Preservation of Intellectual Freedom: historical reflections on the censorship challenges faced by public libraries.

Abstract

Increasingly presented as an existential crisis, the focus on censorship challenges in public libraries in the current era has grown significantly over the past few years. The truth is that censorship has been an issue that librarians have been grappling with since they were conceived. However, what can we perceive from an analysis of censorship challenges in the twentieth century? What kind of behaviours in terms of the potential challengers can we elicit? What are the consistent themes that prove controversial and that some in society wish to be restricted? Reflecting on the seminal work of authors such as Thompson (1975) and Fiske (1959), and the landmark 1986 Times Newspapers case (1986) this presentation offers insights into the historical character of censorship challenges and bans in public libraries in the UK and USA. We identify both a set of key categories that have proved to be a historical thread of themes in censorship challenges, as well as reflecting on the information behaviours of the library profession in sensitive and uncertain times. Important and under-explored protective information behaviours such as self-censorship are unpacked in terms of their motivations and impact on important principles of intellectual freedom. Presenting a holistic and honest overview of censorship as it has been addressed by the library profession, this presentation will offer historical insights that can also help inform current ethical dilemmas and professional practices.