Censorship and Banned Books

1. Censorship and Banned Books LIS 2000 Fall 2007 Lisa Campbell Kimberly Christensen Reilly Dunn Megan Fallon Timothy Gieringer Ross Griffiths Paula Kelly Andrew Krol Melinda Vicario

2. What is Censorship? "What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist."-- Salman Rushdie • Official prohibition or restriction of any type of expression believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order- Columbia Encyclopedia • The suppression of ideas and information that certain persons, individuals, groups or government officials, find objectionable or dangerous – ALA • Suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional- ACLU • All ideas having even the slightest redeeming social importance…have the full protection of the [first amendment], unless excludable because they encroach upon the limited area of more important interests. But implicit in the history of the First Amendment is the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming social importance. – Supreme Court, 1957

3. What are some historical examples of censorship in the United States? “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book” -- Walt Whitman -1873 Comstock Laws- Federal Anti-Obscenity Act Banned works deemed “obscene or immoral.” William Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, as well as information on birth control were outlawed. -Early 20th Century- US Customs and the Post Office Laws prohibiting the delivery of obscene materials by mail were often used to censor works. In 1920, publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses was halted under these laws. Customs seized copies of Voltaire’s Candide in 1930. In 1953, Nabokov’s Lolita was refused delivery by US Customs. • 1950s- Joseph McCarthy and The Red Scare More than 300 titles were banned or burned. Bans were not limited to Communist writers such as Marx and Lenin. Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience was removed from overseas libraries run by the State Department.

4. What are some recent examples of censorship in libraries? • 1980- The Merchant of Venice This Shakespeare play was banned from Midland, Michigan schools because it was believed to perpetuate Jewish stereotypes. • 1987- Alabama bans 45 textbooks from schools A district court judge banned 45 textbooks from schools because they presented a “godless, humanistic religion” and portrayed whites as having oppressed Native Americans. The ban was reversed by a federal court in the same year. • 1989- Little Red Riding Hood Two California school districts banned the illustrated version because they believed it encouraged underage drinking. • 2006- And Tango Makes Three The most challenged book of 2006 according to the ALA. This book about two male penguin parents has been challenged in libraries and schools for its homosexual themes and perceived anti-family nature.

5. Fahrenheit 451 By: Ray Bradbury“Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean”--Captain Beatty, Fahrenheit 451 Examples of Banned and Censored Books: • Ray Bradbury’s work has been banned on several grounds in the past. The most common being questioning authority, profanity, and the issue of censorship in general. (Jenkinson 1985, 26-33) • Ironically enough, Fahrenheit 451was censored in 1978 by Bradbury’s own publisher, Ballantine Books without his knowledge or consent. • Ballantine had censored “75 separate selections” mostly having to do with profanity (Otten 1997, 9). • Several classes studying the novel at the time brought this to Bradbury’s attention, to which he was very grateful. • In 1953, Ray Bradbury republished his novella, The Fireman as novel entitled Fahrenheit 451. • It was written in response to the fanatical acts of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s attempt to eradicate communism. • The novel revolves around the main character, Guy Montag--a fireman--who burns books. His entire life he never really questioned what he was doing or how it effected his world. That is until a girl named Clarisse opened his eyes to the terrible reality of his world.

6. The Catcher in the Rye By: J.D. Salinger“That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.  I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” --Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye • The novel The Catcher in the Rye, was written in 1951 by J.D. Salinger. • It is a story about a disillusioned young man named Holden Caulfield, who is lost in a world that he doesn’t understand. Throughout the novel he wanders around looking for something, anything that can fill the void he feels in his life. • It’s a very different view of the world from what most people are used to seeing. Holden’s character has a lot of depth and Salinger doesn’t hold back when exploring it. • Like Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher in the Ryehas been banned on several occasions. The most common grounds are profanity, dishonesty, talk of suicide, substance abuse, sexual situations and connotations. (Frangedis 1988, 72-75) • Most of these criticisms are ironic because they are symbols in the book of Holden’s downward spiral into depression. These themes aren’t being promoted, they are merely being used as warning signs.

