Frequently Asked Questions

A book sanctuary is a space where access to books and the right to read them are at the forefront of its mission. It is a local measure that libraries and individuals can take to protect the basic rights of a democratic society: intellectual freedom and our right to read. Chicago Public Library and the City of Chicago launched the first book sanctuary in 2022.

A book sanctuary commits to doing at least one of the following: collecting and protecting endangered books; making those books broadly accessible; hosting book talks and events on banned books; educating others on the history of book bans and burning.

Our library does these things every day, as we have since our library was founded in 1932 and as most other libraries do. Through this resolution, Mt. Lebanon Public Library will actively promote its responsibility and capability to provide information to all patrons and to carry out its mission in providing a forum to exchange ideas through conversations and programs about intellectual freedom and related topics. 

The governing body of the library, the library’s board of trustees, adopts a formal resolution at a public board meeting designating its status as a book sanctuary. On February 18, 2025 the Mt. Lebanon Public Library Board of Trustees voted to designate the library a book sanctuary. To see the full text of that resolution and other book sanctuary resolutions, jump to the section below titled “Book Sanctuary Resolutions.”

The resolution was made to celebrate libraries and library service in general, and specifically to promote Mt. Lebanon Public Library’s steadfast commitment to proactively stand against censorship, to promote intellectual freedom, and to protect the privacy of our patrons when they use the library. We’ve always stood by these principles, and we want everyone to know!

Intellectual freedom is “freedom that allows people to think about or study what they want”. The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects every person’s right to intellectual freedom through freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government.

Not at all. A book sanctuary resolution is not a policy. You can find Mt Lebanon Public Library’s Collection Development Policy (PDF) and all other policies on our website. The Library’s staff will continue to enact all policies approved by the Library Board of Trustees and select materials for the Library based on the established Collection Development Policy. 

The Library will also continue its dedication and commitment to ensuring a patron’s right to privacy in accessing library materials and the right to make choices for themselves and their children as stated in the Library’s Confidentiality of Library Records Policy. 

The Library will not deny a patron the right to express concern about materials in the collection. Our library will continue to review materials at a patron’s request using the established procedure outlined in the Collection Development Policy, which includes completing the form provided on our website.

As a Book Sanctuary, the Library Director and Library Board of Trustees will not condone removal of any materials from the library’s collection, or relocation of materials from the collection they are intended for (such as moving a picture book to the adult section), as long as those materials meet the standards of the approved policy. The Library Board, which is comprised of residents appointed by the Mt. Lebanon Commission, is the body that makes decisions about materials in the Library’s collection.

Library Director Robyn Vittek will be happy to answer your questions! You can email her at vittekr@mtlebanonlibrary.org.