2
Community needs and wants are at the core of a public library’s mission and librarians
must be aware of these needs and wants. However, one group of the community might need
materials that go against the beliefs of another group. How does the public librarian navigate the
needs of multiple users in a community, especially when those needs are conflicting?
Historically, public libraries have bowed to the loudest voices in the community, partially for
self-preservation and the desire to avoid “wasting” tax payer money, but also partially because
librarian’s personal beliefs corresponded with the values of the majority. 1 Censorship occurred
from the outside in and from the inside out.
Public libraries were fighting for funding and to
prove that they were in fact important in the community, there was not enough time or resources
to fight censorship too.2 In the twentieth century, as intellectual freedom became increasingly
important in social and intellectual circles, public libraries were able to make a stand against
censorship of all kinds. With the establishment of the American Library Association’s Bill of
Rights (first published in 1939), librarians had a written policy to help support against
censorship. Public libraries also began to create written statements that detailed the selection
methods for that community. These tools help with any challenges that might arise from outside
sources but they also help with the ever pervasive and insidious internal censorship. Selfcensorship is often a preemptive measure, a way to protect library staff from outside challenges.
With a written policy, a library is given support it might otherwise not have. With all the legal
support from the ALA and other organizations, it might appear that censorship is a disappearing
problem for public librarians.
Censorship has not gone away and it is not going away.
Challenges to print material continue at a steady stream. Public librarians need to be aware of
these challenges, at the same time they are aware of their own self-censorship practices.
1
Moellendick, Cora McAndrews, “Libraries, Censors and Self-Censorship,” PNLA Quarterly Vol. 73 no. 4 (Summer
2009), 69.
2
Moellendick, 69.
3
To effectively combat censorship from the inside and the out, it is important to have as
clear and accurate a definition of censorship as possible. Censorship is more than a reaction to
bad words.3 According to the ALA, censorship is “a change in the access status of material,
based on the content of the work and made by a governing authority or its representatives. Such
changes include exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes.”4 As libraries can be
supported by governmental funding, the removal of material can be seen as censorship. A
simpler definition is that censorship is an attempt by individuals and groups to “prevent and
control the creation, access and dissemination of ideas and information.”5 According to Charles
Oppenheim and Victoria Smith, there are two types of censorship, regulative censorship and
constitutive (also known as existential) censorship. Regulative censorship is the most visible
form of censorship; it is the attempt to stop the expression of ideas that are perceived as
harmful.6 When regulative censorship is involved, it means laws or rules are in place to control
access to materials. Constitutive or existential censorship is a silent form of censorship when a
group uses censorship to increase their control.7
Constitutive censorship is the underlying
groundwork for regulative censorship. It establishes a groups’ need for certain ideas or subjects
to be censored. However, material is usually not censored right away. Instead, most censorship
issues in public libraries begin with a challenge. Challenges are the attempts to remove or
restrict materials in public libraries.8 These requests can be made by community members, or by
outsiders. These requests can also be large scale, community wide petitions or smaller one
3
Campbell, Patty, “The Pottymouth Paradox,” The Horn Book Magazine, (May/June 2007), 311.
American Library Association, “Challenges to Library Materials,” American Library Association,
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm. Accessed April 27, 2010.
5
Oppenheim, Charles and Victoria Smith, “Censorship in Libraries,” Information Services and Use, Vol. 24 (2004),
159.
6
Oppenheim, 160.
7
Oppenheim, 160.
8
American Library Association, “About Banned and Challenged Books”
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm. Accessed April 16 2010.
4
4
person requests. Most challenges fit into one or more of four categories defined by the ALA’s
Intellectual Freedom Committee. The first is an expression of concern, where a community
member or staff member questions an item. The only difference is that this type of inquire can
have “judgmental overtones.”9 The next type of challenge is an oral complaint, where an item’s
appropriateness is questioned verbally. Written complaints are similar, challenging an item
through a formal written complaint. A final type of challenge is known as a public attack. When
this occurs, a public statement is sent out into the community or to the media challenging an
item. These types of challenges are often the most visible. An example of this is the recent
censorship attempts in West Bend, Wisconsin. Finally, banning a book is the actual removal of
an item.10 When a librarian has an understanding of what censorship is it is easier to guard
against it.
To successfully oppose censorship, it is also important to understand those who attempt
to censor materials and why they wish to do so. Most censors are not malicious; in fact, many
books are challenged out of an, albeit misguided, attempt to protect others.11 Parents who are
worried about what their children read might also be worried about what other children in their
community read. According to the ALA’s Banned Books website, the top three reasons books
are challenged are because the material is considered “sexually explicit”, because the material
contains “offensive language”, and because the material is considered “unsuited to any age
group”.12 Generally, however, most would be censors’ motivations are complex. The desire to
protect is combined with the perceived dangers of materials that promote different moralities or
points of view are only part of the reasons people attempt to ban materials. Public libraries that
9
American Library Association, “Challenges to Library Materials.”
American Library Association, “About Banned and Challenged Books.”
11
American Library Association, “About Banned and Challenged Books.”
12
American Library Association, “About Banned and Challenged Books.”
10
5
do not censor are often criticized as “exhibiting a bias, pursuing a political agenda, and/or
making libraries unsafe for children.”13 Public librarians need to be aware of the reasons people
wish to censor materials to help protect themselves from challenges. Understanding the reasons
people challenge material also helps public librarians to effectively work with community
members in understanding that all types of materials are important.
Restrictions to print materials have not decreased as other forms of information become
available. From 2001 to 2008, there were 3,736 challenges reported to the ALA, with about 24%
coming from public libraries and these are just the challenges reported.14 Many challenge go
unreported to the ALA. In the ALA’s Top Ten Challenged Books lists from 2005 to 2009, at
least eight books in each year fall into either the children’s department or the young adult
department in public libraries.15
Young adult materials often fall in the most challenged
categories partially because young adult literature often deals with the gritty topic of growing up.
The language used is equally gritty and full of “bad” words.16 However, language is not the only
reason many young adult books are challenged. Young adult books that have gay or lesbian
themes have also come under fire in public libraries.17 While objection to homosexuality has
only represented about five percent of challenges from 1990 to 2005, there has been a recent
increase in children’s and young adult departments.18 Young adult literature is constantly
changing and evolving to meet the needs and wants of teenagers. However, this means that there
are greater chances for censorship attempts.
13
Burke, Susan K. “Removal of Gay-Themed Materials from Public Libraries: Public Opinion Trends, 1973-2006,”
Public Library Quarterly Vol. 27 no. 3 (2008), 249.
14
American Library Association, “Frequently Challenged Books of the 21 st Century”
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/index.cfm.
Accessed April 16 2010.
15
American Library Association (website), “2009 Top Ten List”, “2008 Top Ten List”, “2007 Top Ten List”, “2006 Top
Ten List”, “2005 Top Ten List”, Accessed April 16 2010.
16
Campbell, 311.
17
Burke, 248.
18
Burke, 247.
6
One of the most recent examples of challenges in public libraries occurred in West Bend,
Wisconsin beginning in February 2009. The subsequent battle and public relations nightmare
resulted in the dismissal of three trustees from the library’s board.19 The censorship battle began
over a link on the West Bend Community Memorial Library’s young adult website. The link,
called Over the Rainbow, was a booklist for and about gay and lesbian teens.
The complaint
also cited a list of young adult books, many of which had gay positive themes. Originally, the
complainants requested the removal of the books from the young adult section to the adult
section, where they would then be labeled. However, the complaint eventually progressed to
removing any books with sexual content from the young adult department.20 The West Bend
Community Memorial Library board attempted to follow the library’s policy for reviewing book
removal requests but the trustees were accused by members of the city council of “stonewalling”
and not serving “community interests because of ‘[the trustees] ideology’.” In April of 2009,
three trustees were removed from the board.
21
Ultimately, the library board voted to retain the
books in question in the young adult department. The library board did not label these books as
sexually explicit. Instead the books were left exactly where they were before the challenge. The
board, however, did agree to buy several books that were requested by the complainants. On the
West Bend Community Memorial Library young adult website there are now booklists for
Christian fiction and “clean” fiction, as well as the Over the Rainbow booklist.22 However, the
situation in West Bend has shown that censorship is still around in public libraries. Challenges
can come at anytime and from anywhere.
19
“Wisconsin Board, Staffers Cope with Would-Be Book Burners,” American Libraries Vol. 40 no. 8.
(August/September, 2009), 23.
20
“Wisconsin Board, Staffers Cope with Would-Be Book Burners,” 23.
21
“Wisconsin Board, Staffers Cope with Would-Be Book Burners” 23.
22
West Bend Community Memorial Library, “YA Zone: Young Adult Book Lists,” http://www.westbendlibrary.org/yara.htm, Accessed April 27, 2010.
7
Challenges from outside the library can provoke anxiety, fear and worry in librarians.
Because of the threat of challenges, which could lead to repercussions to a librarian’s career,
many librarians practice some form of self-censorship. Librarians are almost mythical figures,
advocates for intellectual freedom.23 This image can lead to trouble; librarians feel bound to the
community they serve and to the community’s perceived needs. While community needs are at
the core of public libraries, it is important to look at community standards in the context of which
part of the community the standards apply to.24 Often the loudest voices do not represent the
entire community but only a small portion.
To combat potential threats, public librarians
sometimes engage in forms of self-censorship, referred to as “censorproofing”.
In Alvin
Schrader’s article “Why You Cannot ‘Censorproof” Your Public Library”, Schrader defines
censorproofing as “trying to safeguard a library collection against challenges, criticism, and
controversy, through such strategies as self censorship in the selection process, weeding,
classification, shelf location, labeling and age restrictions.”25 These activities can be conscious
activities or unconscious. Self-censoring is dangerous, though, because it gives the illusion of
safety from any censorship. This illusion reflects the idea that public librarians can tell which
items will be challenged.26 In most cases, however, it is difficult to predict which books will be
challenged.
There are several ways librarians attempt to prevent censorship. One way that many
librarians self-censor is to avoid books that are on frequently challenged lists.27 These lists, like
the ones put together by the ALA, reflect reported challenges from across the country. Not all
23
Oppenheim, Charles and Victoria Smith, 167.
Moody, Kim, “Covert Censorship in Libraries: a Discussion Paper,” The Australian Journal, Vol. 54 no. 2, (May
2005), 143.
25
Schrader, Alvin, “Why You Cannot ‘Censorproof’ Your Public Library,” Australasian Public Library and Information
Services Vol. 10, Issue 3, (Sept. 1997), 144.
26
Schrader ,144.
27
Schrader, 146.
24
8
challenges get reported to the ALA, however, so these lists never reflect all challenges. One
issue with avoiding or removing books on frequently challenged lists is that challenges vary from
one area to another. What one community finds offensive might be unquestioned in another
community.
Also, many of the frequently challenged book lists reflect books that are
consistently challenged. Most challenged books are only challenged once, however.28 It is
almost impossible for a librarian to predict what title will make a community member upset.
Challenged book lists are important to librarians. They can be used to track historical censorship
trends, but also because to indicate popular material.29 On the ALA 2009 Top Ten Challenged
Books List, the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers was the fifth most challenged of those
reported.30 This series was popular not only with young adult readers but also with their mothers
and grandmothers. Women and men of all ages read and enjoy the Twilight series. If a librarian
removes or will not acquire materials that are on challenged books lists, many community
members will not have access to the materials they want including popular reads.
In addition to removing or avoiding books on banned book lists, librarians sometimes
avoid books based on their content. These librarians attempt to “censorproof” by avoiding or
removing materials that discuss certain subjects, ideas, or themes.31
For example, many
librarians will not buy books with certain political views, religious beliefs or other topics. This
does not prevent censorship either. The morality of a community can changes and what is not
acceptable at one time period can become socially acceptable over time. Based on opinion polls
cited in Susan K. Burke’s article “Removal of Gay-Themed Materials from Public Libraries:
28
Schrader, 147.
Schrader, 147.
30
American Librarian Association, “2009 Top Ten List: Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009,” .
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2009/index.cfm.
Accessed April 16 2010.
31
Schrader, 148.
29
9
Public Opinion Trends, 1973-2006”, even though the people interviewed might think that
homosexuality is wrong, most did not express a desire to pull a book on homosexuality from a
public library shelf.32 It therefore becomes difficult to gauge what subjects a community will
find offensive or will challenge in a public library at any given time. While sexual explicitness
and language are the top reasons books are challenged, these concepts do not fit into one genre,
which makes it difficult to predict any specific challenge. One book on family life might include
quite a bit of questionable language while another on the same topic might have no obvious
objectionable material. By not including the first in a collection, a librarian could inadvertently
omit the second title as well, based on the similarity in subject matter. Restricting access based
on subject matter is an easy trap to fall into because it’s impossible to tell what will bother a
community.
Self-censoring is not always a self defense mechanism. It can also be the result of a
public librarian’s personal biases and beliefs about what the public should have access to,
especially in regards to children. In many cases, a public librarian’s self-censorship reveals itself
in the selection or weeding process. There are three common pitfalls in the selection process.33
A public librarian’s own personal biases are one common problem. Everyone has biases and
everyone occasionally lets these biases impact the decision making process.34 Personal biases
can also be revealed in the weeding process. It makes a book easier to remove if it is a topic that
the librarian does not think it is appropriate. If a librarian does not recognize or even understand
her personal biases, her selection decisions can be influenced heavily. Another pitfall for public
librarians in the selection process is providing balance for the library’s users. 35 Any library’s
32
Burke ,253.
Abilock, Debbie, “Four Questions to Ask Yourself,” Knowledge Quest Vol. 36, no. 2 (Nov/Dec 2007), 7.
34
Abilock,7.
35
Abilock ,8.
33
10
goal should be to provide a wide variety of points of views to all users; however, this can be
difficult to accomplish. While complete balance might not be possible, if a collection is heavy in
one area but does not represent multiple perspectives, the library is not adequately providing for
the community’s needs. One of the most difficult selection issues is deciding between popular
material and material with literary merit.36 Popular material is what most of the public wants.
The literary merit of an item is subjective, however, and a popular item might not have the
literary merit a librarian thinks a library book should. At their creation, most public libraries had
to fight to prove their worth, and often this was done by providing books that would improve the
patrons.37 Ultimately, it is important for a librarian to know and understand her own biases and
beliefs when selecting or weeding material. It can be a slippery slope; when a librarian chooses
not to include one item based on her own beliefs, all items of the same type could also be
rejected.38 A public librarian must remember that, to properly serve the community, a wide
range of materials must be purchased for the library regardless of her own views.
Considering the seriousness of censorship but also how easy it is for public librarians to
fall into self censorship, there are several precautions that need to be made in a public library.
Above all, a public library must remember that its goal to provide every member of the
community with the materials that are needed and wanted. The first and most important step is
to have a written policy that deals with selection processes. It should delineate the acquisition
process as well as the removal policy, including weeding and other requests for material
removal.
Some libraries also include forms for material reconsideration with the material
selection policy. Not only is having a policy important, it is also important that the public library
36
Abilock ,8.
Moellendick, 69.
38
Oppenheim, Charles and Victoria Smith, 164.
37
11
staff knows the policy and can find it in case it is needed.39 Another strategy to combat outside
censorship is to hold community events to inform the public about the benefits of reading and the
dangers of censorship. For example, holding programs to celebrate the ALA’s Banned Book
week is a good way to start discussions on why books are banned. The community must be
involved in the library’s policies. A library could sponsor panels for discussion, especially if a
book has been challenged. For young adult librarians, it is important to get teens involved in the
selection process and in the defense of their books, as young adults often suffer from censorship
more than other user groups.40 To prevent internal censorship, public librarians must not only
know their biases but must also be able to discuss them with others to ensure the most balanced
collection possible. Public librarians need to understand collection policies and then work
actively to make sure these policies are followed during acquisitions. To successfully combat
censorship attempts, public librarians must follow a policy that promotes intellectual freedom
and the right for the entire community to have access to the material needed and wanted.
Censorship in public libraries is a problem that will never be eradicated. It is not possible
for a public library to fulfill the wants and needs of the entire community. There will always be
some material that offends some of the community. To protect the intellectual freedom of the
community, though, public librarians need to guard against censorship attempts. Censorship is
ever changing. Print materials are still under the threat of censorship, even as technology
changes. As recently as 2009, censorship attempts in public libraries have caused community
wide conflicts. Public librarians need to understand that censorship attempts come from both the
community outside the library and from inside the library. There are ways to combat censorship
39
Winkler, Lisa K., “Celebrate Democracy! Teach About Censorship,” The English Journal Vol. 94, no 5., (May 2005),
49.
40
Scales, Pat, “When Weeding is Wrong: a Principal Asks for Banned Books to Be Removed from the Collection,”
School Library Journal Vol. 55 no. 11 (Nov. 2009), 218.
12
in public libraries. The inclusion of a material acquisitions policy is a starting place. Public
libraries should be places for every member in the community to access the material they need
and want.
13
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15
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