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Ireland’s hidden censorship archive moves to National Archives for public access
Ireland is transferring its secret collection of banned books and censorship records to the National Archives, where the records explaining why titles were prohibited will become publicly available for the first time. The move follows the repeal of Ireland’s censorship laws and will give researchers new material for studying social history and state control.
The collection covers 1926 to 1996 and includes about 12,000 books, from literary classics to pulp fiction and academic works. Censors targeted material they considered indecent or likely to undermine public morality, including references to contraception, family planning and violence, as well as suggestive cover art. The books will be conserved and catalogued; because many are fragile, they will not be available to read in person.
In short
- Ireland’s 12,000 banned books are moving to the National Archives.
- Censorship records will be publicly accessible for the first time.
- The fragile books will be conserved but not available to read in person.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Banned books from Ireland’s room of ‘evil literature’ finally see the light of day”.