User:Bms141/sandbox

Evaluation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * Everything in the article pertains to the book. The was nothing really distracting to me since the page was quite short and only focused on the book itself, rather than accolades and challenges.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * Information is completely up to date, even citing a source from October of 2018. There is quite a bit of information missing about the books challenges, as well as a movie that was followed by the book which was not mentioned.
 * What else could be improved?
 * Overall length and density of certain sections. The fact that the movie about the book was left off is a big red flag.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * The article speaks in a very matter of fact manner. There is seemingly no bias, since most of the article is simply stating fact.  There are certain points where words can be rephrased or changed to make the points seem less argumentative and more factual.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * There are underrepresented viewpoints as to why this book works in a classroom setting and why it doesn't. There is very little on why this book is challenged, even though it discusses religion and sexuality.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Yes the links all work properly. All of the sources do support all the claims in the article.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * Other than the plot section, where there is clearly only one reference, the majority of all sections are reliable. The information is retrieved from a variety of sources varying from the author's website all the way to the American Library Association.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * Very few, simply stating their love of the book or current day references to the book.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * I am not sure where to find the rating of the article. It is a part of both the Novels and Children's Literature projects on the page.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * We have not discussed this topic in class unfortunately.

Evaluation of Book Censorship

 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * All of the information is relevant to the topic. The article is short, so there is nothing really that distracts me.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * Information is completely up to date, however lacked a large section on challenged books.
 * What else could be improved?
 * The depth of the article could be improved because for such a heavy topic it is a very short article.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * The article is neutral. There are never any claims that seem to be for or against any type of censorship.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * There are underrepresented viewpoints as to how challenged books are a type of book censorship. There is quite a bit of information the generality of book censorship but lacks in depth analysis.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * The links work as expected, and the sources all seem to support the facts read in the article.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * Each section has references, and there is no more than 3 sentences without a reference. Some of the information came from other university websites, while others came from encyclopedia Britannica or even Wikipedia.   There does not seem to be any bias, since it is nearly all factual and not opinion based information.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * There are two comments, one commenting on the lack of information on this article, while the other notes an odd definition of a word.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * I am unsure how this article is rated, but it is part of both the Freedom of Speech project, as well as the Literature project on Wikipedia.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * We have not discussed this topic in class unfortunately.



Evaluation of Drama

 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * The article has all relevant information pertaining to the novel, and nothing really took away from the main points of the article.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * No, all of the provided information is up to date, even with an edit from five days ago. All the information, from sexuality to race, is important and present in the article.
 * What else could be improved?
 * There could be a section on the authors intent on writing the book, meaning who is intended to read it, what are they expected to gain from it etc.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * For the most part yes. While it is very difficult to discuss sexuality and gender in an article about a children's novel, the authors have done a mostly good job with their wording.  There are a few claims that could use different verbs to be much less biased in their statements, but overall does well.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * I feel all viewpoints are displayed evenly. There are even viewpoints on how the article could be viewed as racist, as well as a large section on the controversy surrounding the book.  Both good and bad sides are represented.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Yes the links all work properly. All of the sources do support all the claims in the article.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * All sections are properly referenced. With 27 sources ranging from the book itself to review articles, there is all sorts of sources used in the article.  There are biased articles that are cited and it is clear to see based on how the drama article was written.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * not many back and forth conversations, rather it is just I will statements from many editors showing what they plan to do in the near future.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * There are no wiki projects it is attached to, however it shows that Gabby has assigned herself the article. It shows how the article is mostly edited by students from last semesters class.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * Wikipedia talks about sexuality but goes even further to talk about race. One point we missed in class today, but will talk in the future, is how the book is actually slightly racist.

Evaluation of Movie guidelines for Wikipedia compared to Wrinkle In Time
When looking at A Wrinkle In Time compared to the guidelines of Wikipedia, it is clear to see that nearly all of the guidelines are followed. First, I looked at all the sources and while nearly all of the sources were accurate, I did find one source that was actually from Twitter. On the Editing Wikipedia article about films, it says social media should not be cited on Wikipedia. Next, I looked at the structure of the article, and noticed it almost mirrored the exact outline on the how to article. There was a lead section, plot, cast, production, release, etc. all in order. The article talks within those sections in a very logical sense and does not assume the reader has already seen the movie. Finally, as one would assume, there is no personal bias or opinion based statements, and it is written in a very professional, factual manner. According to an NPR movie review, this source says that the movie is better fit for a younger audience. In the Wikipedia article, they reference a tweet to achieve the same goal. Using the same information but with a much more highly credible source, this Wikipedia page could be improved.

Evaluation of Taino

 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * Yes, the tribe in the Caribbean has quite a rich history, however there is only so much information present before Columbus' arrival. The only thing that was distracting was the section about spainiards.  It seemed out of order and could be better used at a later point in the article.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * It seems the article is completely up to date. There has been a lot of revision history in February of 2019, which means there is a lot of activity and changes/suggestions being made on the article.  There seems to a lack of information from the taino people themselves, as they are still alive and well today.
 * What else could be improved?
 * There seems to be a heavy reliance on the "American" facts. Meaning it does not necessarily show the bad side of what occurred when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Seemingly yes. however there are viewpoints as I previously discussed that heavily favor the European story of history.  There are lots of facts on all the good things Columbus did, but it does not seem to touch on what happened as a result of his arrival in a negative light.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * One person in the talk page who claims to be part Taino was very upset with how the article portrayed the Taino people. It says they are nearly extinct but according to the editors talk page, they are doing quite well in terms of population size.  Adding a viewpoint of a Taino member would help balance out the article.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Most of the links work that I tried. Some of the sources are books, which is difficult to dive into to see if they support the claims on Wikipedia, but based on the lack of bias I would assume the evidence is presented fairly in accordance to the sources.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * yes all the facts are appropriately cited. there is a census, books, and plenty of scholarly articles.  There are a few sources where it explains the authors viewpoints before stating the facts, allowing the reader to properly identify bias.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes abt out how to represent this topic?
 * There is a lot of talk on the page, some about using DNA to identify Taino members, some about the underrepresentation of Taino viewpoints in the article as well.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * Yes it has 6 different WikiProjects, ranging from Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Indigenous people, and ethnic groups.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * We have done very little discussion of this topic, however one thing I noted was the lack of a viewpoint of a member of the tribe, to discuss another side of the story.

Evaluation of Persepolis (comics)

 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * All the information seems to be relevant and important to the comics. The character list is clear and concise, breaks apart the characters in each book, and the summaries are also one for each book, which makes it clear to understand the difference.  There is very little distracting information on the site.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * All the information is up to date since the article was so recently edited and changed. I think constantly checking information and updating the information in the reception section is important to stay on top of newer information for the article.
 * What else could be improved?
 * I think there are certain instances within the article that citations are lacking. We are generally expected to write our sentences each with a citation and there are certainly instances where it would be beneficial to have some extra citations to back up information.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * The article is neutral for the most part. I think the article does a good job of presenting all sides of the story in the reception section of the article as well as the analysis section.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * I don't think there are any viewpoints that are under or over represented. I think the article does a great job of understanding and presenting the analysis section of the article, pertaining to feminism in the east.  I also think the reception section adds many viewpoints from many different people about their thoughts of the book.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * The citations I checked do work, and they do represented the claims in the article.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * There are a few sentences without any citations but the ones that are cited come from primary sources, encyclopedias, as well as newspaper articles. There are lots of sources for this article that end up providing a well rounded argument that lacks bias for the most part.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes abt out how to represent this topic?
 * There is not a ton of conversations on the talk page, most are just single statements from people outlining their changes made to the article, or proposed changes, such as last semesters students.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * it is rated start class, middle importance. It belongs to Wiki Project Iran as well.

** DRAFT OF EDITS ON BOOK CENSORSHIP **
Below is the current version of "Book Censorship" as of 4/8/18.

= Book censorship = Book censorship is the act of some authority, government or otherwise, taking measures to prevent access to a book or to part of its contents. It can be enacted at the national or subnational level, and can carry legal penalties. Books may also be challenged at a local community level, although successful bans do not extend outside that area. Similarly, religions may issue lists of banned books—a historical example being the Roman Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum—which do not always carry legal force.

