Ture Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries (book)

Nye, V. & Barco, K. (2012). True Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Intellectual freedom is a core value of librarianship, but fighting to keep controversial materials on the shelves can sometimes feel like a lonely battle. And not all censorship controversies involve the public objecting to a book in the collection—libraries are venues for displays and meetings, and sometimes library staff themselves are tempted to preemptively censor a work. Those facing censorship challenges can find support and inspiration in this book, which compiles dozens of stories from library front lines. Edifying and enlightening, this collection

• Tells the stories of librarians who withstood difficult circumstances to champion intellectual freedom
• Touches on prickly issues such as age-appropriateness, some librarians’ temptation to preemptively censor, sensitive cultural expressions, and criminality in the library
• Presents case studies of defenses that were unsuccessful, so librarians facing similar challenges can learn from these defeats
  

There are fewer situations more stressful in a librarian's professional life than being personally confronted with a demand to remove a book from the shelves or not knowing how to respond to other kinds of censorship challenges. Reading this book will help fortify and inform those in the fray.

(book description)