Librarians trolled online as calls to censor books grow in the UK

Requests to remove books from library shelves are on the rise in the UK as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US crosses the Atlantic, according to people working in the sector.

- Ella Creamer

Although "the situation here is nowhere near as bad, censorship does happen and there are some deeply worrying examples of library professionals losing their jobs and being trolled online for standing up for intellectual freedom on behalf of their users", said Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip).

Ed Jewell, president of Libraries Connected, an independent charity that represents public libraries, said: "Anecdotal evidence from our members suggests that requests to remove books are increasing." The School Library Association (SLA) said this year has seen an "increase in member queries about censorship".

Most of the UK challenges appear to come from individuals or small groups, unlike in the US, where 72% of demands to censor books last year were brought by organised groups, according to the American Library Association.