ERIC Number: EJ939087
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Aug
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0004-9670
EISSN: N/A
Libraries and the Ethics of Censorship
Duthie, Fiona
Australian Library Journal, v59 n3 p86-94 Aug 2010
This paper reviews a selection of literature pertaining to the subject of censorship in modern libraries. It interrogates the literature in terms of the ethical debates informing much of the contemporary academic writing on this subject. A multi-pronged approach to the subject is adopted. The review includes evaluations of the relevant aspects of particular professional codes and statements. It also evaluates opinions that have been proffered with regard to the use of Internet filters in public libraries. In public libraries, librarians must also decide whether to enable an entirely free flow of information from other mediums or to take it upon themselves to protect readers from material that might be considered harmful. These issues are complicated further in school libraries where the question of a particular duty of care to young minds arises. This paper also investigates recent representations of libricide, the most extreme form of censorship which manifests in the destruction of libraries and the burning of books.
Descriptors: School Libraries, Public Libraries, Censorship, Ethics, Literature Reviews, Library Materials, Internet, Access to Information, Library Administration
Australian Library and Information Association. P.O. Box 6335, Kingston 2604, Australia. Tel: +61-2-6215-8222; Fax: +61-2-6282-2249; e-mail: enquiry@alia.org.au; Web site: http://www.alia.org.au
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A