New York State Library Policies

Materials in the New York State Library are selected to support the research needs of the citizens of the State of New York.

It is the responsibility of the Library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the materials and resources provided in the library's collections. Inclusion of a particular resource does not constitute endorsement or advocacy of the ideas or statements found therein.

The State Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association and further explicated in the Freedom to Read Statement and the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries. Pursuant to these, the Library will not automatically withdraw duly selected materials from the library collections in response to a request from an individual or group. It is the task of the Library to make research available for review, rebuttal, substantiation, support or further inquiry.

Process for Requesting Reconsideration of Library Material

• A patron who wishes to request the reconsideration of library material must file a formal written request for reconsideration using the library-provided form.
• The request will be reviewed by the appropriate library staff. These librarians will develop a recommendation that will be submitted to the Library Director or the State Librarian, who will be responsible for making the final decision.
• The patron will receive a final written response to the submitted request for reconsideration within 90 days of the library receiving the request.

If you wish to request reconsideration of a resource, please provide all of the information below to the Office of the State Librarian.

•  Date
• Name
• Address (street address, city, state and zip code)
• Phone
• Email
• Please provide the following information about the resource on which you are commenting:
  • Title
  • Author/Producer
  • Have you examined the entire resource? If not, what sections did you review?
  • What is it about this material that you would like for us to reconsider?
  • What action are you requesting the Library consider? 

Updated on 4/2021