Libraries and censorship

With the release of the film “The Golden Compass“, based on the novel written by Philip Pullman and the first book in the “His Dark Materials” series, has sparked further cries for boycotting and censorship led by conservative religious groups in the United States. Prior to this call, there were concerns raised over the sexual preference of a character in the “Harry Potter” series. The issue of censorship is an important one for libraries and I particularly like the new release issued by the President of the ALA in regards to this matter.

In this article, CTV reports that some school libraries have chosen to pull the book from the shelves. While the books have not been banned, they have been put under review. As some one who works in the library profession, I would hope that this material would be available to all readers for whenever they chose to read it. I think it’s the responsibility of parents, educators and librarians to inform readers about their choices and allow them to think for themselves. I’m curious to know what other think about this issue or on the role of libraries and censorship.