Terminology

A Few Definitions to Know

Banned: Describes expression, books, or other materials permanently or temporarily excluded or pulled from library collections, school curriculum, a public forum, or store shelves.

Challenged: Describes expression, books, or other materials that are the subject of a complaint against their value or place in the school curriculum, library collection, or society as a whole. Most challenges result in the material's return to public use. However, each individual challenge requires time for assessment and evaluation. As that assessment takes place, there is usually a temporary time during which the expression or materials are restricted from public use or view. The minimum negative result of each challenge is a temporary censorship. An exclusionary practice.

Censored: Describes expression, books, or other materials that have been challenged, restricted, altered, or banned from public use. An exclusionary practice.

Selection: An inclusive practice meant to provide the best and broadest range of materials for an audience. This process may be considered a subtle form of “censorship,” as selection decisions may be informed by economic constraints, socio-political biases of the collection developer, and community standards of material value.