Censorship as Information Behavior

Censorship may be explained through the lens of information behavior. In particular, the theory of information worlds states that information forms the small social worlds of individuals, influencing both what information they access, as well as what information they share. Thus, small worlds censorship can occur when small worlds’ actions shape policy in the larger lifeworld, reflecting the information behaviors of collective individuals who believe that their values are the “right values.” This phenomenon is happening in real time as school and public libraries face an unprecedented number of book challenges and bans that predominately target materials with themes related to the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC experience. If small worlds censorship actions lead to the passing of local laws so that certain cultural goods are removed from public institutions and consequently, books are withheld preventing members of the library’s community from reading freely, then book banning is harmful in multiple, abusive manners. One of the most important tools in the library’s fight against censorship is a strong selection policy, which also has the effect of shaping information behavior. This conceptual paper explores censorship through the lens of information behavior, practice, and policy.