Background
"Almost every country places some restrictions on what may be published, although the emphasis and the degree of control differ from country to country and at different periods." There are a variety of reasons for which books may be banned. Materials are often suppressed due to the perceived notion of obscenity. This obscenity can apply to materials that are about sexuality, race, drugs, or social standing. The censorship of literature on the charge of obscenity appears to have begun in the early 19th century. The rise of the middle class, who had evangelical backgrounds, brought about this concern with obscenity.

Governments have also sought to ban certain books which they perceive to contain material that could threaten, embarrass, or criticize them.

Other leaders outside the government have banned books, including religious authorities. Church leaders who prohibit members of their faith from reading the banned books may want to shelter them from perceived obscene, immoral, or profane ideas or situations or from ideas that may challenge the teaching of that religion.

But even religious materials have been subject to censorship. For example, various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned at several points in history). The Bible, and other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned by various governments. Similarly, books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which was banned in the Russian Empire for being anti-establishment.

Banning of a book often has the effect of making people seek the book. The action of banning the book creates an interest in the book which has the opposite effect of making the work more popular.

Book burning
Book burning is the practice of destroying, often ceremonially, books or other written material. It is usually carried out in public, and is generally motivated by moral, religious, or political objections to the material, with a desire to censor it.

In religion
See also: Censorship by religion

Banned books
Main article: List of books banned by governments

= *******DRAFT OF ARTICLE BOOK CENSORSHIP AS OF 4/24/2019****** =

= Book censorship = Book censorship is the act of some authority, government or otherwise, taking measures to suppress ideas and information within a book. Censorship is "the regulation of free speech and other forms of entrenched authority". '''Censors typically identify as either a concerned parent, community members who react to a text without reading, or local or national organizations.  Marshall University Library defines a banned book as one that is "removed from a library, classroom etc." and a challenged book as one that is "requested to be removed from a library, classroom etc."  Censorship can be enacted at the national or subnational level, and may''' carry legal penalties. Books can also be challenged at a local community level, although successful bans do not extend outside that area. Similarly, religions may issue lists of banned books—a historical example being the Roman Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum—which do not always carry legal force.

CONTENTS HEADER

X

X

X

Background
"Almost every country places some restrictions on what may be published, although the emphasis and the degree of control differ from country to country and at different periods." There are a variety of reasons for which books may be banned. Materials are often suppressed due to the perceived notion of obscenity. This obscenity can apply to materials that are about sexuality, race, drugs, or social standing. The censorship of literature on the charge of obscenity appears to have begun in the early 19th century. The rise of the middle class, who had evangelical backgrounds, brought about this concern with obscenity.

Governments have also sought to ban certain books which they perceive to contain material that could threaten, embarrass, or criticize them.

Other leaders outside the government, such as religious authority, have banned books as well. Church leaders who prohibit members of their faith from reading the banned books may want to shelter members from perceived obscene, immoral, or profane ideas or situations or from ideas that may challenge the teaching of that religion.

Religious materials have also been subject to censorship. For example, various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned at several points in history). The Bible, along with other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned by various governments. Similarly, books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which was banned in the Russian Empire for being anti-establishment.

Banning of a book often has the effect of making people seek the book. The action of banning the book creates an interest in the book which has the opposite effect of making the work more popular.

**** EVERYTHING PAST THIS POINT IS SELF ADDED CONTENT****

Book Burning

 * Book burning is the practice of destroying, often ceremonially, books or other written material. It is usually carried out in public, and is generally motivated by moral, religious, or political objections to the material, with a desire to censor it. Book burning is one of the original types of censorship dating all the way back to 213 BCE. Book burning is another right that is protected by the first amendment as a freedom of expression. Book burning has historically been preformed in times of conflict, for example Nazi book burnings, US Library of Congress, Arian books, Jewish Manuscripts in 1244, and the burning of Christian texts, just to name a few.

School Censorship

 * Banning books from general curriculum
 * Often times, school organizations that find contents of a book to be offensive or unfit for a given age group, they will have the book removed from the class curriculum. This type of censorship usually arises from parental influence on the schools.  Parents who do not feel comfortable with a child's required reading will make efforts to have the book removed from the class, and replaced by another title.
 * maybe use the last source instead of the below paragraph
 * Preferred titles for "reading hours"
 * Certain schools require that elementary students often reach a certain number of reading hours per week, perhaps assigned as homework. While students may be mostly free to choose the books they would like to read, a school that does not deem a certain book title to be appropriate for a given age group can say a certain title will not count towards reading hours.

Banning books
According to the Marshall University Library, a banned book is one that has been "removed from a library, classroom, etc." In many situations, parents or concerned parties will ban or propose a ban based on the books contents. The American Library Association publishes a list of the top "Banned and Challenged Books" for any given year. The American Library Association also organizes a "Banned Books Week", which is “an annual event celebrating the freedom to read." The goal of the project is to bring awareness to banned books and promote the freedom to learn.

Shelf Removal

 * School Libraries
 * According to the American Library Association, "the school library is a unique and essential part of the learning community, and when led by a qualified school librarian, prepares all learners for college, career, and life." In certain scenarios, concerned third parties often voice their concerns over certain titles in libraries that they deem to be unfit for students.  In 1982, the Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 versus Pico was taken to the United States Supreme Court.  In the case, students and parents challenged the board's removal of certain titles from the school library.  The books included texts which the board considered to be "anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy."  The Supreme Court Justices stated removal of books from libraries was only permissible if the books were considered educationally unsuitable.
 * Public libraries
 * Public libraries are considered to be open to the public within a town or community. Similar to school libraries, removal of books from public library shelves is often the subject of heavy debate.  "Public schools and public libraries...have been the setting for legal battles about student access to books, removal or retention of 'offensive' material, regulation of patron behavior, and limitations on public access to the internet."  In 2014, Singapore removed And Tango Makes Three, as well as The White Swan Express from public libraries based on the book's gay and lesbian couples.  The National Library Board takes a  "a pro-family and cautious approach in identifying titles for our young visitors", and later pulped the books.

Reasons for Book Censorship
Book censorship can arise for any number of reasons. Concerned parties may find certain texts to be unfit for a learning environment. Some of the most common reasons for censorship are:


 * Offensive language - Novels that contain profane or offensive language within the text, is one of the reasons that book could be censored. Individuals who do not find the language of the book to be appropriate will seek the book to be banned or censored.  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884, is a book that has been censored and considered controversial for over 100 years.  The book has been argued whether it is considered racist, or anti-racist, due to the use of the word "nigger" in the text.  In 1982, a school administrator of Virginia called the novel the "most grotesque example of racism I've ever seen in my life"..
 * Age appropriateness - One of the most common reasons for censorship is when a book's content does not align with the intended age audience. This reason is one of the more popular reasons because it is generally applied to any title an individual deems censorship is necessary.  Many parents and concerned parties will challenge titles or hold back books, in hopes a certain book does not negatively impact an impressionable child.  Common examples of this include Looking for Alaska, I am Jazz, and Habibi, which all were listed on the American Library associations top 10 challenged books for 2015..
 * Sexual content - Many parents will find any sort of sexual interaction within literature to be a cause for action. Concerned parties worry that reading books about sex will cause the reader to "think about, express interest in, or have sex." In 2013, the American Library Association ranked 50 Shades of Grey as number 4 on the annual study of challenged books for its graphic sexual content..
 * Other:
 * Religious affiliation - A title can be censored due to a religious affiliation, if a concerned party views the book as religiously charged, or a certain religious group deems the book to be anti-religious. On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, has been surpassed and challenged since publication in 1859 due to the discussion about the theory of evolution.
 * Witchcraft - When books which use magic, or witchcraft. Harry Potter was the #1 most challenged book in 2001 and 2002, for the use of witchcraft, and for being satanic, according to the American Library Association.
 * Violence or Negativity - These books are censored due to violent and graphic scenes, or are considered to be damaging for readers.
 * Racial Issues - Novels which promote stories of racism or encouraging racism towards a group of people. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as To Kill a Mockingbird, have been censored for many years due to the use of racial slurs within the texts..
 * Political influence - Occurs when a book is considered by a censor to be politically motivated, or a censor has a certain political motivation for censorship. In 1958, the Irish Censorship of Publications Board banned the book Borstal Boy because of critiques of Irish republicanism, social attitudes and the Catholic Church. 
 * LGBTQ+ content - When authors will include LGBTQ+ characters and themes in their novels. Drama has been one of the top 10 most challenged books for the last three years straight for the use of LGBTQ+ characters, according to the American Library Association..

End of my draft

 * 1) Nigerian book censorship - provides very in depth research specifically stating methods and motivations dating back throughout the countries history.  This will help me provide specific examples of the motivations for book censorship in my article.
 * 2) "Book Challenges" - broad explanations and bias free definitions of what censorship is.  this source also provides an explanation of the history of censorship, starting from roman literature to todays censorship.
 * 3) "The books will still be in the library" - This source provides more details regarding basic definitions of censorship.  It also provides context from the ALA, helping provide more details for proper use in Wikipedia.
 * 4) Libraries and the ethics of censorship - This will help me provide a background on the ethics of book censorship.  It will give the audience a general understanding of why certain books are censored and the moral obligations that come with book censorship.
 * 5) Hidden forms of censorship - This article provides information on how children's authors are censored as well as trade publishing and awards selection.  It also provides motivations of censorship in a general sense, allowing me to place the framework for my article using this information.
 * 6) Which books are challenged more - This source preformed a study of the ALA and specifically focused on the most frequently challenged books from 2000-2010.  This source will help me explain why certain books in American school systems are challenged.
 * 7) - parental censorship in schools and libraries leads to the de-professionalization of the instructors.  Provides a research backed argument as to why censorship, specifically in American schools, is sometimes viewed in a negative light.

When the Supreme Court considered whether a local school board violated the Constitution by removing books from a school library, it held that “the right to receive ideas is a necessary predicate to the recipient’s meaningful exercise of his own rights of speech, press, and political freedom.”

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship

Comments and concerns regarding WRIT 015 course:

phase one grades

- 5/25 clarification of 5 edits on Jan 30

- late sections plagiarism drafting in sandbox say due on the tenth ( late? )

- redo eval of Persepolis article (previously talked about unsaved work)

concerns of meeting goals of ten minor edits, as well as middle edits of 5 - overall looking over content

global examples as well as cant cite Wikipedia article

WORLD EXAMPLES OF CENSORSHIP

political religious sexual language

age violence racism LGBTQ whitchcraft

LIVE ARTICLE IN COMPARISON TO ARTICLE PRESENT BEFORE PHASE TWO PROJECT BEGAN
Here is what the article looked like as of 4/8/19. I removed the smaller sections at the end of the article that did not have any words other than a link to redirect to another page.

Book censorship
Book censorship is the act of some authority, government or otherwise, taking measures to prevent access to a book or to part of its contents. It can be enacted at the national or subnational level, and can carry legal penalties. Books may also be challenged at a local community level, although successful bans do not extend outside that area. Similarly, religions may issue lists of banned books—a historical example being the Roman Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum—which do not always carry legal force.

Background
"Almost every country places some restrictions on what may be published, although the emphasis and the degree of control differ from country to country and at different periods." There are a variety of reasons for which books may be banned. Materials are often suppressed due to the perceived notion of obscenity. This obscenity can apply to materials that are about sexuality, race, drugs, or social standing. The censorship of literature on the charge of obscenity appears to have begun in the early 19th century. The rise of the middle class, who had evangelical backgrounds, brought about this concern with obscenity.

Governments have also sought to ban certain books which they perceive to contain material that could threaten, embarrass, or criticize them.

Other leaders outside the government have banned books, including religious authorities. Church leaders who prohibit members of their faith from reading the banned books may want to shelter them from perceived obscene, immoral, or profane ideas or situations or from ideas that may challenge the teaching of that religion.

But even religious materials have been subject to censorship. For example, various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned at several points in history). The Bible, and other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned by various governments. Similarly, books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which was banned in the Russian Empire for being anti-establishment.

Banning of a book often has the effect of making people seek the book. The action of banning the book creates an interest in the book which has the opposite effect of making the work more popular.

Below is what my work has done to the introduction and background section, compared to the original, as seen above (aka, my minor 5+ and 10+ "minor" changes to the article). The sections titled methods and reasons for book censorship were added by me (aka, the 350+ new words of added content). I hope this helps in the grading process of this project.

