The Office for Intellectual Freedom was established in 1967. This office is in charge of implementing the American Library Association’s policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in the ALA’s basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials, known as the Library Bill of Rights.

The goal of the office is to educate librarians and the general public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries. Among the many initiatives of this office, the most commonly known is Banned Books Week, in which the ALA makes the public aware of the dangers of censorship.