Self-censorship is refraining from doing or saying something that another person may find objectionable (“self-censorship”, 2020). This can be intentional or subconscious. Most teacher-librarians and librarians are brought into the occupation ready to follow their association or guiding body’s instructions regarding self-censorship. Some may not realise they are partaking in it. This blog entry focuses on those instances where it is recognised by the “guilty party”.

Geralt @ Pixabay

There are many organisations, some stricter and seemingly unforgiving than others with their guidelines. In an international school library context, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) conveys that contained in the school library’s Collection Management Policy it should state that the school librarian has a responsibility to resist calls for censorship – no matter what the source is (Oberg, D. & Schultz-Jones, B., 2015, p. 34). The message here is blunt and seemingly inflexible. However, there are many situations where this may put the teacher librarian in a difficult situation whether it is due to the principal/executive input or a parent. Additionally, the material provided to students needs to be age-appropriate in schools, which the IFLA also recognises (Oberg, D. & Schulty-Jones B., 2015, p. 33) . Therefore, in a school, there is a type of censorship occurring.

Australian School Libraries Association in their ASLA School Policy Statement – School Bill of Rights, stops short of using the word “censorship” generally and states that the school library should provide materials “appropriate” to the user, as well as put “principle above prejudice and reason above prejudice”. It continues to reveal that the school library is concerned with the preservation of freedom which is achieved through the development of informed citizens [ASLA, 2011 (2018)]. Therefore, ASLA recognises that censorship does happen in a school library and it is appropriate in some circumstances.

However, the reality is more complicated than the ideal. Jacobsen, in her article Unnatural selection, reveals many reasons why censorship is on the rise. Reasons that include increasing controversial content, challenges for certain books to be excluded from the collection and age-appropriate concerns (Oct 2016, p. 20-24). Dawkins articulated that the ideal is not always the reality when it comes to self-censorship. Interestingly, she discusses the fear of challenge some teacher librarians may feel when selecting their collection – whether by principals and/or other teachers. Their choice may be in conflict with intellectual freedom and their own beliefs but they can feel pressured into self-censoring due to Noelle-Neumann’s Spiral of Silence theory (as cited in Dawkins, 2018, p. 8-9) – the fear of isolating oneself. I can imagine that support of the principal would very much affect a teacher librarian’s decision on how “free” choice would be perceived to be. Dawkins also mentions that it is important to communicate with the principal and ensure measures such as collaboratively constructed selection policy is in place as what is perceived is not always true (Dawkins, 2018, p. 8-12).

So, is self-censorship a dirty word? It can certainly put teacher-librarians in a difficult situation – having to decide or negotiate between what the ideal is and what the reality might be. Perhaps, it should be thought of as something to aspire to – an ideal that teacher-librarians should attempt to incorporate in their libraries. However, there are sometimes variables that are outside their control and other factors again will influence how the situation eventuates.

References:

ASLA, [2011 (2018)]. School Policy Statement: School Bill of Rights. Retrieved from https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/Bill%20of%20Rights_2018.pdf

Dawkins, A.M. (2018). The decision by school librarians to self-censor: The impact of perceived
administrative discomfort. Teacher Librarian, 45(3),p. 8-12. Retrieved from http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/A_Dawkins_Decision_2018.pdf

Geralt @ Pixabay (n.d.). Pixabay. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/censorship-man-newspaper-read-news-4266441/. This image was used in accordance with Pixabay licence (Free for commercial use, no attribution required).

Jacobson, L. (2016). Unnatural Selection. (cover story). School Library Journal, 62(10), p.20–24. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=118573940&site=ehost-live

“Self-censorship”. (2020). In Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-censorship

Oberg, D., & Schultz-Jones, B. (eds.). (2015). 4.3.1 Collection management policies and procedures. In IFLA School Library Guidelines, (2nd ed.), (pp. 33-34). Den Haag,
Netherlands: IFLA. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf