Attitudes of Israeli High School Librarians Regarding Library Censorship

Preliminary Findings

Abstract

The study sought to determine the attitudes of high school librarians in Israel, a country whose population is characterized by modern western outlook and norms on one hand and deeply rooted tradition and conservatism on the other. A questionnaire including, besides demographic questions, 17 statements concerning censorship, was mailed to 442 schools (two-thirds of the population) and yielded 187 usable replies, a 42.3% response rate. A positive correlation was found between the librarians' attitude regarding censorship, both in principle and in practice, and the sectorial affiliation of their school: librarians in the orthodox sectors displayed greater agreement with censorship, probably striving to conserve traditional values.