from Wikipedia
Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas without restriction.
Viewed as an integral component of a democratic society, intellectual freedom protects an individual's right to
access, explore, consider, and express ideas and information as the basis for a self-governing, well-informed
citizenry. Intellectual freedom comprises the bedrock for freedoms of expression, speech, and the press and relates
to freedoms of information and privacy.
Freedom of Information laws (FOI laws by country) allow access by the general public to data held by national governments. The
emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisfaction with the secrecy
surrounding government policy development and decision making. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by
which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring
standard exceptions. Also variously referred to as open records, or sunshine laws (in the United States), governments
are typically bound by a duty to publish and promote openness. In many countries there are constitutional guarantees
for the right of access to information, but these are usually unused if specific support legislation does not exist.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by
representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was
proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as
a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human
rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
The United Nations upholds intellectual freedom as a basic human right through Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights which asserts:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.
The institution of libraries in particular values intellectual freedom as part of their mission to provide
and protect access to information and ideas.
The American Library Association (ALA)
defines intellectual freedom as
"the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It
provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement
can be explored."
The modern concept of intellectual freedom developed out of an opposition to book censorship. It is promoted
by several professions and movements. These entities include, among others, librarianship, education, and
the Free Software Movement.
This page was last updated July 18th, 2018 by kim
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