THE GEOGRAPHY OF CENSORSHIPCommunities, Challengers, and Harry Potter

Emily J. M. Knoxknox@illinois.edu

What is a challenge?

1. Book identified2. Request for Reconsideration

3. Meeting with library/school staff4. If not resolved, sent to governing board5. Sometimes a hearing

Harry Potter ChallengesReasons• Death killing, drinking

animal blood, witchcraft• Intense story line,

violence, wizardry, sucking of animal blood

• Magic, bad experiences• Occult, witchcraft• Satanic deception

Geography of HP Challenges

Communities• Christian Adherents

• No defining characteristic• Decrease in population also had decrease in adherents

• Education• Without exception, all communities experienced a growth in the

percentage of individuals with bachelor’s degrees• Population

• Changes in racial makeup in all communities• All saw decrease in percentage of white individuals

• Some communities saw large population increases

Mapping Information Access• www.mappinginfoaccess

.org

• FOIA requests sent to stratified sample of public libraries and school districts (PLSD)• Will eventually send

requests to all 27,000 PLSD

• Requesting:• Challenges• Curriculum or collection

development policies• Internet filtering policies• Acceptable use policies• Internet filtering contracts,

blacklists, configurations

• Team Members:• Emily Knox, Illinois• Shawn Musgrave, MuckRock• Shannon Oltmann, Kentucky• Chris Peterson, MIT