Freedom of expression in libraries is a dynamic and multifaceted concept that goes beyond the complex dialectic between the political power and professional institutions. International and national cases such as the dismissal of Carla Hayden from the Library of Congress in 2025 or the transfer of Fabiola Bernardini, director of the Todi Library, in 2018 exemplify the “vertical” clash between politics and library institutions. The current challenge is to resist and manage the pressure ‘from below’, exerted by organized groups (religious, political) that aspire to cultural hegemony and show intolerance towards deviations from their dogmas. This has encouraged a renewed concept of freedom of expression in libraries: an ecosystem based on both the rejection of censorship of ideas and opinions and the duty to respect legal and ethical limits that prohibit incitement to hatred, defamation, and violence, in order to safeguard human dignity. Examples of this approach are the European Regulations 2022/2065 on digital services, 2024/1083 on media freedom, and 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence. 

This is referred to in the text by Wauters, a librarian in Antwerp, who describes the many challenges facing Flemish libraries. Balancing inclusivity, quality, and neutrality in their collections, Flemish libraries face pressure from religious groups and authors of poor-quality self-published works, which demand, respectively, the censorship of sensitive content and the right to be displayed on library shelves. In addition, the phenomenon of self-censorship pushes librarians to withdraw materials for fear of negative reactions. And, last but not least, there is pressure from politicians, who promote ideologically driven collection developments, undermining the independent judgement of library professionals. Against such pressure, Wauters offers a few useful survival tips.