Censorship and Banned Books
LIS 2000 Fall 2007
Lisa Campbell
Kimberly Christensen
Reilly Dunn
Megan Fallon
Timothy Gieringer
Ross Griffiths
Paula Kelly
Andrew Krol
Melinda Vicario
WHAT IS CENSORSHIP?
"What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to
exist."
-- Salman Rushdie
•Official prohibition or restriction of any type of expression
believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order- Columbia
Encyclopedia
•The suppression of ideas and information that certain persons,
individuals, groups or government officials, find objectionable or
dangerous – ALA
•Suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive,"
happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal
political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out
by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by
the government is unconstitutional- ACLU
•All ideas having even the slightest redeeming social
importance…have the full protection of the [first amendment], unless
excludable because they encroach upon the limited area of more
important interests. But implicit in the history of the First
Amendment is the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming
social importance. – Supreme Court, 1957
What are some historical examples of
censorship in the United States?
“The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book”
-- Walt Whitman
-1873 Comstock Laws- Federal Anti-Obscenity Act
Banned works deemed “obscene or immoral.” William Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, as well as
information on birth control were outlawed.
-Early 20th Century- US Customs and the Post Office
Laws prohibiting the delivery of obscene materials by mail
were often used to censor works. In 1920, publication of
James Joyce’s Ulysses was halted under these laws. Customs
seized copies of Voltaire’s Candide in 1930. In 1953,
Nabokov’s Lolita was refused delivery by US Customs.
•1950s- Joseph McCarthy and The Red Scare
More than 300 titles were banned or burned. Bans were not
limited to Communist writers such as Marx and Lenin.
Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience was removed from overseas
libraries run by the State Department.
What are some recent examples of
censorship in libraries?
•1980- The Merchant of Venice
This Shakespeare play was banned from Midland, Michigan schools
because it was believed to perpetuate Jewish stereotypes.
•1987- Alabama bans 45 textbooks from schools
A district court judge banned 45 textbooks from schools because they
presented a “godless, humanistic religion” and portrayed whites as
having oppressed Native Americans. The ban was reversed by a federal
court in the same year.
•1989- Little Red Riding Hood
Two California school districts banned the illustrated version
because they believed it encouraged underage drinking.
•2006- And Tango Makes Three
The most challenged book of 2006 according to the ALA. This book
about two male penguin parents has been challenged in libraries and
schools for its homosexual themes and perceived anti-family nature.
Examples of Banned and Censored Books:
Fahrenheit 451 By: Ray Bradbury
“Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean”
--Captain Beatty, Fahrenheit 451
•
•
•
In 1953, Ray Bradbury
republished his novella, The
Fireman as novel entitled
Fahrenheit 451.
It was written in response
to the fanatical acts of
Senator Joseph McCarthy’s
attempt to eradicate
communism.
The novel revolves around
the main character, Guy
Montag--a fireman--who burns
books. His entire life he
never really questioned what
he was doing or how it
effected his world. That is
until a girl named Clarisse
opened his eyes to the
terrible reality of his
world.
•
•
•
•
Ray Bradbury’s work has been
banned on several grounds in
the past. The most common being
questioning authority,
profanity, and the issue of
censorship in general.
(Jenkinson 1985, 26-33)
Ironically enough, Fahrenheit
451 was censored in 1978 by
Bradbury’s own publisher,
Ballantine Books without his
knowledge or consent.
Ballantine had censored “75
separate selections” mostly
having to do with profanity
(Otten 1997, 9).
Several classes studying the
novel at the time brought this
to Bradbury’s attention, to
which he was very grateful.
The Catcher in the Rye
By: J.D. Salinger
“That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.
I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.”
--Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye



The novel The Catcher in the
Rye, was written in 1951 by
J.D. Salinger.
It is a story about a
disillusioned young man
named Holden Caulfield, who
is lost in a world that he
doesn’t understand.
Throughout the novel he
wanders around looking for
something, anything that can
fill the void he feels in
his life.
It’s a very different view
of the world from what most
people are used to seeing.
Holden’s character has a lot
of depth and Salinger
doesn’t hold back when
exploring it.