Book Censorship
Book censorship is the act of some authority taking measures to suppress ideas and information within a book. Censorship is "the regulation of free speech and other forms of entrenched authority".[1] Censors typically identify as either a concerned parent, community members who react to a text without reading, or local or national organizations.[2] Marshall University Library defines a banned book as one that is "removed from a library, classroom etc." and a challenged book as one that is "requested to be removed from a library, classroom etc."[3] Books can be censored by burning, shelf removal, school censorship, and banning books.[4]  Books are most often censored for age appropriateness, offensive language, sexual content, amongst other reasons.[5]  Similarly, religions may issue lists of banned books, such as the historical example of the Roman Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum, which do not always carry legal force. Censorship can be enacted at the national or subnational level as well, and can carry legal penalties. Books may also be challenged at a local community level, although successful bans do not extend outside that area.

Background
"Almost every country places some restrictions on what may be published, although the emphasis and the degree of control differ from country to country and at different periods."[6] There are a variety of reasons for which books may be censored. Materials are often suppressed due to the perceived notion of obscenity. This obscenity can apply to materials that are about sexuality, race, drugs, or social standing.[7] The censorship of literature on the charge of obscenity appears to have begun in the early 19th century.[8] The rise of the middle class, who had evangelical backgrounds, brought about this concern with obscenity.[8]

Governments have also sought to ban certain books which they perceive to contain material that could threaten, embarrass, or criticize them.[9]

Throughout history, societies practiced various forms of censorship in the belief that the community, as represented by the government, was responsible for molding the individual.[10]

Other leaders outside the government have banned books, including religious authorities.[11] Church leaders who prohibit members of their faith from reading the banned books may want to shelter them from perceived obscene, immoral, or profane ideas or situations or from ideas that may challenge the teaching of that religion.[12]

But even religious materials have been subject to censorship. For example, various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned at several points in history). The Bible, and other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned by various governments. Similarly, books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which was banned in the Russian Empire for being anti-establishment.[13]

Banning of a book often has the effect of making people seek the book.[14] The action of banning the book creates an interest in the book which has the opposite effect of making the work more popular.[14]

Methods of book censorship
Nazi Germany burned works of Jewish authors, and other works considered "un-German". (PHOTO ON LIVE ARTICLE)

Book Burning


 * Book burning is the practice of destroying, often ceremonially, books or other written material. It is usually carried out in public and is generally motivated by moral, religious, or political objections to the material, with a desire to censor it. Book burning is one of the original types of censorship dating back to 213 BCE.[15] Book burning has historically been preformed in times of conflict, for example Nazi book burnings, US Library of Congress, Arian books, Jewish Manuscripts in 1244, and the burning of Christian texts, just to name a few.[16] In the United States, book burning is another right that is protected by the first amendment as a freedom of expression.[17]

School Censorship


 * In the United States, school organizations that find contents of a book to be offensive or unfit for a given age group will often have the book removed from the class curriculum.[17] This type of censorship usually arises from parental influence in schools.[17]  Parents who do not feel comfortable with a child's required reading will make efforts to have the book removed from a class, and replaced by another title.[17]

Banning Books


 * According to the Marshall University Library, a banned book in the United States is one that has been "removed from a library, classroom, etc".[4]  In many situations, parents or concerned parties will ban or propose a ban based on the book's contents.[18] The American Library Association publishes a list of the top "Banned and Challenged Books" for any given year.[19]  The American Library Association also organizes a "Banned Books Week", which is “an annual event celebrating the freedom to read."[19]  The goal of the project is to bring awareness to banned books and promote the freedom to learn.[20]

Main article: List of books banned by governments

Shelf Removal


 * School Libraries
 * According to the American Library Association, "the school library is a unique and essential part of the learning community, and when led by a qualified school librarian, prepares all learners for college, career, and life."[21] In certain scenarios, concerned third parties often voice their concerns over certain titles in libraries that they deem to be unfit for students.  In 1982, the Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 versus Pico was taken to the United States Supreme Court.[22]  In the case, students and parents challenged the board's removal of certain titles from the school library.[22]  The books included texts which the board considered to be "anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy."[23]  The Supreme Court Justices stated removal of books from libraries was only permissible if the books were considered educationally unsuitable.[2][24]
 * Public Libraries
 * Public libraries are considered to be open to the public within a town or community. Similar to school libraries, removal of books from public library shelves is often the subject of heavy debate.  "Public schools and public libraries...have been the setting for legal battles about student access to books, removal or retention of 'offensive' material, regulation of patron behavior, and limitations on public access to the internet."[25]  In 2014, Singapore removed And Tango Makes Three, as well as The White Swan Express from public libraries based on the book's gay and lesbian couples.[26]  The National Library Board takes a  "a pro-family and cautious approach in identifying titles for our young visitors", and later pulped the books.[26]