7. Is all speech protected by the First Amendment? • Miller v. California (1973) produced the three-part “Miller Test” for defining obscenity: • Whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest • Whether the work depicts/describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct or excretory functions specifically defined by applicable state law • Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value. • In addition to obscenity, expression may be legally restricted on other grounds including: • slander (with malicious intent) • invasion of privacy • works that “incite imminent lawless action”

8. What is Internet Filtering? “Swimming pools can be dangerous for children. To protect them, one can install locks, put up fences, and deploy pool alarms. All of these measures are helpful, but by far the most important thing that one can do for one’s children is to teach them to swim.” --National Research Council, “Youth, Pornography, and the Internet” (2002). • Began as an attempt to regulate the World Wide Web; protecting people from inaccurate, unpleasant, and offensive material. • December 2000, President Clinton signed the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) • CIPA requires all schools and libraries that receive federal financial assistance for Internet access to install filters on all computers used by adults as well as minors (this includes staff computers).

9. How does internet filtering work? • Filtering Strategies • Early filtering: “self-rating” by online publishers • -Third-Party filtering by filter manufacturers like • NetNanny • -Often rely on mechanical blocking of key words or phrases • -Today we are seeing filtering based on dynamic content • analysis. • Flaws in Internet filtering • -Underblocking and Overblocking: filters set above the lowest settings block another 50% of legal sites, but only an additional 4% of sites banned by CIPA • (Kaiser Family Foundation Study). • -NetNanny’s blocked sites included the Banned Books page at Carnegie Mellon University & the home page of the • White House • -Filters give parents a false sense of security • -Filtering gives private corporations control over access

10. What internet content must be filtered? • “obscene”materials: depicts sexual conduct that appeals only to prurient interests, is offensive to community standards, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value • “child pornography”: depicts any form of sexual conduct or lewd exhibitionism involving minors • “harmful to minors”: includes any depiction of nudity, sexual activity, or simulated sexual activity that has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value to minors • Includes information on safe sexual practices and even general health care

11. Who supports filtering? Who opposes it? • The American Library Association and Filtering • “The ALA does not endorse blocking or filtering Internet content in libraries because there is no proven technology that blocks out all illegal content and allows access to all constitutionally protected material” (resolution on opposition to federally mandated internet filtering). • The ALA recommends that libraries adopt Internet use policies, and educate children to use the Internet wisely. • Libraries & the Internet Toolkit: www.ala.org/oif/iftoolkits/internet • Resource for families: www.getnetwise.org • The American Family Association opposes the ALA, claiming that the organization wants to (http://www.afa.net/lif/schools.asp) “provide children with totally unrestricted access to Internet porn!” • Further legal challenges to CIPA • Would be based on the application of the law in public libraries, and could be raised by library patrons or by professional library organizations • The ALA will continue to lobby for changes in the law

12. Who are some groups that fight censorship? American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom • Established December 1, 1967 • Implements the ALA’s policies on intellectual freedom • Follows the Library Bill of Rights, which is the stated views of the ALA on the free access to libraries and library materials • The ALA OIF uses many resources to spread their message including a blog, links to relevant web sites, links to similar organizations, and things that you can do to help the cause of intellectual freedom • Found at http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/Default622.htm PEN American Center • An international literary and human rights association that was founded in 1921 • Includes over 2900 writers, editors and translators • The goal of the PEN American Center is to promote literary freedom and access and sponsors public literary programs, among other things. • Found at http://www.pen.org/

13. Who are some groups that fight censorship? • People for the American Way • An American political action group that defends the rights of American citizens including a person’s right to read and write what they want • Fights against government censorship • Found at http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/ • The American Civil Liberties Union • Deals mostly freedom of the individual and freedom of the press • Views censorship as a violation of the First Amendment • Found at http://www.aclu.org/

14. Who are some groups that fight censorship? • National Coalition Against Censorship • Founded in 1974 the NCAC is a group of 50 nonprofit groups that have come together to fight censorship; including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups that are concerned with freedom of thought and expression. • The website has many useful resources. They include: breaking news on censorship, ideas for presenting projects on censorship in educational environments, definitions of issues that are current and historical, and links to several other relevant sites, including the 50 organizations in the coalition • Found at http://www.ncac.org/home.cfm

15. “…selection is democratic, while censorship is authoritarian…”--Lester Asheim, “Not Censorship but Selection”. What is the difference between “Selection” and “Censorship”? • Selection is inclusive, providing information to represent a broad range of viewpoints and subject matter. (positive) • Censorship is exclusive, access to information is specifically denied based upon a moral judgment or legal act. (negative)

16. How do libraries select books? When selecting books, librarians consider: • Physical and budgetary constraints • How much money to we have to spend? And how much shelf space? • Selection “Standards” • What is the author’s intent? • What is the literary value? • Who is the community being served? Some standards are subjective. It is the librarian’s job to apply them in an open minded and democratic fashion. The public trust is in their hands.

17. Selection vs. Censorship in School Libraries The American Library Association’s Recommendations on School Collection Development • Each school district should create its own collection development policy. • The collection development policy should contain procedures for dealing with formal book challenges. • The school districts should have committees made up of teachers, librarians, administrators, community members and students to deal with any book challenges. • The selection policy should reflect the philosophy and goals of the school system and its curriculum, and support the principles of intellectual freedom described in the Library Bill of Rights (ALA). • The resources selected should not be biased by personal, political, social, or religious views.

18. Who Has the Final Say?The School Librarian/and or Principal If they are selectors: If they are censors: • They will develop a collection that fits the needs of the curriculum, while catering to extra-curricular needs to create an atmosphere of free inquiry for their students. • They will not be afraid to include materials that expose students to differing • community values and let them decide what they would or would not like to read. This creates an atmosphere where students are exposed to all kinds of life situations, through books and other materials. • They will develop collections that are gender fair, multicultural and age appropriate to the grade level or levels of the school building. • They begin with a list of negative subjects or words and fail to add any books to their collection that may contain these things. • They worry about being too sensitive to community standards and allow their self-censorship to affect their collection development. • They allow personal prejudices to affect their selection decisions. • They allow parents, organized groups and other non-qualified personnel to interfere in their selection decisions. • They ban a book from their collection on the basis that it may cause a problem in the future.

19. As information professionals, why should we care about censorship? “All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well, as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned Constitution of the United States -- and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give me death!” --Kurt Vonnegut • “All information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users.” ALA Policy Manual 53.1.14 (Free Access to Information)‏ • “Be it in the capacity of archivist, reference librarian or information technology professional, a common thread is the profession's dogged commitment to safeguarding books, research and information to make knowledge more widespread, not less.”1

20. As information professionals, why should we care about censorship? • Censorship is something that we will almost certainly have to deal with at some point in our professional careers in collection development and management, we will address challenges from within the communities we serve • Discussions of intellectual freedom and censorship are integral to a field dealing with information access. • Censorship in libraries does not occur solely with the librarian or its patrons, it may happen before a book reaches the library through editing and pressure from publishers • Libraries are regarded as a reliable source of information; censorship hinders our ability to provide that information

21. What can we do to address censorship? “Librarians should start recognizing that there are inequities in both the production and consumption of information, and that libraries themselves can reinforce those inequalities.” -Steven R. Harris, “Discourse and Censorship: Librarians and the Ideology of Freedom” • Stay informed: Become well versed in all aspects of censorship, your rights, and intellectual freedom. Become familiar with what is happening in local, state and federal legislation • Be Prepared: Familiarize yourself with your institution’s policies regarding book challenges; know how to separate personal feelings from professional tasks • Get involved: Participate in or organize an event, discussion group, and/or book club • Speak out: Be a resource on the important issues for patrons, peers, and community. Let your opinions be known to congressmen and local officials • Exercise your rights: Read those banned books! Censorship in the News: “Prison purges some religious books to thwart violence” http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070913/NEWS/709130357/1001/NEWS

22. Discussion Questions • If librarians must examine and choose material for their collections, does this make them “de facto censors”? Why or why not? • A librarian chooses against a book that the community they serve may object to. Censorship or selection? Why or why not? • What do you think of the mission and tactics of some of the anti-censorship organizations listed? • You work at a medium-sized public library. Your director instructs you to remove six books from circulation because of community objections. Do you follow his/her instructions? Do you take a stand that might compromise your job? What would your considerations be when making your choice? (be honest). • What role, if any, should budget constraints have in censoring a library collection?