Like Fahrenheit 451, The
Catcher in the Rye has been
banned on several occasions.
The most common grounds are
profanity, dishonesty, talk
of suicide, substance abuse,
sexual situations and
connotations. (Frangedis
1988, 72-75)
Most of these criticisms are
ironic because they are
symbols in the book of
Holden’s downward spiral
into depression. These
themes aren’t being
promoted, they are merely
being used as warning signs.
Is all speech protected by the First
Amendment?
Miller v. California (1973) produced the three-part “Miller
Test” for defining obscenity:
•Whether the average person, applying contemporary community
standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole,
appeals to the prurient interest
•Whether the work depicts/describes, in a patently offensive
way, sexual conduct or excretory functions specifically
defined by applicable state law
•Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary,
artistic, political, and scientific value.
In addition to obscenity, expression may be legally restricted
on other grounds including:
•slander (with malicious intent)
•invasion of privacy
•works that “incite imminent lawless action”
What is Internet Filtering?
“Swimming pools can be dangerous for children. To protect them, one can install locks,
put up fences, and deploy pool alarms. All of these measures are helpful, but by
far the most important thing that one can do for one’s children is to teach them to
swim.”
--National Research Council, “Youth, Pornography, and the Internet” (2002).
•Began as an attempt to regulate the World Wide Web;
protecting people from inaccurate, unpleasant, and
offensive material.
•December 2000, President Clinton signed the Children’s
Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
•CIPA requires all schools and libraries that receive
federal financial assistance for Internet access to install
filters on all computers used by adults as well as minors
(this includes staff computers).
How does internet filtering work?
Filtering Strategies
•Early filtering: “self-rating” by online publishers
-Third-Party filtering by filter manufacturers like
NetNanny
-Often rely on mechanical blocking of key words or phrases
-Today we are seeing filtering based on dynamic content
analysis.
•Flaws in Internet filtering
-Underblocking and Overblocking: filters set above the
lowest settings block another 50% of legal sites, but only
an additional 4% of sites banned by CIPA
(Kaiser Family Foundation Study).
-NetNanny’s blocked sites included the Banned Books page at
Carnegie Mellon University & the home page of the
White House
-Filters give parents a false sense of security
-Filtering gives private corporations control over access
What internet content must be
filtered?
•“obscene” materials: depicts sexual conduct that
appeals only to prurient interests, is offensive
to community standards, and lacks serious
literary, artistic, political, or scientific value
•“child pornography”: depicts any form of sexual
conduct or lewd exhibitionism involving minors
•“harmful to minors”: includes any depiction of
nudity, sexual activity, or simulated sexual
activity that has no serious literary, artistic,
political, or scientific value to minors
•Includes information on safe sexual practices and
even general health care
Who supports filtering?
Who opposes it?
•The American Library Association and Filtering
–“The ALA does not endorse blocking or filtering Internet content
in libraries because there is no proven technology that blocks
out all illegal content and allows access to all constitutionally
protected material” (resolution on opposition to federally
mandated internet filtering).
–The ALA recommends that libraries adopt Internet use policies,
and educate children to use the Internet wisely.
•Libraries & the Internet Toolkit:
www.ala.org/oif/iftoolkits/internet
•Resource for families: www.getnetwise.org
–The American Family Association opposes the ALA, claiming that
the organization wants to (http://www.afa.net/lif/schools.asp)
“provide children with totally unrestricted access to Internet
porn!”
•Further legal challenges to CIPA
–Would be based on the application of the law in public
libraries, and could be raised by library patrons or by
professional library organizations
–The ALA will continue to lobby for changes in the law
Who are some groups that fight
censorship?
American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom
•Established December 1, 1967
•Implements the ALA’s policies on intellectual freedom
•Follows the Library Bill of Rights, which is the stated views of the
ALA on the free access to libraries and library materials
•The ALA OIF uses many resources to spread their message including a
blog, links to relevant web sites, links to similar organizations,
and things that you can do to help the cause of intellectual freedom
•Found at http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/Default622.htm
PEN American Center
•An international literary and human rights association that was
founded in 1921
•Includes over 2900 writers, editors and translators
•The goal of the PEN American Center is to promote literary freedom
and access and sponsors public literary programs, among other things.
•Found at http://www.pen.org/
Who are some groups that fight
censorship?
People for the American Way
• An American political action group that defends the rights of
American citizens including a person’s right to read and write what
they want
• Fights against government censorship
• Found at
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/
The American Civil Liberties Union
• Deals mostly freedom of the individual and freedom of the press
• Views censorship as a violation of the First Amendment
• Found at http://www.aclu.org/
Who are some groups that fight
censorship?
National Coalition Against Censorship
• Founded in 1974 the NCAC is a group of 50 nonprofit groups that
have come together to fight censorship; including literary,
artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil
liberties groups that are concerned with freedom of thought and
expression.
• The website has many useful resources. They include: breaking
news on censorship, ideas for presenting projects on censorship
in educational environments, definitions of issues that are
current and historical, and links to several other relevant
sites, including the 50 organizations in the coalition
• Found at http://www.ncac.org/home.cfm
What is the difference between
“Selection” and “Censorship”?
“…selection is democratic, while censorship is authoritarian…”
--Lester Asheim, “Not Censorship but Selection”.
•Selection is inclusive, providing information to
represent a broad range of viewpoints and subject
matter. (positive)
•Censorship is exclusive, access to information is
specifically denied based upon a moral judgment or
legal act. (negative)
How do libraries select books?
When selecting books, librarians consider:

Physical and budgetary constraints


How much money to we have to spend? And how much shelf
space?
Selection “Standards”
What is the author’s intent?
 What is the literary value?
 Who is the community being served?

Some standards are subjective. It is the
librarian’s job to apply them in an open minded and
democratic fashion. The public trust is in their
hands.
Selection vs. Censorship in School
Libraries
The American Library Association’s Recommendations on
School Collection Development
• Each school district should create its own collection
development policy.
• The collection development policy should contain
procedures for dealing with formal book challenges.
• The school districts should have committees made up of
teachers, librarians, administrators, community members
and students to deal with any book challenges.
• The selection policy should reflect the philosophy and
goals of the school system and its curriculum, and
support the principles of intellectual freedom described
in the Library Bill of Rights (ALA).
• The resources selected should not be biased by personal,
political, social, or religious views.
Who Has the Final Say?
The School Librarian/and or Principal
If they are censors:
If they are selectors:
•
•
•
They will develop a
collection that fits the
needs of the curriculum,
while catering to extracurricular needs to create
an atmosphere of free
inquiry for their students.
They will not be afraid to
include materials that
expose students to differing
community values and let
them decide what they would
or would not like to read.
This creates an atmosphere
where students are exposed
to all kinds of life
situations, through books
and other materials.
They will develop
collections that are gender
fair, multicultural and age
appropriate to the grade
level or levels of the
school building.
•
•
•
•
•
They begin with a list of
negative subjects or words
and fail to add any books to
their collection that may
contain these things.
They worry about being too
sensitive to community
standards and allow their
self-censorship to affect
their collection
development.
They allow personal
prejudices to affect their
selection decisions.
They allow parents,
organized groups and other
non-qualified personnel to
interfere in their selection
decisions.
They ban a book from their
collection on the basis that
it may cause a problem in
the future.
As information professionals, why
should we care about censorship?
“All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well,
as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say
let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned
Constitution of the United States -- and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give
me death!”
--Kurt Vonnegut
• “All information resources that are provided directly or
indirectly by the library, regardless of technology,
format, or methods of delivery, should be readily,
equally, and equitably accessible to all library users.”
ALA Policy Manual 53.1.14 (Free Access to Information)
• “Be it in the capacity of archivist, reference librarian
or information technology professional, a common thread
is the profession's dogged commitment to safeguarding
books, research and information to make knowledge more
widespread, not less.”1
As information professionals, why
should we care about censorship?
Censorship is something that we will almost certainly
have to deal with at some point in our professional
careers in collection development and management, we
will address challenges from within the communities we
serve

Discussions of intellectual freedom and censorship are
integral to a field dealing with information access.

Censorship in libraries does not occur solely with the
librarian or its patrons, it may happen before a book
reaches the library through editing and pressure from
publishers

Libraries are regarded as a reliable source of
information; censorship hinders our ability to provide
that information

What can we do to address censorship?
“Librarians should start recognizing that there are inequities in both the production and
consumption of information, and that libraries themselves can reinforce those
inequalities.”
-Steven R. Harris, “Discourse and Censorship: Librarians and the Ideology of Freedom”
Stay informed: Become well versed in all aspects of

censorship, your rights, and intellectual freedom.
Become familiar with what is happening in local, state
and federal legislation
Be Prepared: Familiarize yourself with your

institution’s policies regarding book challenges; know
how to separate personal feelings from professional tasks
Get involved: Participate in or organize an event,

discussion group, and/or book club
Speak out: Be a resource on the important issues for

patrons, peers, and community. Let your
known to congressmen and local officials
opinions be
Exercise your rights: Read those banned books!

