I FIND the arguments against censorship in public libraries to be puzzling, if not dangerous.
In last Friday's commentary ("Libraries should promote learning, not police values"), Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Carol Soon implies that public libraries should be amoral in the acquisition of books.
In last Saturday's letter ("Repositories of unbiased knowledge"), Dr Yik Keng Yeong argues that "suppression through censorship" is not a trait that "any self-respecting library should possess".
Can any library be amoral in acquiring books? Surely, the writers are not suggesting that the public should have unfettered access to titles like "10 ways to kill yourself painlessly", "DIY manual on bomb-making" and "How to cheat on your wife without being caught"?
Censorship is necessary and has moral and ideological undertones, be it the sanctity of life, non-violence or marital fidelity.
There are books that espouse ideas subversive to racial and religious harmony, or have explicit sexual descriptions or images and profane language that are unsuitable, especially for children and young people.
To assume that everyone is capable of critical and sensible evaluation of their reading material is a dangerous overestimation of the maturity of the public. Specialised libraries, and not public libraries, are the places to house such controversial books for serious readers or researchers.
If we accept the reasoning of Dr Soon and Dr Yik, then bookstores should make available to the public whatever books there are in the market. And we are left with no reason for censorship on our TV or cinema screens if moral policing is left to the public.
The specific issue is whether the criterion to censor books espousing an alternative view on gender and family should be applied, but to throw out censorship altogether is to throw out the baby with the bath water.
The upkeep of morality of our society is the responsibility of everyone, and librarians are important gatekeepers as books hold great influence over our minds and morality.
Seto Hann Hoi (Dr)
*Article first appeared on ST Forums (15 July)