots in the Renaissance; but it needs to have its branches it needs to have its branches pruned. Every child should pruned. Every child should know the world in which he know the world in which he lives as thoroughly as it lies lives as thoroughly as it lies in him to know it.in him to know it.

This world includes This world includes traditional lore and traditional lore and characters, classic tales and characters, classic tales and long-enduring, if not eternal, long-enduring, if not eternal, verities. It is well to verities. It is well to assimilate a great deal of this assimilate a great deal of this intellectual background. But intellectual background. But it is more urgent to learn the it is more urgent to learn the present world in which he is present world in which he is going to live.going to live.Sidonie M. GreenburgSidonie M. Greenburg

A person’s right to use a A person’s right to use a library should not be denied library should not be denied or abridged because of or abridged because of origin, age, background, or origin, age, background, or viewsviews

Library Bill of RightsLibrary Bill of Rights

There is no such thing as a There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. moral or immoral book. Books are well written or Books are well written or badly written.badly written.

Oscar WildeOscar Wilde

Literature should not be Literature should not be suppressed because it suppressed because it offends the moral code of the offends the moral code of the censor.censor.

Justice William O. DouglasJustice William O. Douglas

If you believe that no one If you believe that no one was ever corrupted by a bookwas ever corrupted by a book—then you also believe that —then you also believe that no one was ever improved by no one was ever improved by a book.a book.

anonymousanonymous

To deny the freedom of To deny the freedom of choice in fear that it may be choice in fear that it may be unwisely used is to destroy unwisely used is to destroy the freedom itself.the freedom itself.

The Student’s Right to Read, The Student’s Right to Read, NCTENCTE

Don’t think that you are Don’t think that you are going to conceal thoughts by going to conceal thoughts by concealing evidence that concealing evidence that they ever existed.they ever existed.

Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. Eisenhower

Society in which the habits of Society in which the habits of disciplined reading, analysis, disciplined reading, analysis, interpretation and discourse interpretation and discourse are not sufficiently cultivated are not sufficiently cultivated has much to fear.has much to fear.

Peter HammillPeter Hammill

A dictatorship is good for A dictatorship is good for writers. Censorship writers. Censorship challenges them to make challenges them to make their points with even greater their points with even greater care and subtlety.care and subtlety.

Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis Borges

I know of no safe depository I know of no safe depository of the ultimate power of of the ultimate power of society but the people society but the people themselves; and if we think themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with to exercise their control with a wholesome direction, the a wholesome direction, the remedy is not to take it from remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their them, but to inform their discretion by education.discretion by education.

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson