Guest post by Paraic Elliott, DCU Library.
A useful definition from The Cambridge Dictionary: “The action of preventing part or the whole of a book, film, work of art, document, or other kind of communication from being seen or made available to the public, because it is considered to be offensive or harmful, or because it contains information that someone wishes to keep secret, often for political reasons.”
Examples of banned books in Ireland
- Married Love - banned by the Irish Censorship Board for discussing birth control.
- The Dark - Banned in Ireland for issues related to obscenity.
A list of reasons material may be censored.
- Religious affiliation or authority – On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, has been supressed and challenged since publication in 1859 due to its discussion of the theory of evolution.
- Witchcraft – Harry Potter was challenged in many US states due to themes of this nature.
- Violence or negativity: The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell, was banned in 1971 and is still banned in many countries, for fears that it might "promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence."
- Racial issues -To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has been censored for many years due to the use of racial slurs within the texts.
- Political influence – In 1958, the Irish Censorship of Publications Board banned the book Borstal Boy because of critiques of Irish republicanism, social attitudes and the Catholic Church.
- LGBTQ+ Content – The Well of Loneliness, by Radclyffe Hall, was banned from 1928 to 1949 in the UK due to lesbian themes the book presents.
Online/digital censorship
Internet censorship is the practice of prohibiting or suppressing certain online content. When a type of content is censored, it generally becomes illegal and near-impossible to access or view as long as you’re within the jurisdiction of the censoring body. In some instances, publishing censored content is also illegal.
A University of Michigan team used Censored Planet, an automated censorship tracking system launched in 2018, by Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Roya Ensafi, to collect more than 21 billion measurements over 20 months in 221 countries. Ensafi’s team found that censorship is increasing in 103 of the countries studied, including unexpected places like Norway, Japan, Italy, India, Israel and Poland—countries which the paper notes are rated as some of the freest in the world by advocacy group Freedom House.
Libraries as centres of potential controversy
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| AI-generated books - library - mystic from pixabay.com |
Censorship a relevant topic today?
Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the UK’s library and information association, found that a third of librarians had been asked by members of the public to censor or remove books, indicating that such incidents “had increased significantly in recent years”, according to CILLIP’s chief executive, Nick Poole. The most targeted books involve themes of empire, race and LGBTQ+.
In recent years a number of right wing and conspiracy theory fuelled groups have staged protests at numerous Irish libraries. One event was billed as Cork Says No, and was organised by the leaders of Ireland’s newest far-right political party, Ireland First. Among these was a protest against the availability of LGBTQ+ reading materials for children at the library. While the banner and choosing the library as a location made it seem as though this was the central issue, the main speakers focussed on different topics such as climate change and vaccination material.
There are some arguments pro censorship
Advocates argue that censorship may be the only way to protect vulnerable minorities, new ones and old ones alike, from potential harm and violence.
- Censorship can protect children from unhealthy content.
- Censorship protects the rights of artists, innovators, and inventors – copyright is a form of censorship.
- Censorship can limit the impact of identity theft.
- Censorship can provide another level of security to a country’s profile.
- Censorship provides us with a vehicle to stop false content.
There are some arguments against censorship
- It represses one group of people in favour of what the majority wants.
- It allows people to create a specific narrative in society to call it truth.
- It prevents an individual from expressing themselves freely.
IFLA states that: Censorship, arguably, runs counter to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
New guidelines designed for libraries in the UK urge staff to provide materials that “illuminate” different views on controversial topics. This 52-page document, released by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), states that a “good library” should “encompass controversial issues” and that material should not be rejected solely on the basis that it is considered contentious.
Recommendations for libraries
They recommend that in collection development specifically, attempt to reflect the full range of opinion on controversial topics or the full range of diversity in the national context, basing decisions on what to purchase or license on professional considerations (quality, currency, format, cost, etc.), rather than as limited by political or religious considerations or cultural prejudice.
They suggest libraries make an effort to educate library users on issues of censorship and encourage them to favour and practice freedom of expression and freedom of access to information in their personal and professional lives.
Further recommendations suggest that as much as possible, ensure libraries are able to use technology to preserve freedom of access to information and expression and the ability to communicate freely on the internet. They suggest that institutions support library and information services (and their employees) that are being challenged on issues related to censorship.
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