Yesterday on LISNEWS an article was linked to titled, “Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted”. The gist of the article was that Fahrenheit 451 is not about censorship but about people not thinking.
The key paragraph in Fahrenheit 451 about this point is spoken by Captain Beatty, “It didn’t come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time.”
At Ray Bradbury’s website you can watch a clip of his comments on censorship / television. He specifically mentions librarians so it is worthwhile to see the clip if you are a librarian.
I also recommend this article: The Failure of Fahrenheit 451
As Plutarch said…
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” — Plutarch
Maybe librarians are not the best fire starters of the mind. Maybe we just provide the sticks for the ignited mind. Teachers might be the better fire starters. Regardless we need to guard the flame for if there are no minds ablaze with curiosity the fuel that librarians provide will not be needed.