Intellectual freedom is the freedom of opinion, free expression, and access to information. While some consider it to be a luxury, we consider intellectual freedom to be a fundamental function of individuals and societies as they grow and develop (Sturges, n.d.) Every human has an underlying biological imperative to know, or find out, more (Sturges, n.d.). Intellectual freedom is intrinsically linked to democracy. Democratic values include those basic freedoms of access to information that can be seen as transformative to society (Sturges, n.d.).
Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security (ACLU, 2006).
Reference
ACLU. (2006, August 30). What Is Censorship? American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/documents/what-censorship
Sturges, P. (n.d.). Why Intellectual Freedom Matters. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/faife/publications/sturges/intellectual-freedom-matters.pdf
Tuchman, M. (2024). Intellectual freedom and censorship [Digital Image]. https://www.slj.com/story/For-Librarians-Banned-Books-Week-Is-a-Chance-To-Discuss-Censorship-Intellectual-Freedom-With-Students