A study to determine the nationwide pattern of censorship in school and public libraries as reported in two library periodicals from 1962-1971.

Abstract

A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE NATIONWIDE PATTERN OF CENSORSHIP IN SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES AS REPORTED IN TWO LIBRARY PERIODICALS FROM 1962-1971 A content analysis was made of the 1962-1971 issues of R. R. Bowker's Library Journal and the American Library Association's Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. The purpose of the study was to attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Did the number of censorship cases reported from around the country during the years 1962-1971 remain at a fairly constant level from year to year, or did it vary? (2) Who made the complaints? (3) What reasons did people give when they made complaints? (4) Did some areas of the country have more problems that other areas: (5) What dispositions were made of the complaints? The data collected indicated that for the period studied the number of cases reported did vary to some extent from year to year and may represent a cyclic pattern with a relatively large number of cases in the early sixties, fewer in the middle of the decade, followed by a slow and uneven rise toward the early seventies. The Newsletter reports indicated that parents were the major source of complaints in school libraries and that patrons were the major source in public libraries. Library Journal reports indicated that administrators were the major source in both types of libraries. Sex and obscenity were consistently the most popular reasons given for complaining about materials in both school and in public libraries. The Newsletter reported the highest percentage of cases from the Pacific Coast states: Library Journal reported its highest from the North Atlantic states. The Rocky Mountain states ranked lowest in both journals. Twenty-seven percent of the school and public libraries whose cases were reported in the Newsletter were able to keep their questioned materials on open shelves; 25 percent had to remove then, and 18 percent restricted circulation. Library Journal recorded 33 percent unrestricted, 32 percent removed, and 12 percent restricted. This study provides data which serve as a reminder that censorship remains a live issue for which all librarians need to be prepared. with the proper preparation, having a selection policy and an established routine for handling complaints, the censorship confrontation may not end with the restriction of the challenged materials.