Editorial
Library Associations and Library War: Real Serious Business
Apparently, what inspired Hiro Arikawa to write Toshokan Sensou is the Statement of Intellectual Freedom in Libraries of the JLA (Japan Library Association), written on a plaque inside the library she and her husband visited. This was mentioned in her postscript in volume 1, but I really didn’t understand it until today, when I checked out the spunky updated Toshokan Sensou article on Wikipedia. I fail as a TS fan! zetsuboushitaaa!
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this Intellectual Freedom Statement… it’s the exact Library Liberation Act of the novel — the four articles, expounded upon point by point. I never thought it exists in real life O.O My respect for libraries just escalated to a thousandfold after this. I guess this means that the people mocking Library War for its “ridiculous” premise of fighting for books are also mocking this Library Bill of Rights (the US has one too) in the process. tsk.
What especially caught my eye were the following GAR excerpts:
- It is the most important responsibility of libraries to offer collected materials and library facilities to the people who have the Right to Know as one of their fundamental human rights.
- The freedom to know and the freedom of expression are two sides of the same coin. The freedom of expression guarantees the freedom of the sender, but without guaranteeing the freedom to know as its pretext, the freedom of expression cannot be realized.
- Libraries shall not be impeded by power of governing authorities or social pressure, and shall guarantee full access to library collections and their physical facilities to the people, by clearly recognizing their responsibility and by actively performing all they can provide including library cooperation.
- In our country, we shall not forget the history of libraries by the end of World WarⅡ because libraries contributed much to the government policy of thought-guidance, and resulted in slowing the development of the people’s freedom to know. Based on such self-examination, we have to confirm now that libraries are responsible for guaranteeing and developing the freedom to know.
- Censorship has been practiced from time to time by governing authorities aiming to suppress the freedom of thought and speech of the people. A democratic society is founded on the freedom to know, and censorship has no room in such a society.
- When the freedom of libraries is imperiled, we librarians will work together and devote ourselves to secure the freedom.
I can’t help but picture Iku’s zeal and passion as I read these, like RAWRR 
Now before the grumbling close-minded masses start flaming me about the censorship issues here, let me quote something from the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A, followed by my own opinion:
…Still others believe that there is a very clear distinction between ideas that are right and morally uplifting, and ideas that are wrong and morally corrupting, and wish to ensure that society has the benefit of their perception…
What censors often don’t consider is that, if they succeed in suppressing the ideas they don’t like today, others may use that precedent to suppress the ideas they do like tomorrow.
The above statement sums up what Impz is also trying to say in his very first post in defense of Toshokan Sensou and its premise. All these books and other media we have right now are valuable, no matter what people think of them.
You see, the only time we’ll be able to discern what is good and bad is if we’ve been exposed to both ends of the spectrum. Or rather, we get to have a grasp of these concepts when we become exposed to a variety of media and allow our wisdom to discern. The same methodology of learning applies to morality, in which we are able to know what is right and wrong (and the gray areas in between) after we have known the multi-faceted realms of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.
Another thing to keep in mind, especially with regards to books recording events of the past and present, is the great historical value they provide us. These books allow us to see how people’s actions (together with whatever forces of nature) shaped our world as it is now. They are the only tangible proof of our history, and by altering or eliminating them from the face of this earth somehow implies that we’re changing history in the process (an issue also tackled in George Orwell’s 1984, according to a good friend of mine).
So yeah, viva Library War!
P.S. Actually, the first one to mention the connection of the Statement of Intellectual Freedom in Libraries with Toshokan Sensou is stationmaster of the Akiba Blog, whose review of Toshokan Sensou episode 1 is definitely one of the best (if not THE BEST) out there! I URGE you to read the post, I believe it will make your love for this show grow even more 
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30 comments for “Library Associations and Library War: Real Serious Business”
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As much as I like Library Wars, I think that there is room for censorship in a democratic society. For one I do not want military plans freely available while the war is still being fought. I will never allow some journalist braggart give away my position through a satellite feed in the middle of a hot zone. Sorry, but my ass is worth more to me than some random dude’s right to know where I am or what I am doing before i fire fight. In fact I believe in the sealing of files for decades before they are made public, because in war knowledge is still power and military knowledge must be guarded.
