A group presentation on censorship and the related issues of intellectual freedom and right to read. Also includes a summary interview with the Ateneo de Manila High School Library and the UP Integrated School Library. ©R.S.S. Necesario School of Library and Information Studies University of the Philippines Diliman roy_necesario@yahoo.com

1. CENSORSHIPI N T E L LE C T U A L
F R E ED O M A N D
RIGHT TO READ

2. D E F I N I T I O N S
The school library provides information and ideas to equip all members of the school community (even teachers, administrators and parents) with life-long learning skills, to become critical thinkers and effective users of information in all formats and media, enabling them to live as responsible citizens.
C E N S O R S H I P
SCHOOL LIBRARY

3. D E F I N I T I O N S
―Prohibition of the production, distribution, circulation, or display of a work by a governing authority on grounds that it contains objectionable or dangerous material. The person who decides what is to be prohibited is called a censor. Commonly used methods include decree and confiscation, legislation, repressive taxation, and licensing to grant or restrict the right to publish.
(Reitz, ABC-CLIO online dictionary for LIS)
C E N S O R S H I P
CENSORSHIP

4. D E F I N I T I O N S
C E N S O R S H I P
INTELLECTUAL
FREEDOM
Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas."— Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A (has a manual by ALA)

5. C E N S O R S H I P
TOP 10
1.Harry Potter(series), by J.K. Rowling2.Aliceseries, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor3.The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier4.And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell5.Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck6.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou7.Scary Stories(series), by Alvin Schwartz8.His Dark Materials(series), by Philip Pullman9.ttyl; ttfn;l8rg8r(series), by LaurenMyracle10.The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen ChboskyB A N NE D B O OK S 2 0 0 0 –2 0 0 9

6. C E N S O R S H I P
REASONS FOR
1,577 challenges due to "sexually explicit" material;
1,291 challenges due to "offensive language";
989 challenges due to materials deemed "unsuited to age group";
619 challenged due to "violence―;
361 challenges due to "homosexuality‖;
291 challenges due to ―religious viewpoint‖;
274 challenges due to ―occult‖ and ―Satanic‖;
119 challenges due to ―anti-family.‖ theme;
BANNING
B A N NE D B O OK S 2 0 0 0 –2 0 0 9

7. P H I L I P PI N E C O N T E X T
C E N S O R S H I P
IS CENSORSHIP
AN ISSUE?

8. I S SU E S I N C E N S O R S H I P
1.WITH CENSORSHIP
A.REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING CENSORSHIP (FOR THOSE OF PRO- CENSORSHIP)
Librarians would be unable to provide the needs of the users/students
Librarians would be unable to give free access to users’ desired information
Violations with ALA Intellectual Freedom Manual and Code of Ethics and Bill of Rights
Because contents of some books are inappropriate with the clients of school libraries / students.
Because of religious andracialreasons of schools
Because of institutional policies
Because some books mayencourage negative behaviours
Because students are not yet mature enough to handle themes of banned books.

9. I S SU E S I N C E N S O R S H I P
1.WITHOUT CENSORSHIP
A.REASONS FOR NOT IMPLEMETING CENSORSHIP
Tendencies of students/young clients:
A.For rebellion (Harry Potter)
B.To learn/get interested about witchcraft (Harry Potter and it is against some religions)
C.To have a change in their behaviour in the future
It violates the freedom to think and create new ideas and exercise imagination
It is in contrary with ALA Bill of Rights wherein
I.Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

10. I S SU E S I N C E N S O R S H I P
1.WITHOUT CENSORSHIP
A.REASONS FOR NOT IMPLEMETING CENSORSHIP
C. To have less focus on academics and more focus on fan-fictions
D. To have a change in attitude (this is since books affect children’s development)
It is in contrary with ALA Code of ethics wherein,
II.We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.

11. ATENEO DE MANILA

12. COLLECTION
A T E N E O H S L I B R A R Y P R O C E D U R E S
Japanese Manga
Western Comics
Popular Reference Books
Teen Books
General Interests Books
C E N S O R S H I P

13. C E N S O R S H I P
CENSORED
•Sensual Materials (e.g. 50 Shades of Grey; works by Eros Atalia)
•Gambling books and sources (e.g. Texas Hold’emPoker)
•Violent, sexual, oppressive, racist, pornographic materials with explicit PG 18 content
A T E N E O H S L I B R A R Y P R O C E D U R E S

14. C E N S O R S H I P
POVERTY
PORNOGRAPHY?
FAMINE PORN?
Oversensualizedconditions of the poor to elicit emotions
A T E N E O H S L I B R A R Y P R O C E D U R E S

15. C E N S O R S H I P
FACULTY AND
STAFF
They are responsible for the selection and appraisal of materials, for collection development, and education of censored materials if need be.
A T E N E O H S L I B R A R Y P R O C E D U R E S

16. C E N S O R S H I P
LIBRARY ++
Board Games
Problems with issues of Gambling
Card Games
Generalized idea that all card games are about gambling
A T E N E O H S L I B R A R Y P R O C E D U R E S

19. UP INTEGRATED

20. U P I S L I B R A R Y MA N U A L O F P R O C E D U R E SC E N S O R S H I P
COLLECTION
DEVELOPMENT
AND EVALUATION

21. C E N S O R S H I P
CRITERIA FOR
SELECTION
U P I S L I B R A R Y MA N U A L O F P R O C E D U R E S
•Select and replace items found in standard lists and catalogs
•Select only those items that have been favorably reviewed in at least two review sources
•Do not select textbooks
•Do not select anything that has received a negative review
•Select only items of lasting literary or social value

22. C E N S O R S H I P
SELECTION AND
ACQUISITIONU P I S L I B R A R Y MA N U A L O F P R O C E D U R E S
9. There is an intellectual freedom in the UPIS Library. This means that all materials in the library are available to students. Although it cannot be said that there is no censorship at all. At the selection and acquisition stage, subversive and pornographic materials are not allowed.
POLICIES

23. C E N S O R S H I P
MEANS OF
ACQUISITION
U P I S L I B R A R Y MA N U A L O F P R O C E D U R E S
Book dealers already provide a pre-evaluated list of books to be acquired by the library.
Censorship issues happen with donations by students, faculty and alumni. The library periodically accepts collective donations and aptly sends a letter of acknowledgement to each donor.

24. C E N S O R S H I P
WHAT HAPPENS
TO CENSORED
U P I S L I B R A R Y MA N U A L O F P R O C E D U R E S
Books deemed inappropriate for the library’s collection are donated to other satellite libraries of the University of the Philippines, the College of Arts and Letters Library being the most popular donatary. Provincial public libraries in need of books are also targeted.
BOOKS?

25. C E N S O R S H I P
EDUCATION OR
PORNOGRAPHY?
O N E C A S E
An alumnus, perhaps by accident, donated among others a book about population studies and sex education containing graphic illustrations of various sexual positions. Although it possessed educational value for senior students and the school faculty, the head librarianhad to immediately censor the material for lewd content.

28. W I L M A AZ A R C O N
U P I S H E A D L I B R A R I A N
Q U O T A B L E Q U O T E
RULES ARE THERE
TO GUIDEYOU,
NOT RULEYOU.

29. INSIGHTS
T H O U G H T S,
M U S I N G S, C O M ME N T S
OPINIONS

30. A P R E S E N T A T I O N B Y :
LU
NECESARIO
ENRIQUEZ
GARCIA