Zero Censorship! Who Are We Kidding?An exploratory analysis of the opinions and experiences of Queensland-based public librarians with regard to the censorship of materials in public library collections

Moody, Kim Zero Censorship! Who Are We Kidding?An exploratory analysis of the opinions and experiences of Queensland-based public librarians with regard to the censorship of materials in public library collections. Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services, 2004, vol. 17, n. 4, pp. 168-185. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

Public librarians have long upheld the social justice philosophy of free access to information for all people. The issue of censorship is related to both the professional principles of the Australian Library and Information Association and to the role public librarians have to play in nurturing social capital in our communities. Until now there has been little Australian data on this topic. This paper considers the philosophy of free access to information in the context of contemporary item selection and classification processes within public libraries. The findings of a survey of Queensland public librarians are used to identify current industry attitudes towards the public right to information, and to determine the degree to which censorship mechanisms are currently practiced or prevented in public libraries. The findings support those of overseas researchers that stated anti-censorship attitudes are not always indicative of censorship behaviours, and that some librarians employ self-censorship with regard to controversial materials in order to avoid censorship challenges.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Censorship, Intellectual Freedom, Information Suppression, Freedom to Read, Library Acquisitions, Public Libraries, Alternative Literature
Subjects: E. Publishing and legal issues. > EE. Intellectual freedom.
E. Publishing and legal issues. > EF. Censorship.
Depositing user: Kim E Moody
Date deposited: 12 Apr 2005
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:00
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/6208

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