The idea of banned books is as old as the book itself. These examples resurface in our conversations about modern censorship - in comparisons of state actors to Inquisitors, images of book burnings, and in dystopian fiction about the practice of censors. Historical practices of censorship, and resistance are much more varied, but at the core of all of these activities are fundamental questions: who should be able to read, and what do they need to know beforehand? Is it possible to control the production of books, let alone their movement and use?
The University of Florida's Rare Book Collection contains significant examples of historical censorship, both in the form of texts banning books and in books that have been subject to censorship or alteration by their users and readers. By returning to them, we can better understand the practice, problem, and limitations of banning books in our own day and age.
The Council of Trent was the first to establish formal rules for censoring books, and formed the basis of all subsequent publications. Despite what its cover suggested, this index was roughly the size of a small notebook (at only 32 pages of text) and its contents included works that had no known authors, or even stable titles.
This image comes from a digitized copy at the State Library of Munich (BSB Munich)
Led by Ada Palmer at the University of Chicago, this project produced an exhibition on historical censorship as well as a series of recorded conversations about the forms it has taken over the ages. One brief video is embedded below, but the full list can be seen on the project's YouTube Channel.
Forbidden Knowledge by The Harold & Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book collection consists of over 50,000 books, prints, ephemera, and artifacts related to the history of the book. Established in 1951, the Rare Book Collection reflects the intellectual trajectories of the University of Florida faculty, as over the years special collections from the departmental libraries and individual faculty members. In the last decades of the twentieth century, its holdings in literature were significantly enhanced by the addition of collections of French plays, New England literature, and significant gatherings of English ephemera. The collection is well-positioned to advance the teaching and research mission of the University, and to provide a forum for creativity and conversation about the past, and the future, of the book.
Rare Book Collection Website - Information about the collection, class visits, and fellowships.
Research Guide to the Harold and Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book Collection - Contains information on finding and handling materials.
Storied Books at the University of Florida - A project showcasing Undergraduate student research in Rare Books and Special Collections.
Neil Weijer, PhD.
200G Smathers Library
n.weijer@ufl.edu
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