Librarians in UK increasingly asked to remove books, as influence of US pressure groups spreads

Evidence suggests that the work of US action groups is reaching UK libraries. Photograph: BrianAJackson/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Requests to remove books from library shelves are on the rise in the UK, as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US crosses the Atlantic, according to those working in the sector.

Although “the situation here is nowhere [near] as bad, censorship does happen and there are some deeply worrying examples of library professionals losing their jobs and being trolled online for standing up for intellectual freedom on behalf of their users”, said Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip).