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censorshipThey that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety. - Benjamin Franklin

Intellectual freedom is defined by the American Library Association as "the freedom to express one's beliefs or ideas through any mode of communication and the right of unrestricted access to all information and ideas regardless of the medium of communication used".

What is censorship? Fileroom's Definitions of Censorship traces the long history of the term. Most people think of censorship as the suppression of information, ideas, and expression. Much of the publicity is connected to libraries and books. For example, the Harry Potter books are currently being challenged in some areas. The Medium (Censorship of different) page from Fileroom provides examples of censorship in the news by media. For example, one webpage describes the book, music, and video burning that occurred at the Harvest Assembly of God Church in Pennsylvania in March 2001.

Since libraries were introduced, intellectual freedom and censorship have been a concern. Read the ALA Freedom to View Statement. This statement is often incorporated into the Collection Development policy along with the ALA Library Bill of Rights. Also, read Access for Children and Young People to Videotapes and other Non-print Formats.

tryStart at the PBS Culture Shock program page. The project includes links to many audio and video issues including movies and video games. Choose and explore an area of interest. Then, read the section Who Decides? How and Why? from PBS’s Culture Shock series.

checkRead the off-site article the Brief History of Banned Music in the United States by E. Nuzum. It is a selective on-line chronicle of popular music that has been censored, banned, suppressed, or altered against the wishes of its creators and intended audience.

Is Exclusion, Censorship?

chairLibrarians who do not embrace nontraditional forms of information are demonstrating a form of censorship. Rather than choosing not to include a particular title, they are excluding an entire format.

Why have you chosen to include or exclude audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, MP3s, laserdiscs, DVDs, video games, computer software, and other media?

checkRead the off-site article Guidelines for Dealing with Censorship of Nonprint and Multimedia Materials (2004) from the NCTE Standing Committee Against Censorship.

checkRead the off-site article The Censorship Connection by Nancy McCracken (The ALAN Review, 20(2), Winter 1994). This article discusses issues related to censorship of nonprint materials through silent exclusion.

Organizations Concerned with Censorship

Many organizations fight censorship. Explore the following organizations and websites. Do you agree with their stands on intellectual freedom? Why or why not? What's your personal stand on censorship?

Dealing with Challenges - Guidelines and Resources

Many organizations have posted guidelines and handbooks related to intellectual freedom on their websites. These materials can be very helpful in learning more about the topic and design your own center policies and guidelines. Explore the following resources:


checkRead the Intellectual Freedom Manual from the New Hampshire Library Association. It's a serious and also light-hearted look at dealing with challenges with sections like "How Not to Handle a Complaint.

Reconsideration Policies and Procedures

Libraries are sometimes faced with challenges to the collection materials. For example, a parent might object to the violence in a video game or DVD. Or, a local church group may request that music CDs be removed from the collection. Regardless of how the librarian feels about the individual items being challenged, it's important that the library policy be followed closely. A good policy with clear procedures along with specific attachments such as the Freedom to View Statement is essential. Sometimes a simple conversation with a teacher, parent, or community member will resolve the concern. Many patrons aren't aware of the library's policy or haven't taken the time to view or listen to the materials. In more complicated cases, it's a good idea to contact the state ALA affiliate for assistance. Most states have volunteers who will provide information and support.

Whether it's a book, audio, or video, the procedure should be the same. It’s important that the reconsideration policy and procedure for print materials be reviewed for use with nonprint materials. Both the policy and the form may need to be updated.

Collection Development Policy. A section of this policy should focus on dealing with challenged materials. This statement should reference the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View Statements. It should also outline the procedures for reconsideration.

Reconsideration Procedures. A set of procedures should be followed in all cases. All materials related to the case should be kept on file. A standing committee should be available to hear cases. Generally, the complainant completes a form that is reviewed by this committee. The decision of the committee is then communicated by letter to the complainant. Appeals can be made by requesting a hearing by the Board.

Reconsideration Form. The form should be flexible enough to be used with all library materials. Forms often include statements such as "have you read the work" or "cite specific pages". These could be adapted. For example, have you read, listened to, or viewed, the entire work? Or, cite specific pages or segments. You may also need to modify passages that refer to "literary critics" or other literature oriented statements.

questionExplore the following examples of challenged materials policies and forms. Pick one to evaluate. Does it do a good job of addressing issues that would be important if an audio or video were challenged?


Controversy and Censorship

Many movies have caused controversy. "Family-Edited" films are the newest censorship and copyright controversy. Some organizations are creating edited versions of feature films for rental or sale. Many directors and producers are upset that the profanity, violence, and sex from their films are being cut to create "G" rated versions of their films. Is this a copyright issue, censorship issue, or both? Where do you stand?

checkRead the CinemaSpot articles Controversial Movies and History in Film to see some examples of movie controversy. What are the key issues?


Promote Intellectual Freedom

One way to fight censorship is through education. Many of the Intellectual Freedom manuals contain sections on promotion. For example, each September Freedom to Read is celebrated with Banned Book week. Extend the activities to audio and video materials. Try some of the following activities:

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