Intellectual Freedom & Censorship

Intellectual freedom is a core value of LIS. This means individuals have:

• the right to seek and success information on any topic, and from any perspective
• the right to freely express opinions and beliefs in unrestricted manners and means
• right of individuals to speak (in whatever medium)
• free speech is limited by law (defamation, slander, classified information, speech presenting clear and present danger - "fire!" in a crowded theater), by contract (internet filtering CIPA), and by medium (broadcast censorship - tv/radio)

ALA's Freedom to Read states the library field's stance on the freedom to read, and as current/future librarians we should make sure all of our patrons feel this freedom. For instance, according to the Library Bill of Rights' First Amendment, children and teens have the same rights as adults to select the materials they wish to read. We as librarians have the responsibility to serve all of the public, regardless of age. 

Relevant Readings:

• Asheim, Lester. "Selection and Censorship: A Reappraisal," Wilson Library Bulletin, 58:3 (November 1983): 180-184.
• Dresang, Eliza. "Intellectual Freedom and Libraries: Complexity and Change in the Twenty-First-Century Digital Environment." Library QuarterlyVol. 76, no. 2. pp. 169-192 (2006).
• Mill, John Stuart. "Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion," Chapter 2 in On Liberty. (Originally published in 1869. Available in many places if you do not want the linked Web copy.)
• Zimmer, M., & McCleer, A. (2014). The 2009 West Bend Community Memorial Library Controversy: Understanding the Challenge, the Reactions, and the Aftermath. Library Trends, 62(4), 721–729.