Volume 37 Nº 1 - March 2001

Double Jeopardy: Censorship in School Libraries

Amanda Credaro

Why is it that we are not allowed to be shocked and offended? Where is it written?
Janet Strickland

So wrote the former chief censor of Australia, commenting on the increase of censorship in Australia over the last decade. Although Strickland's office is charged with the responsibility for ensuring appropriate classifications for films and books prior to their public release, the issue of censorship for all libraries is an immediate, ongoing problem. In school libraries, multiple factors complicate the issue even further. The history of censorship in school libraries is a long and sad one. In Ohio, censors attempted to remove Treasure Island from the shelves for fear that it would induce children to piracy. Dillon and Williams reflect that the same situation exists in Australia. Whilst this may seem laughable in hindsight, even the much-loved Harry Potter series is currently under challenge in many American States, and quite recently was withdrawn from some school libraries in Queensland. As we progress into the 21st century, the long-acknowledged issue of censorship of paper-based material is compounded by digital concerns, most particularly the internet...

Amanda Credaro was a geologist for the earlier part of her working life, having graduated from Sydney University. She taught science with the NSW Department of Education for the next 15 years, before undertaking a M App Science (Teacher-Librarianship) and a Master of Education (Information Technology in Education). Amanda is currently teacher-librarian at Richmond High School in New South Wales.