Niall McNamara: Niall McNamara writes from Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday, May 11, 2000 THE American Library Association (ALA) has a policy of promoting freedom of intellectual thought.
THE American Library Association (ALA) has a policy of promoting freedom of intellectual thought.
Each year it has a Banned Books week to promote books suppressed by powerful interests.
In 1999 part of their statement read:
When
books are challenged, restricted, removed, or banned, an
atmosphere of suppression exists. The author may make
revisions, less for artistic reasons than to avoid
controversy. The editor and publisher may alter text or
elect not to publish for economic and marketing reasons.
Staff in bookstores and libraries may find published
works too controversial and, fearing reprisals, will
choose not to purchase those materials.
The fear of the
consequences of censorship is as damaging as, or perhaps
more damaging than, the actual censorship attempt. After
all, when a published work is banned, it can usually be
found elsewhere. Unexpressed ideas, unpublished works,
unpurchased books are lost forever. –1999 Resource Guide.
Canada may well have subscribed to the same policy. If so, is the Canadian Library Association honouring their commitment? Only the enemies of free speech would want intellectual material banned and use threats to attain their objective, as we have been witnessing for some years now.