ALA's Library Bill of Rights affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas. It also outlines basic policies that should guide library services, and is THE foundational statement of the profession. See also the sidebar, which outlines major policy issues and gives links to statements that interpret and elaborate on the Library Bill of Rights as it affects library services.

The Association of College and Research Libraries' Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries interprets of the Library Bill of Rights for an academic setting.