Censorship vs. Selection: A Preparation for Teachers and Librarians Faced with a Challenge

Abstract

"We should always look at a whole book - the theme and the author's intentions…before we judge it" (Hentoff, 1982, p. 35). Censorship is clearly not a new social issue. For years, censors have attempted to purge society of the filth found in books and in other forms of art. Censorship: For and Against, compiled by Harold H. Hart (1971), traces censorship back to the time of Homer. "In 387 B.C., Plato suggested that Homer's Oddyssey be expurgated for immature readers. In 250 B.C., a Chinese monarch consigned to flames every single book or writing that contained any of the teachings of Confucius. In 1244, the Talmud, a book revered by Jewish scholars, was burnt on charges of blasphemy and immorality" (p. 6). Censorship has persisted since 1244, and today, cases of censorship have grown increasingly common. Just recently, in March of 1983, a book and record burning was held in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts to rid the community of "offensive material." Included were record albums by John Denver, the Rolling Stones, and Barry Manilow. The list of objectionable books included Mysticism: Sacred and Profane by R. C. Zaehner and Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock (Krug, 1983, p. 114). Book burnings and other purging actions have attempted to keep all members of a particular society from obtaining the "offensive" material. Only by means of underground "associations" could the offensive material be obtained.