Libraries are awesome. I just picked up a book and a DVD from my local district library today.
If you think about it, imagine a world without libraries, then imagine trying to explain the idea of a library to someone. Especially the RIAA or the MPAA. It’s a place you can go to borrow books and cds and dvds for free. Yep, pretty awesome.
Thanks for the kind words! When I review stuff, I just write what I feel.
As to the idea that there needs to be some restrictions on information in a democracy, I totally agree. OpSec for the military is a perfect example. Also, words intended to immediately mislead and cause harm is another example (the famous crying fire in a crowded theater example).
That being said, general censorship to protect youth and public order is a bad path to take. Maybe you don’t want objectionable books in your own home. That is OK. But to think that scholars, students and the public are denied books, magazines or access to a free press means that someone else is deciding what information is acceptable and what is not. That is a bit hard for me to swallow.
I like anime and manga, for instance. Because some people find it offensive, they might seek to ban it. Take a more extreme example. Say I want to study World War 2. I might borrow a book on Hitler, or Japanese Wartime Propaganda, or any of a number of objectionable works from that time period. If we choose to ban these books because they offend someone, anyone, are we really serving the public good? My scholarship might help prevent all of the awful things done by all sides during the war from happening again.
Yeah, there need to be some limits on what the press can share immediately…but does that apply 2 years down the road when someone else might benefit from that information? Where does it stop? A poem written by a soldier that describes the horrors of chemical warfare during World War I? A teenage romance between two families with a blood feud? Who draws that line?
I’m with you Iku!
I love libraries.
It’s not just about books and media.
It’s about being human.
Being human means that while you may disapprove of certain choices, you have the dignity to respect the choices the individual makes. and when the shit hits the fan, you are there to support her no matter what.
When you censor or ban something, you’re basically disrespecting that basic right to choose. That’s not right. True you have to keep certain things from the public, like military secrets (I’d like to reiterate that war is a consequence of human inadequacy and unwillingness to forgive and thus all the sorrows that follow war are to be expected) and corporate secrets, but then again in an ideal world, there would be no war or competition (and no progress, but that’s purely theological.).
Once you treat humans like a manageable resource rather than individuals, I reckon you should take a long hard look at yourself. Chances are, you’re just as fucked up, if not more, than the people you treat.
Anyone who mocks Toshokan sensou, congratulations. you just mocked all forms of civil rights movements, discredited the Bible, sullied Jesus’ name, and subconsciously approve of slavery, war, communism, trolling and all the evils of the world, and most of all, hate. Good job, mate. I hope you’re pleased with yourself.
LW is another example of taking very real themes and ‘exaggerating’ it to the extent of being both entertaining and well, thought-provoking (am not liking that term right now, but my shallow mind can’t find an alternative), and this post proves it. Both the Media ‘Improvement’ and the Library Freedom Acts are on the extreme sides of an issue that’s hard to find an actual compromise for in real life (since neither can be FULLY applied without harsh consequences as pointed out in all the above comments), hence the two factions being at war in the story – a very reasonable if not wholly AWESOME premise imho
(Though personally, I like that the issue is brought up in the background of the story, so whether or not they actually tackle the tricky subject of full freedom of knowledge VS censorship is left to be seen. What’s guaranteed though, is MOAR Iku X Doujo moments all the way :D)
I can’t add anything more here, as people say it much better than I could. But ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER!
One of the key components of information in the post-capitalistic age (if we are ever in the well-touted information age) is the growing realization that information does not guarantee empowerment of the individual for development. As stated in the second clause, the freedom to know part is extremely important because having the ability to speak, does not mean you have the freedom to know.
Knowing information is important in formulating and producing the freedom of expression. Without knowledge, everything said is rubbish. It is a very important clause even in real life, because the freedom to knowledge is paramount to a freedom to understanding the world around you. Its no longer fiction or rocket science, but the fundamentals of human rights: to know one’s rights, to know one’s life and to know one’s decisions in this society.
In addition, I feel that the logic on censorship seems to use the traditional foundation that “people know and are educated to make their own decision”. This is a belief held by liberals who are optimists. Another opposing belief is that “people do not know, so we have to guide them”. It’s a philosophy whether you believe it or not, even though real life political decisions are often in a gray areaover this matter.
