Scope

This Research Guide focuses on censorship in the United States. Emphasis is on recent attempts by groups and individuals to ban books in school curricula and libraries. For information on censorship in the mass media, search the various databases under the names of specific media, for example--Moving Pictures, Music, Television, Press, etc.

Overview

Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship and Public Libraries
College Library Reference Collection: Z 658 U5 F64 2002

Censorship in America: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: Z658 U5 H84 1999

Dictionary of American History
College Library Reference Collection: E 174 D52 2003
Refer to Volume 2, pages 83-86 for "Censorship"

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to Volume 1, pages 433-436 for "Censorship"

The Encyclopedia of Censorship
College Library Reference Collection: Z 657 G73 1990

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

freedom of speech
art and censorship
popular music and censorship
rap music and censorship
internet and censorship
porn* and censorship
freedom of the press
student newspapers and censorship

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

Education Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 400 scholarly and trade periodicals and selected monographs in education, educational psychology, college life, teacher education and evaluation. Basic instructions for Education Full Text

Humanities Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 400 scholarly journals on archaeology, classical studies, art, film, folklore, history, journalism, linguistics, literature, music, performing arts, philosophy and religion. Basic instructions for Humanities Full Text

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

More Databases:

Art Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Art Full Text indexes approximately 300 key English and foreign-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins. Basic instructions for Art Abstracts

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on censorship can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

censorship and "United States"
obscenity and censor?
"freedom of the press"
"text books" and "United States"
"rap music"
http and censorship (to find electronic resources)

Internet Sites

Public Agenda Issue Guides: Internet Speech/Privacy
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/frontdoor.cfm?issue_type=internet
Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research and civic engagement organization, presents public opinion and arguments for and against regulating and filtering content on the Internet.

Videos

The Black Press
College Library Ethnic Studies Collection: PN 4882.5 B525 1998

Rising Censorship in the Clinton Administration
College Library Main Collection: Z 658 U5 B5 1994

Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties
College Library Main Collection: JC 599 U5 U62 2004

Whose Academic Freedom? Whose Free speech?
College Library Main Collection: LC 72.2 H45 1994

Organizations

American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org
125 Broad St.
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004

American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/intellectual.htm
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611

Beacon for Freedom of Expression
http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/
Produced by the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression, this site contains a searchable database with bibliographic information on publications related to censorship and freedom of expression worldwide, the censorship of books and newspapers worldwide during the last decade, and the censorship of books and newspapers from selected historical periods and countries.

Censorship and Book Burning Resources
http://georgesuttle.com/censorship/censors-all.shtml
Books are dangerous. They make you think. Site provides an outline of censorship resources and information.

The Free Expression Policy Project (FEPP)
http://www.fepproject.org/
A project of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, FEPP provides research and advocacy on free speech, copyright, and media democracy issues.

The National Coalition Against Censorship
http://www.ncac.org
News and information about censorship are provided.