The Michigan Library Association leads the advancement of all Michigan libraries through advocacy, education and engagement.

About

The Michigan Library Association is a collaborative network of libraries, library professionals, and supporters working together to protect and promote our libraries and advance the library profession in Michigan.

Our network of more than 2000 organizations and individuals is dedicated to advocating for libraries, growing professionally as leaders in the library community, and advancing the profession through sharing of best practices, innovative ideas, and new programs and services that benefit library personnel, library patrons and the communities we serve. We are passionate about the library profession and the importance of libraries to our society and know we are stronger together!

BOOK CHALLENGES AND REPORTING CENSORSHIP

The Michigan Library Association actively advocates and educates in defense of intellectual freedom – the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession and a basic right in our democratic society. MLA opposes censorship of materials and is a proponent of the accessibility to materials without prejudice to every member of the community.

To respond on behalf of libraries and librarians in Michigan who are challenged in protecting the access to materials, MLA needs to know about such incidents. Any citizen, library employee, student, parent, library trustee, teacher or other member of a community who knows of a complaint or challenge is encouraged to contact us. If you hear of a challenge in your community, please share it by using this form so we can begin the work to find out how to help.

Any library employee, friends group member or trustee who knows of a complaint or challenge is also welcome to contact MLA’s Executive Director at [email protected] and file a report with the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. You may report incidents anonymously.

MLA also maintains an Advocacy Resource Fund which helps assist libraries with specific intellectual freedom challenges. Please contact MLA’s Executive Director at [email protected] for further information.