Background Information
Censorship is the suppression of any form of communication a controlling body deems objectionable. Use the following sources to learn more about the manifestations of censorship, the reasoning used by censors, and the legal issues and challenges that surround it.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowThis tool gives overviews of major topic areas (including censorship). Find articles, lists of other resources, as well as Pro and Con sides for most topics.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowContains general information on censorship and related issues such as academic freedom in the United States and in other countries.
- New Dictionary on the History of IdeasA six-volume survey of the history of Western thought and culture, presented through 700 alphabetically arranged entries, including censorship.
- Gale Encyclopedia of American LawCovers today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, and important documents.
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual HistoryOffers a record of the nation’s values, aspirations, anxieties, and beliefs as expressed in both everyday life and formal bodies of thought.
- The Oxford Companion to the BookA work of reference covering the book, broadly conceived, throughout the world from ancient to modern times and includes information on book censorship.