23. Bibliography ALA Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A.“ ALA American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/basics/intellectual.htm (accessed September 2007). This information was referenced from the ALA website, specifically from their Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A. The article addresses issues regarding whether or not a librarian is in fact censoring everything they choose not to buy for the library. It lists several objective reasons why this is in fact not so, by discussing the practical constraints librarians face when making selection decisions. Conversely, materials present in the library do not imply endorsement. The library is a neutral provider of information. The article also discusses the library’s responsibility in obtaining information that may not be available to the user.

24. The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, Public Information Office and Washington Office, “Libraries & the Internet Toolkit: Tips and guidance for managing and communicating about the Internet,” 2003. http://www.ala.org/oif/iftoolkits/internet Last updated on December 9, 2003, this publication of the American Library Association is designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians manage and communicate about the internet. The document explains the ALA’s stance on Internet filtering and provides a checklist for creating an Internet Use Policy. The Toolkit also lists criteria of good websites for kids, and offers tips to parents. In their discussion of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the authors give advice to librarians on answering tough questions from patrons. Additionally, they list about seventeen “tough questions” and give sample answers for each one. The latter part of the publication contains several pages of helpful resources, detailed information on the ALA, and a list of key contacts.

25. http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/adultent/topic_faqs.aspx?topic=pornographyhttp://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/adultent/topic_faqs.aspx?topic=pornography This site gives a broad outline of the Miller v California case and how it relates to later cases from 1982 that define child pornography as a separate category of obscenity, and a 1987 decision clarifying the “value” standard as a “reasonable person” standard. The First Amendment Center is a forum and advocacy organization for “First Amendment issues”.

26. Frangeis,Helen. “Dealing with the Controversial Elements in “The Catcher in the Rye.”The English Journal 77, no. 7 (Nov.1988): 72-75. (September 12, 2007), http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00138274%28198811%2977%3A7%3C72%3ADWTCE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X. This article really helped me with what the issues of censorship were for The Catcher in the Rye. It explained why it was controversial and how a teacher should go about presenting this serious subject. It was a very interesting read. It broke down all the elements and outlined how different content in the novel could be taken out of context. There was a deep understanding of the novel and its message in this piece. The article looked at all concerns about The Catcher in the Rye and addressed each issue in detail. One thing I didn’t like about the article was that it didn’t give any specific instances of when or where the book was banned. I also would have like to have seen a bit more information about the author himself. Overall, it helped a lot with the controversy area of the project.

27. Jenkinson, Edward B. “Protecting Holden Caulfield and His Friends from the Censors.” The English Journal 74, no. 1 (Jan.1985): 26-33. (September 12, 2007), http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00138274%28198501%2974%3A1%3C26%3APHCAHF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S. This article explained what the exact issues were on why most books were banned as a whole. It helped me determine from its list the reasons for which Fahrenheit 451 and other works were banned. It was hard to find a concrete list of why just Fahrenheit 451 would be banned in schools and libraries. The article gave a great overview of the historic background of censorship and how it became a prevalent problem. Overall, the piece gave me a lot of insight into the issues people take to heart. It shows why people censor and how others can fight censorship. It gave an all-encompassing view of the issue of censorship, and it helped me see the full extent of the argument.

28. Jenkinson, Dave. “Selection and Censorship: It’s simple arithmetic”. School Libraries in Canada 2002, Vol.21, No.4. Collection Development. Jenkinson, whose research subjects include censorship, adds up the reasons why selection and censorship affect school libraries. He lists numerous ways that books are censored and then explains ways that books should be selected instead, therefore adding to a school’s collection rather than subtracting from it. He warns of “in house” censorship and gives examples of how easy it is to fall victim to it, calling it “silent censorship”. He also gives examples of how publishers can hurt their own chances with school librarians by being too open about the content of their books.

