These are particularly challenging times to work in libraries. Needs keep increasing; The budget is flat, if not down; And the attacks from outside parties continue to destabilize institutions and protect their wealth. Library staff are feeling the impact on their mental health, even sometimes especially! If they love the work very much.
However this may not seem like an appropriate time to focus on library policies when so many other fire incidents may occur. But this might actually be the ideal time to consider where and how your library is addressing new and proposed legislation across the country that intends to make the job more difficult than it has to be.
In June, the Literary Activism newsletter took an in-depth discussion of two interconnected topics: privacy protections for minors and library card access policies and procedures. These are issues that have become a focus for some state-level MPs, which means there is a good chance that they will become topics of interest for even more state-level MPs in the coming sessions. Privacy and library card access policies in libraries are both ways for outside entities to impose their beliefs on the library, thereby facilitating censorship.
Find links to those three pieces and their quotes below. The first was written entirely by me, Kelly Jensen. I brought in Amy Mickle from the Brooklyn Public Library, a leading expert on library card registration policies, to write about where and how the library card sign-up process intersects with censorship. Finally, Amy and I collaborated on a question-and-answer style article detailing what’s going well, where libraries can improve, and more.
Do minors have the right to privacy in the library?
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According to ALA, the right to privacy extends to minors. This is a powerful policy, especially for young people who do not have secure home lives. Youth with library cards can borrow whatever they want without fear that the library’s circulation records will be released to others. At least, that’s the theory. In practice, this right to privacy for those under 18 varies from state to state and library to library. There are many reasons for this. Among them are how libraries set up their applications to obtain a library card, who is responsible for materials borrowed on a library card, and what power a parent’s signature can have on a card application for a minor. Libraries also vary in how they follow the policies and procedures recommended by their professional association, respecting local practices or expectations as well as their own experience in their communities. Privacy can be more challenging in a small town than in a big city.
Library cards—the new landscape of public library censorship
Those wishing to censor books and reading have focused on an important tool to restrict public library use by youth: the library card. Increasingly, lawmakers and library operations officials who censor books and reading have begun to place restrictions on the way public libraries issue library cards to minors. Effectively eliminating library access partially or completely for youth, this approach also reduces the tendency to read independently by limiting a minor’s right to privacy in library use.
“Won’t Someone Think of the Children?”-Youth Library Card & Privacy Question+A
Kelly: The people and legislative authorities who have been the major players in censorship since 2021 have found every means by which they can restrict access to materials and work toward defunding and destabilizing libraries. One of those movements is to restrict or completely remove the ability of libraries and the librarians who work in them to associate with the American Library Association. Memberships aren’t the only thing that’s being restricted; Likewise, there are policies and procedures that libraries have used for decades to ensure that their libraries are fulfilling their purpose. What can library workers in institutions like these, who are not subscribing to the Library Bill of Rights and other foundational philosophies and practices, do when it comes to ensuring that they provide both adult and youth users with as much access as possible to their materials and services? What about libraries that can and do operate within the ALA framework but who are still creating restrictions and barriers through their library card policies?
Amy: Even libraries that fully agree with the core values and ethics set forth in ALA’s Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statements struggle to make sound legal and operational decisions to advance access while employing good stewardship of our buildings, services, and collections; Creating a welcoming space for all library users while also protecting the safety and well-being of staff. That’s a tall order!
Regardless of ALA affiliation or not, it is generally seen as best practice that a library have a list of standard policies on the books and review and republish each of those policies at least every five years.
Public-serving employees should pay attention to times when they are denying library service to eligible patrons due to unclear, outdated, or inequitable library card rules; Then, be sure to review their library’s existing registration policy (if there is one) and review the standards of service issued by their state’s governing agency (you can start by asking your state library association). Advocate for change with your administration.
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At the 2026 American Library Association conference in June, the Council voted on a resolution stating that library card access is a fundamental right and that even more research and resources should be devoted to studying how these policies can prioritize social equity. proposal brought by stephanie chaseInspired by and inspired by the work of Amy Meikle at the Brooklyn Public Library, which passed easily. You can read the full proposal here. It calls on libraries and library associations to spend more time and effort on making library cards as accessible and barrier-free as possible.
Even if you are not a decision-maker in your library, you may want to consider where and how your library’s policies align with the library’s values and mission. Pointing out where and how your card policies may hinder access, or asking if you have any policies related to children’s privacy at the library, is something you can do with your direct manager. Libraries aim to be spaces of social equality; Your voice and advocacy makes a difference.
September is library card sign-up month, and it’s also the traditional start of the new school year. There’s no better time to consider who gets the most out of their library and who doesn’t, and why.
