"It is misguided for librarians to want to protect young readers from words or concepts in books. If literature functions as a window to the human heart and a door to the world, the goal of librarians should be to fling those doors and windows open: to connect kids with books, to respect their intelligence, and to stimulate and encourage reading."
Susan Patron, author of The Higher Power of Lucky
Censorship encompasses two basic categories: direct censorship and soft censorship.
Direct censorship types are withholding information, destroying information, altering or using selective information and self-censorship.
Withholding information comes into affect when materials are only allowed to be checked out under certain restrictions. A common restriction, especially in school libraries, is reading or age level. These materials might be given some sort of "content warning", much like video games or movies. Withholding information goes against Intellectual freedom and the right of reading choice.
Destroying information can range from tearing out pages containing "offensive" messages and/or images to book burning. Book burning might sound like a dystopian novel theme (hello, Fahrenheit 451), however it also has places in history. The May 10, 1933 burning of "non-German" texts under the Nazi regime is one of the better-known cases of book burning. (For a more detailed account, turn to German Book Burning.)
Altering or using selective information often involves taking wording out of context. This form is the reason why the entire text should be read when evaluating a material for reconsideration.
Self-censorship usually occurs one of two ways. First, the purchaser allows their own personal biases to dictate books chosen for the library. Second, "controversial" materials are not ordered due to fear of challenges. An excellent way to avoid the first reason involves basing book purchases off of trusted reviews, instead of personal beliefs. Libraries should cater to all patrons. One way to help offset the fear that comes with the second reason, is making sure your library has a strong collection development policy and reconsideration procedures. It is often easier to be proactive than reactive.
On a side note: part of collection development involves knowing what is and what is not developmentally appropriate for your patrons. For example, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold should not be in an elementary school library nor the children's section of a public library. The nature of this book is too mature for such young audiences. However, this same title could be relevant for a high school or YA section. Making best practice choices is not a form of censorship.
In many cases, challenged materials are not removed from library shelves. However, the fear of challenges can lead to "soft censorship."
Soft censorship refers to when books are purchased, but are placed in restricted areas, or are not used in library displays or book talks due to fear of challenges occurring (Ali, 2021). While these materials are still technically available to patrons, they are somewhat hidden.
Censorship, of any kind, creates more harm than good. Censorship can lead to the following:
1) missed opportunities for critical thinking,
2) missed opportunities to learn from the past, and
3) suppression of ideas that challenge the status quo (Smith, n.d.).
Ali, Shirin. (2021, April 11). Books that touched on race were among the most challenged as inappropriate for libraries in 2020. CNN. Books that Touched on Race | CNN.
Smith, Nadine. (n.d.). What are the dangers of censorship?. The Classroom. What Are the Dangers | The Classroom.
Many of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.