Shelton-Mason County Journal - Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886

“The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack.” – Freedom to Read

If you have never read the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement, it is worth your time to read this powerful document. Published in 1953, eight years after the end of World War II, the statement feels timeless, as if it were written today, taken directly from recent headlines about banning books and defunding libraries.

The Freedom to Read statement serves as a foundational document for library work. Public libraries provide access to content for all without...