For my opinion, I am a conservative that believes in moderation. Even in a democracy, there are things that cannot be said. Censorship, in the strictest sense, is always required to protect sovereignty of the state and the social stability. Expecting people to do the rational thing is too much of a expectation to people.
There are always people doing stupid things. The problem is that liberals always see censorship as evil and expect people to decipher truth from blasphemy. I think they have too much faith in humans. If what they say is true, why are so many people anti-semitic? Why are so many racists? If knowledge is key, and people are able to make their decisions, why are such problems of complete ignorance? There is a moral obligation for the government to decide sometimes the moral and ethical implications of releasing information. Not always, noted, but only in cases of danger.
Nonetheless, let me make a counter argument to my argument to give a full bodied discussion. Books (and in essence information) are the key to development for society. By banning information, society cannot evolve to a knowledge-based economy.
So after this TL;dr comment, what am I saying? Everything is in moderation. Yes, lame conclusion
Welcome to the age of information…. a single thought can be more powerful than any physical embodiment … E=mc^2
Hearts to the library as well, especially in Orange County, they have close to 1,000 manga volumes and growing… plus, I can walk right in, listen to brand new albums of all kinds, watch film, anime, whatever… but for studying sciences the campus library is much more extensive. Public library is great for media and literary fiction though. Where else can we experience others’ experiences, for free!
The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are. They’re Caesar’s praetorian guard, whispering as the parade roars down the avenue, ‘Remember, Caesar, thou art mortal.’ Most of us can’t rush around, talk to everyone, know all the cities of the world, we haven’t time, money or that many friends. The things you’re looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine per cent of them is in a book. Don’t ask for guarantees. And don’t look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore. – from Fahrenheit 451
My Russian physics professor used to say … “see, by your own hands” … viva la informacion!!!
impz: If only we could do that. Alas, the human mind knows in his head the meaning of moderation, but in his heart, he desires more.
Man does not truly know the meaning of moderation. For if they did the Earth would be a better place.
For moderation is linked with love, and without love, no one will think of other people. For man seeks self-gratification, and not the well-being of others.
Censorship is uaually linked to power, and power is usually linked to how good one is at controlling people. While I do not think censorship itself is bad, what it alludes to, unfortunately, is the reason why I oppose it. Which is control over people. I oppose it because it is unnatural, since it means a total disregard of humans in general, and that itself is unnatural.
(The love I am alluding to here is the Greek term agap, used extensively in the New Testament denoting self-sacrificial love for everyone around you. Yes, that means the poor, the needy the disabled the outcasts, etc.)
i oppose censorship. the moment we dictate what is proper and displayed to the public, and what is improper and hiden from the public, is a new form of dictadorship. It is in that moment that u decide what others should know and shouldnt know. making a clear statement that u are pushing ur values to others based on your own. let other makes decisions, let others make mistakes, and let others be inspirated whatever be its value. if you dont like it, dont buy it, watch it, or hear it thats it… but dont censor it.
I love libraries. While I cannot add anything more to this wonderful post, I believe in the Right to Know and in the freedom of knowledge and information. Besides, it’s always up to the reader to interpret what he has read. I believe that every single human being has the ability to discern right from wrong, because it is one of the aspects that makes him human. There are some morally corrupting texts, but often times these act as didactic as what not to follow.
People should read Fahrenheit 451. More than 1984, it is the germinal book for those who love novels and reading.
wow, your comments just blew me away and now I’m intimidated to comment!
While I do agree that a certain moderation is necessary with regards to censorship, the question of who and how this is decided would be very much contended with. Granted, keeping classified information especially regarding warfare a secret is acceptable in that it poses serious repercussions, but like stationmaster, I also wonder how one will draw the line with regards to this.
I believe that people should not be denied the freedom to information especially if it were for scholarly purposes. I know we all have certain fears, that people do not know and would have to be guided, and hence it would be our role to guide them in the right path, by making them realize the implications of going to path A, as opposed to path B, such and such.
