Report From the United Kingdom: “Third of UK Librarians Asked to Censor or Remove Books, Research Reveals”

From The Guardian:

Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the UK’s library and information association, found that a third of librarians had been asked by members of the public to censor or remove books, indicating that such incidences “had increased significantly in recent years”, according to CILIP’s chief executive, Nick Poole. The most targeted books involve empire, race and LGBTQ+ themes.

Some 82% of librarians said they were concerned about the increase in such requests. In response to the survey findings and increased number of requests for removal, Cilip is in the process of updating the national guidance for librarians in managing stock, spaces, events and activities.

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Cilip and Libraries Connected, a charity that represents public libraries, said librarians are aware of discussions taking place around outdated language in books, and this is affecting their jobs in different ways.

“Some of the public debate is reaching librarians,” Poole said. “We’ve heard reports of requests to remove materials that deal with race and empire and Britain’s colonial heritage.”

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