Why should libraries extend access to electronic information resources to minors?
Those libraries with a mission that includes service to minors should make available to them a full range of information necessary to become thinking adults and the informed electorate envisioned in the Constitution. The opportunity to participate responsibly in the electronic arena is also vital for nurturing the information literacy skills demanded by the Information Age. Librarians need to remember that minors also possess First Amendment rights. Only parents and legal guardians have the right and responsibility to restrict their children’s—and only their own children’s—access to any electronic resource. • Do the policies of ALA regarding intellectual freedom and ethics apply to electronic information, services and networks in libraries? Yes, because information is information regardless of format. Library resources in electronic form are increasingly recognized as vital to the provision of information that is the core of the library’s role in society. • Does the ALA require that li
