Social Tolerance and Racist Materials in Public Libraries

Tammy Ross

Burke, S. K. (2010). Social tolerance and racist materials in public libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49(4), 369–379. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.49n4.369

In this study, Susan Burke examines the concept of intellectual freedom in libraries and reviews the literature for studies about racism in library books. To learn which variables are linked to social intolerance and the censorship of racist library materials, Burke used data from the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS is conducted by the National Opinion Research Center and began in 1972. From 1976 to 2006, the survey asked randomly selected adults in the U.S. whether they would support removing a book “spouting racist beliefs” that Black people are “genetically inferior” (p. 372) from the public library. Burke examined how certain demographics -- such as age, race, education level, occupation, geographic location, and political and religious affiliations -- impacted responses. She also looked at another study that examined attitudes toward removing books written by homosexuals or communists from a public library collection, and how these differed from “opposition to negative portrayals of African Americans” (p. 378). More people supported banning a book written by a racist because “racism limits the civil liberties of groups of people, which is not in line with the social trend of increasing tolerance” (p. 378).

Burke does a thorough job of synthesizing the GSS data and points out limitations of the dataset, i.e., that the survey does not ask participants if they’ve ever participated in a book challenge or whether the hypothetical racist book was written for adults or children. Still, the information in her study is designed to help librarians understand “how the library stance on intellectual freedom fits within the larger picture of scholarly thought from other disciplines and the broader public opinion” (p. 378). In regard to collection development, the article may help librarians be more aware about “self-censorship" -- not including certain books in an effort to avoid controversy. Burke argues that librarians should “stand by their professional values and educate the public and library shareholders concerning the implications of removing or not removing [racist] items from the collection” (p. 378). There’s a lot to unpack in 10 pages, especially all the survey results, but the article is worth the read. Burke ultimately reminds librarians that “Adding excellent materials to the collection regardless of their potential to spark controversy -- and resisting challenges to such material -- is an important professional obligation ... and it supports the principles established by the American Library Association” (p. 378).

For discussion, I give you a conflict posed in the article: Is exposure to controversial ideas or social/ethnic intolerance harmful, or does it teach readers to be critical thinkers?