Investigation of the practices of labelling and restricting controversial items within New Zealand public libraries

Abstract

Censorship is a topic which is well researched within the library field, however the specific sub topic of labelling and restriction of items has not often been explored, particularly in New Zealand, and rarely have studies been devoted solely to this issue. Labelling and restriction practices are often considered more mild forms of censorship and preferable to removing items from a collection. These practices may even be viewed as an alternative to censorship by some librarians. Therefore it is important to investigate the occurrences of these practices, given that the library profession promotes intellectual freedom.