1. Censorship

Activity:

-       find, read and analyse a peer-reviewed article:

Isajlovic-Terry, N., McKechnie, L. (E.F.). 2012. An exploratory study of children’s

 views of censorship. In Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association

 for Library Service to Children, 10 (1) 38-43.

Freedom can be protected in a democratic society only if its citizens have unrestricted access to information and ideas.

Statement 1. Asserting the equal and equitable rights of citizens to information regardless of age, race, gender, religion, disability, cultural identity, language, socioeconomic status, lifestyle choice, political allegiance or social viewpoint.

(Australian Libraries and Information Association, ALIA. 2007).

Researchers Natasha Isajlovic-Terry and Lynne McKechnie, conducted an exploratory focus group study with 6 children obtaining views and opinions on censorship. The children’s ages ranged from 9 -12 years. The study, An exploratory study of children’s views of censorship, found that the children’s opinions were different to adults, that they did agree that adults have the right to restrict access to materials: such as magazines, movies and video games, but not books. Although adults provide limitations to reading material, children felt that they could choose for themselves.

The research discussion noted that children recognised that ‘something that might offend one person would be fine for another’ (p.42). Particularly in regard to reading material children through selecting would censor. Children were also determined to read what they want to read and would be skilled in obtaining the material. The paper provides the method in regard to collecting the information from children and examples of children’s responses to censorship.

Parents are usually the providers of a ‘formal challenge’ about the material in question, one particular item in question was a picture book deemed inappropriate in America, And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, where 2 male penguins raise a baby penguin in a zoo. Adults deemed the picture book inappropriate as parents thought that the content, same sex parenting, was challenging and may affect children especially 4 – 8 year olds (p.39).

Librarians are constantly being challenged by censorship, the paper mentions Librarian, Anne Curry, who urges Librarians to ensure children and young adults are able to read books with material that deal openly with controversial subjects, ‘we need to provide them with challenging books including controversial ones, in the area of the library where they can be most easily find them-the children’s/young adult shelves’ (p. 39) children may look for material that enable them to understand experiences in their own lives. Researcher, Kim Moody, in Covert Censorship in libraries: a discussion paper, 2004, affirms that ‘some forms of censorship are so unconscious that even the individuals perpetrating them have no idea that they are in fact censoring’ (p.139). Pressure from parents, community and funding bodies as well as personal prejudices may also influence Librarians to remove material.

I have learned that censorship is a complex issue. Professionally, Librarians are to provide free access to books that are appropriate for children, and yet guard children from adverse material, that the best of intentions may hinder a children/young adult’s ability to select their own reading material. Children will know their own capabilities and will select what is appropriate for them.

The study recommended that Librarians work with children in the development of policies to ensure children’s voices are considered in regard to accessing information and their reading material. (p.42) To enable children to have their say in the collection by allowing them to select books for the collection, addressing their criteria. As children develop their identity and what is important to them it is essential to provide a range of material that will challenge and provide thought provoking concepts as well as the joy of reading.

References

Australian Library and Information Association. 2007. Statement on free access to

 information. Retrieved from http://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/statement-free-access-information

Duthie, F. 2010. Libraries and the effects of censorship. In Australian Library Journal

59(8) 86-94.

Isajlovic-Terry, N., McKechnie, L. (E.F.). 2012. An exploratory study of children’s

 views of censorship. In Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association

 for Library Service to Children, 10 (1) 38-43.

Moody, K. 2005. Covert censorship in libraries: a discussion paper. In Australian

 Library Journal, 54(2) 138-147.