The analysis of the service regulations of 70 Latin American university libraries (from Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Bolivia) re-veals enormous differences in how librarians in this part of the world understand and carry on practical notions about access to knowledge and the university’s role of community service. In some countries, these libraries operate as public services for the community (Brazil, Mexico and Argentina), while in others there are multiple restrictions to external users (with Peru as an extreme case). The article discusses the implications of these findings in relation to the roles of libraries and the university function of social outreach.