17c起草社区

By Lisa Given and Sarah Polkinghorne

This story about the Cumberland book ban .听

At Cumberland City Council in the western suburbs of Sydney, one man 鈥� Councillor Steve Christou 鈥� persuaded the council to听听补产辞耻迟听听from the council鈥檚 libraries.

The change was short-lived. People fought back. More than 40,000听听to lift the ban.

,听, following impassioned pleas by residents, and with many people protesting on the streets.

My story on what happened in Cumberland last night

– Pro-ban Labor councillor voted to overturn the ban
– Labor councillor who walked out voted to overturn
– An independent who said hours before the meeting he’d vote to overturn…but then voted pro-ban

鈥� Leonardo Puglisi (@Leo_Puglisi6)

Librarians under attack

Librarians are leaders in the fight against book bans. They have faced significant backlash for their efforts. Australian Library and Information Association CEO听听has reported that

people are going into libraries, grabbing books off the shelves, reading them out loud and saying 鈥淭hese shouldn鈥檛 be here鈥�, calling librarians horrible names and threatening doxxing and physical violence. It鈥檚 incredibly distressing.

Book banning efforts are听. People distribute lists of books that may (or may not) be in the collections of their local libraries. These culture-war attacks on libraries and librarians are often motivated by grievances against progress, such as 17c起草社区+ visibility and acceptance, and other forms of diversity.

But they are also part of a wider reactionary movement. The issues extend beyond the specific content of individual books. Calls for book bans are evidence of a broader听听that presents a real danger to individuals and society at large.

Libraries and librarians are common targets because they are easy for the public to access, and because they represent (and foster) learning, ideas, imagination, equality, choice and barrier-free access to information for all.

Would-be book banners have very rarely read the books they challenge. When books are read, they are far听.

Histories of censorship

The Cumberland episode is only the latest in the global struggle for freedom of information access. Such censorship dates back at least as far as听. The first American book ban occurred in 1637, when Thomas Morton鈥檚听听was suppressed for its criticisms of Puritanism.

The issue remains highly contentious in the United States. PEN America鈥檚听听shows a 33% rise in the number of book challenges in US public schools, with almost 6,000 instances of books banned since 2021.

The Alabama House of Representatives recently passed听. If it passes the Senate, the bill will override libraries鈥� book challenge policies. Librarians would have seven days to remove contentious material or face criminal penalties.

Australia also has a long history of censorship. Many titles we now consider 鈥渃lassics鈥澨�, including Aldous Huxley鈥檚听, James Baldwin鈥檚听听and D.H. Lawrence鈥檚听. As听听documented, it was once 鈥渞outine to have your suitcase searched [for obscene materials] on the way into Australia from another country鈥�.

More recently, in March 2023, Maia Kobabe鈥檚 award-winning memoir Gender Queer was听, and faced many other challenges, globally. Bernard Gaynor, the conservative Catholic activist who led the call to ban the book, is taking the Minister for Communication and the Australian Classification Review Board to the Federal Court of Australia. The decision will come later this year.

Censorship remains a local 鈥� and global 鈥� concern.

Information access for all

Professional librarians have battled these kinds of challenges for decades. The American Library Association, founded in 1876, issued its first anti-censorship notice in 1939, in response to听听and other international attempts to suppress information.

In 1953, the American Library Association issued their听听statement, with ongoing support for libraries challenging book bans across the United States.

In a听, the Australian Library and Information Association and the Australian Public Library Alliance explain that libraries 鈥渄efend equity of access to information鈥� and 鈥渃ater for all members of the library community鈥�.

This position reflects global standards for information access upheld by libraries worldwide. It includes the key principle that the 鈥減erception that material may offend or cause controversy to a person or a group of people is not, of itself, a reason to limit purchase or provision of an item containing that material鈥�.

The International Federation of Library Associations states that听听鈥渞uns counter to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights鈥�. Libraries are expected to:

• provide collections and services that are free of intentional censorship
• base decisions on professional considerations (e.g., quality, currency, format, cost, etc.), rather than limiting based on political or religious considerations or cultural prejudice
• educate people on issues of censorship and encourage them to practise freedom of expression and freedom of access to information
• advocate for removal of censorship restrictions affecting libraries and society at large.

Policies and procedures

Librarians do more than handle attempts to ban books. They develop policies and procedures designed to ensure free access to information, for everyone. They are expert professionals, whose jobs often require difficult selection decisions and challenging conversations with angry or offended community members.

Libraries already have established processes to handle removal requests. They apply guidance from professional associations, including resources like the听.

Requests to remove materials often start with informal conversations to address concerns and educate complainants about the library鈥檚 mandate for equitable access based on the whole community鈥檚 needs and interests. A formal process often requires a written submission. Library staff will then reconsider the book in light of the library鈥檚 collection policy.

Removing books from a collection does happen, as librarians must ensure the collection remains useful and relevant. Libraries routinely consult with community members and seek feedback to ensure collections match community needs. They also review materials to ensure outdated works (for example, older editions) are replaced with texts that include current information.

These are some of the routine, behind-the-scenes tasks, which听听explains are critical to ensure 鈥渃ollections are for use, not reinforcing assumptions鈥�.

Massive pro and anti-book ban rallies outside Cumberland Council tonight

鈥� Alex McKinnon (@mckinnon_a)

The need for community involvement

Librarians rely on individuals and communities to stand up and oppose censorship, as residents did in Cumberland. Vocal community and government support for libraries is critical to battling book bans. Many other professions, such as journalism and teaching, also play critical roles in documenting censorship and countering book challenges.

So how can you help? By signing petitions, speaking up at council meetings, volunteering to serve on a library board, voting for candidates who support libraries, and borrowing books about diverse families to ensure they have a circulation record of being used and valued.

As the outcry over the short-lived Cumberland City Council ban shows, everyday Australians value libraries and the information they provide to their communities. Public support is needed to defend against future attacks and to send a message to governments that banning books is not acceptable.