29. Miller, Richard. "A Fresh Look at the Library Bill of Rights-Part VIII.“ Official Nebraska Government Website. Spring 1998. http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/freedom/lbrpart8.html (accessed Sept 2007). In 1953 legendary library educator Lester Asheim wrote “Not Censorship But Selection”, it was originally published in the Wilson Library Bulletin. The primary focus of the article is that selection of library material is a “positive” process (seeking reasons to keep an item in a collection), while censorship is “negative” (rejection of an item based upon a moral judgment). This article is still considered the seminal document on this subject. Asheim states that a selector begins with a “presumption in favor of liberty of thought”, and a censor “with a presumption of thought control”. Asheim’s career included membership on the faculty at the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago, 1948-1961 and 1971-1974, serving as dean from 1952-1961. From 1961-1971 he served as director of the American Library Association (ALA) International Relations Office, and from 1966-1971 as director of the ALA Office for Library Education.

30. NCAC. National Coalition Against Censorship. September 16, 2007. http://www.ncac.org/home.cfm (accessed September 16, 2007). The NCAC is an organization comprised of 50 nonprofit groups against censorship. The website contains a lot of useful information in one place. It is well written and concise in its description of topics ranging from forms of censorship, current issues, and news about censorship. The website also gives information on approaching the topic of censorship in a learning environment. It lists events happening to raise awareness, and describes how you can organize an event yourself. There are links to many relevant resources, including links to every organization in the coalition. The website is a good starting point in researching the topic of censorship, and its overviews and archived news are also helpful.

31. Oppenheim, Charles and Victoria Smith. 2004. Censorship in Libraries. Information Services & Use. 24:159-170. In this article, the authors explore the role of the librarian in relation to censorship and the access of information. While the article seems to focus primarily on public libraries, the conclusions drawn are applicable to all specializations. How do librarians ensure access to information? What, if any, influence can librarians have on censorship policies? How do librarians deal with intellectual freedom and the needs and desires of the communities they serve? In looking at a case study of the attempt to censor Michael Moore's book, Stupid White Men . . . and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!, the responses of the American Library Association (ALA), Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), Judith Krug (Office of Intellectual Freedom) and librarian Corey Mwamaba, the authors reveal what they find to be a profession-wide ideal of intellectual freedom that, while hard to implement, is essential to the role of a librarian.

32. Otten, Nick. “Censorship Gone Awry: Yes Ray Bradbury Knows.” The English Journal 86, no. 6 (Nov.1997): 9 (September 12, 2007), http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8274%28199710%2986%3A6%3C9%3ACGAYBK%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S. This letter was important to our research because it gave a first person account of how Ray Bradbury’s novel was censored and the discovery of the deed. The rebuttal letter was written by Nick Otten, who taught a class with the novel back in 1978. His class was one of few that noticed the changes that had been made by the publisher to Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury responded in a letter back to Otten saying that several people had brought the issue to his attention as of late. It was interesting to get a first-hand account of the situation from Otten and the excerpts from Ray Bradbury’s letter as well. Mostly, it pointed out that his book had been banned and censored on various occasions for its use of profanity. Overall, it helped establish a good historic context in which the novel had been altered showing the real problem and irony of censorship.

33. "Time Line of Banned Books in the United States." The Book Standard. September 27, 2005. http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/global/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001181785 (accessed September 9, 2007). This website gives a chronological outline of major book banning and censorship occurrences in the United States. The background of each occurrence is clearly and concisely explained. The list begins in 1776 with Thomas Paine, who although was not technically banned in the US, was banned in England for his works in America. It continues with 19th Century attempts to ban works considered immoral or obscene. Most of the cases provided on this website are from the 20th Century. It provides a good background on early attempts in the century to censor works by refusing mail delivery and censorship under McCarthyism. Numerous examples of schools banning books from their libraries or classrooms are also provided. This website proved useful in giving a picture of how book banning and censorship has evolved in the US. It shows how censorship has gradually shifted from the national to the local level.