Discussion Questions





If librarians must examine and choose material
for their collections, does this make them “de
facto censors”? Why or why not?
A librarian chooses against a book that the
community they serve may object to. Censorship
or selection? Why or why not?
What do you think of the mission and tactics of
some of the anti-censorship organizations
listed?
You work at a medium-sized public library. Your
director instructs you to remove six books from
circulation because of community objections. Do
you follow his/her instructions? Do you take a
stand that might compromise your job? What would
your considerations be when making your choice?
(be honest).
What role, if any, should budget constraints
have in censoring a library collection?
Bibliography
ALA Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A.“ ALA
American Library Association.
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/basics/intellectual.htm
(accessed September 2007).
This information was referenced from the ALA website,
specifically from their Intellectual Freedom and
Censorship Q & A. The article addresses issues
regarding whether or not a librarian is in fact
censoring everything they choose not to buy for the
library. It lists several objective reasons why this
is in fact not so, by discussing the practical
constraints librarians face when making selection
decisions. Conversely, materials present in the
library do not imply endorsement. The library is a
neutral provider of information. The article also
discusses the library’s responsibility in obtaining
information that may not be available to the user.
The American Library Association Office for Intellectual
Freedom, Public Information Office and Washington Office,
“Libraries & the Internet Toolkit: Tips and guidance for
managing and communicating about the Internet,” 2003.
http://www.ala.org/oif/iftoolkits/internet
Last updated on December 9, 2003, this publication of
the American Library Association is designed to help
parents, teachers, and librarians manage and
communicate about the internet. The document explains
the ALA’s stance on Internet filtering and provides a
checklist for creating an Internet Use Policy. The
Toolkit also lists criteria of good websites for
kids, and offers tips to parents. In their discussion
of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the
authors give advice to librarians on answering tough
questions from patrons. Additionally, they list about
seventeen “tough questions” and give sample answers
for each one. The latter part of the publication
contains several pages of helpful resources, detailed
information on the ALA, and a list of key contacts.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/adultent/topic_fa
qs.aspx?topic=pornography
This site gives a broad outline of the Miller v
California case and how it relates to later cases
from 1982 that define child pornography as a separate
category of obscenity, and a 1987 decision clarifying
the “value” standard as a “reasonable person”
standard. The First Amendment Center is a forum and
advocacy organization for “First Amendment
issues”.
Frangeis,Helen. “Dealing with the Controversial Elements in “The
Catcher in the Rye.”The English Journal 77, no. 7 (Nov.1988):
72-75. (September 12, 2007),
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00138274%28198811%2977%3A7%3C72
%3ADWTCE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X.
This article really helped me with what the issues of
censorship were for The Catcher in the Rye. It explained
why it was controversial and how a teacher should go
about presenting this serious subject. It was a very
interesting read. It broke down all the elements and
outlined how different content in the novel could be
taken out of context. There was a deep understanding of
the novel and its message in this piece. The article
looked at all concerns about The Catcher in the Rye and
addressed each issue in detail. One thing I didn’t like
about the article was that it didn’t give any specific
instances of when or where the book was banned. I also
would have like to have seen a bit more information about
the author himself. Overall, it helped a lot with the
controversy area of the project.
Jenkinson, Edward B. “Protecting Holden Caulfield and
His Friends from the Censors.” The English Journal 74,
no. 1 (Jan.1985): 26-33. (September 12, 2007),
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00138274%28198501%2974
%3A1%3C26%3APHCAHF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S.
This article explained what the exact issues were on why most
books were banned as a whole. It helped me determine from its
list the reasons for which Fahrenheit 451 and other works were
banned. It was hard to find a concrete list of why just
Fahrenheit 451 would be banned in schools and libraries. The
article gave a great overview of the historic background of
censorship and how it became a prevalent problem. Overall, the
piece gave me a lot of insight into the issues people take to
heart. It shows why people censor and how others can fight
censorship. It gave an all-encompassing view of the issue of
censorship, and it helped me see the full extent of the
argument.
Jenkinson, Dave. “Selection and Censorship: It’s
simple arithmetic”. School Libraries in Canada 2002,
Vol.21, No.4. Collection Development.
Jenkinson, whose research subjects include
censorship, adds up the reasons why selection
and censorship affect school libraries. He
lists numerous ways that books are censored and
then explains ways that books should be
selected instead, therefore adding to a
school’s collection rather than subtracting
from it. He warns of “in house” censorship and
gives examples of how easy it is to fall victim
to it, calling it “silent censorship”. He also
gives examples of how publishers can hurt their
own chances with school librarians by being too
open about the content of their books.
Miller, Richard. "A Fresh Look at the Library Bill of
Rights-Part VIII.“ Official Nebraska Government Website.
Spring 1998.
http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/freedom/lbrpart8.html (accessed
Sept 2007).
In 1953 legendary library educator Lester Asheim wrote
“Not Censorship But Selection”, it was originally
published in the Wilson Library Bulletin. The primary
focus of the article is that selection of library
material is a “positive” process (seeking reasons to
keep an item in a collection), while censorship is
“negative” (rejection of an item based upon a moral
judgment). This article is still considered the seminal
document on this subject. Asheim states that a selector
begins with a “presumption in favor of liberty of
thought”, and a censor “with a presumption of thought
control”. Asheim’s career included membership on the
faculty at the Graduate Library School of the
University of Chicago, 1948-1961 and 1971-1974, serving
as dean from 1952-1961. From 1961-1971 he served as
director of the American Library Association (ALA)
International Relations Office, and from 1966-1971 as
director of the ALA Office for Library Education.
NCAC. National Coalition Against Censorship. September 16, 2007.
http://www.ncac.org/home.cfm (accessed September 16, 2007).
The NCAC is an organization comprised of 50
nonprofit groups against censorship. The website
contains a lot of useful information in one place.
It is well written and concise in its description of
topics ranging from forms of censorship, current
issues, and news about censorship. The website also
gives information on approaching the topic of
censorship in a learning environment. It lists
events happening to raise awareness, and describes
how you can organize an event yourself. There are
links to many relevant resources, including links to
every organization in the coalition. The website is
a good starting point in researching the topic of
censorship, and its overviews and archived news are
also helpful.
Oppenheim, Charles and Victoria Smith. 2004. Censorship in
Libraries. Information Services & Use. 24:159-170.
In this article, the authors explore the role of the
librarian in relation to censorship and the access of
information. While the article seems to focus primarily on
public libraries, the conclusions drawn are applicable to
all specializations. How do librarians ensure access to
information? What, if any, influence can librarians have on
censorship policies? How do librarians deal with
intellectual freedom and the needs and desires of the
communities they serve?
In looking at a case study of the attempt to censor Michael
Moore's book, Stupid White Men . . . and Other Sorry Excuses
for the State of the Nation!, the responses of the American
Library Association (ALA), Chartered Institute of Library
and Information Professionals (CILIP), Judith Krug (Office
of Intellectual Freedom) and librarian Corey Mwamaba, the
authors reveal what they find to be a profession-wide ideal
of intellectual freedom that, while hard to implement, is
essential to the role of a librarian.
Otten, Nick. “Censorship Gone Awry: Yes Ray Bradbury
Knows.” The English Journal 86, no. 6 (Nov.1997): 9
(September 12, 2007),
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00138274%28199710%2986%3A6%3C9%3ACGAYBK%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S.
This letter was important to our research because it gave
a first person account of how Ray Bradbury’s novel was
censored and the discovery of the deed. The rebuttal
letter was written by Nick Otten, who taught a class with
the novel back in 1978. His class was one of few that
noticed the changes that had been made by the publisher to
Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury responded in a letter back to
Otten saying that several people had brought the issue to
his attention as of late. It was interesting to get a
first-hand account of the situation from Otten and the
excerpts from Ray Bradbury’s letter as well. Mostly, it
pointed out that his book had been banned and censored on
various occasions for its use of profanity. Overall, it
helped establish a good historic context in which the
novel had been altered showing the real problem and irony
of censorship.
"Time Line of Banned Books in the United States." The
Book Standard. September 27, 2005.
http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/global/
article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001181785 (accessed
September 9, 2007).
This website gives a chronological outline of major book
banning and censorship occurrences in the United States.
The background of each occurrence is clearly and concisely
explained. The list begins in 1776 with Thomas Paine, who
although was not technically banned in the US, was banned
in England for his works in America. It continues with
19th Century attempts to ban works considered immoral or
obscene. Most of the cases provided on this website are
from the 20th Century. It provides a good background on
early attempts in the century to censor works by refusing
mail delivery and censorship under McCarthyism. Numerous
examples of schools banning books from their libraries or
classrooms are also provided. This website proved useful
in giving a picture of how book banning and censorship has
evolved in the US. It shows how censorship has gradually
shifted from the national to the local level.