Freedom of information: in search of a niche for the library profession in Swaziland

Abstract

The primary objective of the article is to assess the effect of censorship on collection development and librarianship as well as to ascertain future prospects in Swaziland. It is based on Swaziland legal documents. It is argued that (i) historically censorship is institutionalized through a range of legal instruments and seeks to maintain acceptable standards of morality and political stability, (ii) while the library profession's response is lukewarm, the Internet and the changed Southern African political conditions are conducive to the promotion of intellectual freedom. It concludes that awareness raising is the key to desensitizing the hitherto controversial materials and themes and giving access to all points of view without prejudice.