In the end, I do think that I’m still a bit on the moderate side of this, with more inclination to the extreme side. I’d like to believe in a person’s ability to discern, and as much as possible, would not want to hamper that freedom to think. But at the same time, I want him/her (especially my future children) to adhere to certain moral principles which I deem is right… sigh, so complicated @__@;;
Wow, Library Bill of Rights. That’s deep. =o
I’m not surprised at all to see that the Library Liberation Act has a real life counterpart. I didn’t find that part of Toshokan Sensou laughable; it’s more the mass censorship in the show that I find slightly ridiculous. I mean, censoring a children’s book (in the scene where Iku tries to defend the little girl in the bookstore)? I guess I’m just too optimistic to see a time where this kind of thing would happen. (Not that it’s impossible …)
Censorship is a pretty tricky subject, though. Of course military positions shouldn’t be public information, but when it comes to topics of “obscenity,” it’s definitely more complicated. I believe in freedom of expression, but I certainly don’t believe live action child pornography should be legal. Then comes the question, How do you classify what is and isn’t obscene? Who gets to decide?
I still think the scenario in Toshokan Sensou is a bit over the top, but exaggeration needs to be there to illustrate the point. Anyway, I’m enjoying it a lot ^_^
(P.S. I work as a librarian during the summer ^^)
“I mean, censoring a childrens book”
a couple of years ago there was this preacher that told his congregation to bring their chidren pokemon to make a bonfire, and how it was ‘evil’ since they are monsters… he also burned a couple of books of william shakespeare because he found his play heretical… oh, and we had those crazy fanatics wanted to burn harry potter books because it was satanic… yeah, it doesnt matter if it is a children’s book, if lunatics find it abominable they will censor it…
If you think that censoring children’s books like that is hard to imagine, I guess you’re unfamiliar with the subject. I strongly suggest looking it up.
This is a list made in the 1990s. If I can find a current list I might post it.
Little Red Riding Hood (Grimm), 1989, portrayal of alcohol use.
Alice in Wonderland, (year not given), animals elevated to level of humans.
Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank), 1983, sexually offensive.
Forever (Judy Blume), 1986, language, sex, parental disobedience.
Ahh, from the 21st Century
Harry Potter, 2001
Between 2000-2005, 504 books were challenged because they were “unsuited to age group.”
Examples of books that were challenged between 1990-2000 in the US:
Harry Potter, Goosebumps (Series), Blubber, Where’s Waldo, A Light in the Attic…
Now that was with 5 minutes of research. I can probably look up libraries that have been deliberately torched, but that’s way too depressing.
book burning and libraries torching is depressing. If we are not careful, we may end up loosing cultural treasures forever… i found a couple of links that are interesting, but be warned it may depress u…
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2001/may2001/rarebooksdamaged.cfm
http://www.thehartford.com/corporate/losscontrol/TIPS/680-350.pdf
http://hnn.us/articles/29272.html
it seems that between 1990-1994 35% of libraries fires were caused by arson. Yet the motives and reason behind them are different than the usual censorship or cultural destruction:
theft, vandalism, deliberately, accidental…
sorry for the double post
@Senna: and I’m just glad you’re enjoying this despite everything~
@stationmaster: the Toshokan Sensou novels also discussed a bit about the issue of censored children’s books. Most of us just don’t see the “inner workings” of the censorship stuff, because we only see the results… the rest of the information is abstracted from us. It’s real sad indeed
@EvilDevil: that’s really depressing…
I do think Toshokan Sensou depicts that very well, many people are just ignorant about those events, and think of the reality portrayed in the show as overrated and unrealistic, when they don’t even know the reality of it!
I was reading an article today on animenewsnetwork.com about a father suing a library since they let his 12 year old son check out explict manga, and the county library replied with something that sounded like it came straight out of Library War! The article is here, look at the update to see what the library said.
I thought it was interesting anyway, and proof for those cynics that this is serious business.
@wandering-dreamer: wow, that’s both lolwut and awesome at the same time
The cynics are just too focused on the flaws, and that affected their perception and made them look past the real truths depicted in the series. Let’s just rejoice in being able to see things which they can’t, and how this allowed us to gain more wisdom 
I love this series like BURNING!
I stumbled upon it a year ago (I don’t know how) and I fell in love with it.
D: Glad there are fellow fans, it’s not really popular.