I found a blog
relating to censorship around the world, and then read the comments attached to
the blog and added one of my own.
Censorship is a
major issue in Australia and around the world, and it seems to have society
divided. With this differing of opinions in mind, I found a blog which focuses
on censorship and free speech. This particular blog is made up of updates from
around the world which relate to censorship in various forms. While I am familiar with the blatant forms of
censorship and how it directly impacts libraries, it was interesting to learn
the other various forms censorship can take. It was also enlightening to know
how other countries are being affected by this issue. In a children and youth
library context, viewing this blog and its comments is reinforcing the impact
of censorship, as a children’s or youth librarian, I am now more aware of the
various forms censorship can take. Hopefully this suggests I will be able to
better combat censorship in the future, so as not to restrict any collection
development which may disadvantage any future library users. It also provides
motivation to become more aware of the issue, as I am now feeling very much in
the dark, having only previously considered the issue of censorship in
Australian libraries, which is a relatively minor field when you consider how
this issue is currently affecting the world at large in so many ways.
The best
description of censorship I have come across comes from Asheim (1953) when
someone is “deprived of access to a particular piece of communication through
the action of someone else.” This could be applied to censorship at the
government, local or individual level. Within the context of children’s library
it could be a book, DVD, etc which is considered inappropriate for children/
youth and as such the children/ youth librarian would be prevented from
selecting it by either government regulations, management decisions or by their
individual moral and ethical qualms. Small reminders of censorship can be seen
in everyday life, I found an example of this when I was flicking through my TV
channels and SBS radio with multilingual broadcasts had a description “balanced,
impartial Australian and international news and information” which I found
interesting as I would not have thought that it was necessary to articulate
that the news being transmitted was balanced and impartial. If it is necessary
to point this out, it would indicate that bias and censorship are a concern. With
censorship being so widespread it is a probability that even though supporters
of censorship who could make the argument that they are trying to protect
society, especially when it involves children and youth, which is a
particularly sensitive issue. Those opposed to censorship would argue that no
one has the right of denying access to or censoring information in any format.
With this issue so hotly debated and with its impact being so heavy it would be
hoped that this issue will someday be resolved.
Reference List
Ashiem, L (1953) Not censorship but selection. Retrieved
29th May 2013 from http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/basics/notcensorship
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