ABSTRACT
Public librarians derive the philosophical and ethical principles that guide our practice from transcendent ideals which are also embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This article reviews the foundation of the U.S. public library and key documents that have characterized its development. Recent violations of human rights in U.S. libraries include closure; exclusion of the homeless; refusal to purchase Spanish-language materials; ordinances against gay pride display; and filtering. The importance of the public librarian's commitment to human rights as the ethical basis for library service is defined and discussed.
