All locations will be closed on Friday, February 7 for Staff Development Day. To contact Vital Statistics for birth and death certificates, please call (214) 670-3248.
About
Mission Statement
Dallas Public Library strengthens communities and builds equity by connecting people, inspiring curiosity and advancing lives.
Vision Statement
Limitless possibilities start at Dallas Public Library.
Values
Statement on Freedom to Read
Dallas Public Library achieves its vision of limitless possibilities for Dallas residents by championing their right to discover, learn and grow through the power of free information and free reading.
Dallas Public Library reaffirms its commitment to the freedom of information and the freedom to read as essential to its mission of strengthening communities by connecting people, inspiring curiosity and advancing lives.
It is every Dallas resident’s right to borrow, read, view or listen to the content they find most useful, educational or entertaining. The Library has a responsibility to defend that right by fostering a circulating collection that reflects the experiences of our diverse city.
Access and equity are the Library’s guiding principles that inform all initiatives, programs and services. Serving a limited viewpoint, censoring controversial topics and restricting use of certain materials go against those values and violate the trust of the public who depend on the Library’s impartial and unbiased service.
The Library strives to maintain a collection that includes the widest diversity of views and ideas. Library professionals with advanced degrees and years of experience ensure the books and other materials held in the Library are mind-opening, perspective-changing and amplify voices from all walks of life. That does not mean they endorse every idea held within its walls.
The Library has something for everyone, but that does not mean that every book is appropriate for every reader. In a free society, individuals have the right to choose what they read. Families have the right to determine which library resources are acceptable for their children. It is in the public interest for the collection to be inclusive of differing opinions and tastes.
Dallas Public Library achieves its vision of limitless possibilities for Dallas residents by championing their right to discover, learn and grow through the power of free information and free reading.
September 28, 2023
Statement on Race and Social Equity
The Dallas Public Library is one of the 180 libraries that signed the Urban Library Council Statement on Race and Social Equity.
