The Intellectual Freedom Committee has released “Content Controls and Access Guidelines for Vendors,” a new document designed to assist library staff in making informed decisions when selecting third‑party digital content providers.
Adopted on May 5, 2026, the guidelines provide tools to help safeguard intellectual freedom within communities. They outline key considerations for evaluating vendor practices, including:
• Clarifying content curation, filtering, and restrictions
• Access for minors to ensure age‑appropriate experiences without limiting rights
• Evaluation of labels and ratings used to categorize materials
• Patron privacy protections and responsible data handling
The Committee emphasized that the guidelines reinforce libraries’ commitment to equitable access and the protection of reader rights in an increasingly digital environment.
The full document is available to library staff and administrators seeking support in reviewing or selecting digital content vendors.
Click here to read the original press release.