Reasons for Book Censorship
Book censorship can arise for any number of reasons. Concerned parties may find certain texts to be unfit for a learning environment. Some of the most common reasons for censorship include:


 * Offensive Language - Novels that contain profane or offensive language are one reason which book could be censored. Individuals who do not find the language of the book to be appropriate will seek the book to be banned or censored.  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a book that has been censored and considered controversial for over 100 years.[27]  The book has been argued whether it is considered racist, or anti-racist, due to the use of the word "nigger" in the text.  In 1982, a school administrator of Virginia called the novel the "most grotesque example of racism I've ever seen in my life".[28]
 * Age Appropriateness - One of the most common reasons for censorship is when a book's content does not align with the intended age of the audience. This reason is one of the more popular reasons because it is generally applied to any title a censor deems worthy of censorship.[29]  Many parents and concerned parties will challenge titles or hold back books from children, in hopes a certain book does not negatively impact an impressionable child.  Common examples of this include Looking for Alaska, I am Jazz, and Habibi, which all were listed on the American Library associations top 10 challenged books for 2015 for age appropriateness.[30]
 * Sexual Content - Many parents will find any sort of sexual interaction within literature to be a cause for action.[29] Concerned parties worry that reading books about sex will cause the reader to "think about, express interest in, or have sex." [29] In 2013, the American Library Association ranked 50 Shades of Grey as number 4 on the annual study of challenged books for its graphic sexual content.[30]  In addition, The Country Girls, by Edna O'Brien, was banned by Ireland's censorship board in 1960 for the book's explicit sexual content.[31][32]
 * Other:[5]
 * Religious Affiliation - A title can be censored due to a religious affiliation, if a concerned party views the book as religiously charged, or a certain religious group deems the book to be anti-religious.[33] On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, has been surpassed and challenged since publication in 1859 due to the discussion about the theory of evolution.[33]  The Bible has also been censored all over the world, including Spanish versions of The Bible being banned in Spain from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.[34]
 * Witchcraft - When books use magic, or witchcraft. Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling, was the #1 most challenged book series in 2001 and 2002, for the use of witchcraft, and for being satanic, according to the American Library Association.[30]
 * Violence or Negativity - These books are censored due to violent and graphic scenes, or are considered to be damaging for readers. In Australia, How to Make Disposable Silencers, by Desert and Eliezer Flores was banned after being considered to "promote, incite, or instruct in matters of crime or violence".[35]  In France, Suicide mode d'emploi, by Claude Guillon, which reviews recipes for suicide, was banned and resulted in a law to be made which prohibits provocation to commit suicide and propaganda or advertisement of products, objects, or methods for committing suicide.[36]
 * Racial Issues - Novels which promote stories of racism or encouraging racism towards a group of people. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, have been censored for many years due to the use of racial slurs within the texts.[37]
 * Political Influence - Occurs when a book is considered by a censor to be politically motivated, or a censor has a certain political motivation for censorship. In 1958, the Irish Censorship of Publications Board banned the book Borstal Boy because of critiques of Irish republicanism, social attitudes and the Catholic Church.[38]  Areopagitica, by John Milton, was banned in the Kingdom of England for the philosophical defenses of the right to freedom of speech and expression.[39]
 * LGBTQ+ Content - Censorship happens when authors will include LGBTQ+ characters and themes in their novels. Drama, by Raina Telgemeier, has been one of the top 10 most challenged books for the last three years straight for the use of LGBTQ+ characters, according to the American Library Association.[40]  The Well of Loneliness, by Radclyffe Hall, was banned in the UK from 1928 to 1949 for the lesbian themes the book presents.[41]