Censorship and Intellectual Freedom: A Survey of School Librarians' Attitudes and Moral Reasoning

By Frances Beck McDonald

Continuing the line of research dealing with the attitudes of professional librarians toward intellectual freedom, this study reaffirms the gap between professional beliefs and practices. In addition to looking at demographic variables and personal characteristics, this study of secondary school librarians examines the relationship between moral reasoning and attitudes toward intellectual freedom and censorship.

The findings verify previous studies, provide additional information and add to the emerging picture of characteristics of librarians that contribute to upholding the principles of their profession. An overview of intellectual freedom and censorship research and relevant moral development research are included. The book is indexed.

Intellectual freedom activists will find data to support their efforts to explain the discrepancy between professional values and professional behavior. Library educators will be challenged to examine their freedom of access curriculum and their teaching methods. Researchers will be pointed to the needed next stage of intellectual freedom research. Librarians and other educators will find insights into the conflict between their belief in the "Library Bill of Rights" and "Freedom to Read" documents and self-censorship and other restrictive practices in school libraries.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810826801
• ISBN13: 9780810826809
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Length: 237 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.7" x 0.7" x 5.9"