The Politics of Book Banning: Intellectual Freedom, Libraries, and the New Culture War

This capstone examines the rise of book challenges and censorship in the United States, focusing on the role of public and academic libraries. Drawing on interviews with librarians and library assistants as well as existing scholarship on censorship, the paper explores how book bans disproportionately target marginalized voices and how self-censorship and institutional pressure function as covert mechanisms of control. This study uses a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews, analyzed within a broader framework of intellectual freedom and authoritarian trends. The findings reveal that while academic libraries remain relatively insulated, public libraries are on the frontlines of ideological battles, particularly around LGBTQ+ and racial justice content. The paper concludes with strategies for resisting censorship and preserving intellectual freedom.

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The Politics of Book Banning: Intellectual Freedom, Libraries, and the New Culture War

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