"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." - Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1) The Code of Ethics of the American Library Association states, in part: "We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations." (2)

In recognition of the importance of intellectual freedom to libraries and the people they serve, an Intellectual Freedom Task Force was appointed by the Kansas Library Association in 2004. It was charged with "creating an updated and revised Intellectual Freedom Handbook (last revised in 1993), and recommending the content for a comprehensive intellectual freedom website for KLA members and Kansas libraries."

This web site is the result of that charge and it is my sincere hope it will be of use to Kansas libraries and librarians in a variety of settings.

Patti Butcher, President
Kansas Library Association, 2004-05

1. International Intellectual Freedom Basics, available on the American Library Association website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/basics/internationalintellectual.htm. 2. Code of Ethics of the American Library Association, paragraph 3, available on the American Library Association website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.htm.