Bruce J. Ennis

Bruce J. Ennis is the general counsel to the Freedom to Read Foundation, an organization that promotes and protects freedom of speech. In the following viewpoint, Ennis argues that the policies established by the American Library Association allowing minors unrestricted access to library materials are consistent with the U.S. Constitution. Public and school libraries cannot remove or restrict a minor’s access to books or other materials without violating the First Amendment, he maintains. Banning or restricting access to a book because of the ideas it contains is censorship, he contends, and therefore illegal.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Ennis, when may access to library materials be legally restricted?
2. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Board of Education v. Pico, as...