JERSEY’S chief librarian has said suggested that censorship issues in the United States have sparked an increase in book removals from UK public libraries.
Commenting in a story in recently published in The Guardian, Ed Jewell said requests to remove books are increasing in the UK.
Speaking in his capacity as president of Libraries Connected, that represents British public libraries, Mr Jewell said “anecdotal evidence” from his charity members were pointing to an increase in demand to remove or vandalise certain books on public library shelves.
The rise, which was reported to stem from individuals or small groups in Britain, comes in the wake of spreading influence from larger US organised parties.
Mr Jewell said in the report that it is “certainly possible that the scale of censorship we’re seeing in the US will influence the debate over here [in the UK].”
A UK study on 10 school libraries cited in the report identified that pupils were vandalising LGBTQ+ library material and annotating books with racist and homophobic slurs.
The study, led by by Alison Hicks, an associate professor in library and information studies at University College London, gained the evidence from interviews with school librarians who had experienced book challenges.
From the small-scale research, LGBTQ+ materials were the large focus of the censorship and vandalism, while US book vandalism related to race, ethnicity and social justice as well as LGBTQ+ issues, according to the report.
It comes following a wave of book banning measures introduced in various US states in recent years.
Mr Jewell said that library leaders in the UK were “paying close attention” to what’s happening in America.
“There’s definitely a strong feeling of solidarity with American librarians,” he told The Guardian.
Following the story, the JEP asked Jersey Library had seen a rise in book censorship demands or vandalism of titles.
They denied this was the case and said there had been no targeted incidents or increase in removal requests in the last two years.
A spokesperson for Jersey Library said: “Like other library services, Jersey Library often receives feedback, comments and suggestions as to the type of books it should make available to the public.”
“Our aim is to give Islanders access to as broad a range of information, opinion and analysis as possible while upholding, promoting and defending human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion.”
