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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 20. August 27 1979

Selective Censorship in the Library

Selective Censorship in the Library

Dear Sir,

As someone who has been on the receiving end of a very sudden enforcement of library rules regarding printed publicity material, I would like to comment on the notice by J.P. Sage printed in the Notices Column of Salient Vol 42. No. 19.

J.P. Sage states that "The library has been the last bastion of uncluttered peace on the campus." This is patent nonsense. I have attended this University for 2 years and in that time have both distributed and received leaflets in the Library on countless occasions. As a member of several clubs I had never encountered any opposition from any staff member until a couple of weeks ago. This was when I distributed a leaflet advertising a forum and containing statements which questioned the necessity of abortion.

This is the first time since I've been at this university that a leaflet containing such views has been distributed-it is also the first time to my knowledge that the strict library policy has been enforced. The conclusion is obvious: the leaflets were promptly gathered up and disposed of merely because the Head of Circulation had no sympathy with the views expressed in them! Most would call it bigotry.

Moreover, the hypocrisy of "J.P. Sage for Library Staff" is obvious: both before and after the publishing of the notice on library policy in Salient there has been publicity material distributed throughout the reading rooms and several times, these materials have not been identifiable as belonging to any particular group within the Association.

I do not wish to criticise the library policy, but I question its selective enforcement. If it's good for some-it's good for all.

Yours sincerely,

Member of an Association Club.