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The Uncensored Library

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The Uncensored Library
DevelopersBerlin DDB, BlockWorks, .monks, Reporters Without Borders[a]
Initial releaseMarch 12, 2020; 6 years ago (2020-03-12)
TypeMinecraft server & map
Websiteuncensoredlibrary.com

The Uncensored Library is a Minecraft server and map released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and created by BlockWorks, DDB Berlin,[1] and .monks[2] as an attempt to circumvent censorship in countries without freedom of the press. The library contains banned reporting from Mexico, Russia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Brazil, Belarus, Iran, Eritrea, and the United States.[3][4][5][6] An entire wing is given to each country, each containing several banned articles placed in virtual books. The library was released on 12 March 2020, the World Day Against Cyber Censorship. The two ways to access the library are to download a map from the official website, or to connect to their Minecraft server.[7][2][8]

Design

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The library is a large scale project built using a neoclassical architectural style. It is intended to resemble well-established institutions such as the New York Public Library and the Thomas Jefferson Building which houses the Library of Congress, as well as stylistically allude to the authoritarian structures the project aims to subvert.[8] The library uses over 12.5 million Minecraft blocks;[9] one Minecraft block is equal to one cubic meter in-game.[10]

Format

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An example of a readable book[b]

Each of the ten countries covered by the library, as well as Reporters without Borders, has an individual wing, containing a number of articles,[1] available in English and the original language the article was written in.[2] The texts within the library are contained in in-game book items, which can be opened and placed on stands to be read by multiple players at once.[1] These articles generally discuss censorship, unjust punishment, and other critiques of the writer's government. The interior architecture of each country's room symbolizes each country's unique situation and journalistic challenges.[2] Additionally, the library contains a central room listing the Press Freedom Index and state of freedom of the press of every country covered by the index, and the Mexican section contains memorials for reporters who were killed due to their writings.[8] In March 2020, the library contained over 200 different books.[8] In 2026, a wing of the library dedicated to press censorship in the United States was added.[6]

A room in the library covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on journalism, containing books on 10 countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Thailand and Turkmenistan) to show how reporting of the virus in each country had been affected.[11]

Reception

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After launch, the project went viral across social media platforms and has been featured in various media outlets such as Agence France-Presse,[12] the BBC,[13] DW News,[14] CNBC,[15] CNN,[2] TechCrunch,[7] The Verge,[8] Gizmodo,[1] Engadget,[16] Mashable,[17] PC Gamer[18] and Scene World Magazine.[19] The project also received a 2022 Peabody Award for the Interactive category.[20]

When awarding The Uncensored Library with their Peabody Award, Peabody's website described the library as "a monument to press freedom and an innovative back door for access to censored content."[21]

Notes

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  1. ^ Berlin DDB and BlockWorks built the structure of the library, while .monks and Reporters without Borders published the project, the latter also selecting the articles displayed within the library.
  2. ^ "Multi-party Democracy – The key to strengthen the national economy", written by Nguyễn Văn Đái

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Nelius, Joanna (12 March 2020). "This Minecraft Library Provides a Platform for Censored Journalists". Games. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Woodyatt, Amy (13 March 2020). "Minecraft hosts uncensored library full of banned texts". Tech. CNN. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. ^ Cavalcanti, Marcycleis Maria; Siebra, Sandra Albuquerque; Bufrem, Leilah Santiago; Pajeú, Hélio Márcio (13 November 2022). "Uncensored Library Project: a strategy to circumvent censorship in countries predatory of press freedom". Revista Digital de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação. 20 (2022): 1–22. doi:10.20396/rdbci.v20i00.8669187/30478. S2CID 259954325. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  4. ^ "The MediaMonks Take Us Inside The Uncensored Library". Webby Awards. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  5. ^ "The Uncensored Library". Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b Bahr, Will (11 March 2026). "Minecraft's Uncensored Library Adds a United States Wing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  7. ^ a b Coldewey, Devin (12 March 2020). "Reporters Without Borders uses Minecraft to sneak censored works across borders". Tech Crunch. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e Maher, Cian (18 March 2020). "This Minecraft library is making journalism accessible all over the world". Gaming. The Verge. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  9. ^ "The Uncensored Library — The Making of". The Uncensored Library. Reporters Without Borders. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  10. ^ McCracken, Harry (3 June 2013). "The Mystery of Minecraft". Time. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  11. ^ Peet, Lisa (7 April 2022). "Reporters Without Borders' Uncensored Library Uses Minecraft To Provide Access to Censored Work". Library Journal. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Press Freedom Group Stores Censored Articles in Minecraft Library". Voice of America. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  13. ^ Gerken, Tom (13 March 2020). "Minecraft 'loophole' library of banned journalism". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  14. ^ Hein, Matthias von (12 March 2020). "Reporter Without Borders builds uncensored Minecraft library". DW News. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  15. ^ Huddleston Jr., Tom (15 March 2020). "Reporters Without Borders is using Minecraft to sneak censored news to readers in restrictive countries". CNBC. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  16. ^ Fingas, Jon (15 March 2020). "'Minecraft' library helps you dodge news media censorship". Engadget. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  17. ^ Gill, Tarvin (18 March 2020). "This 'Minecraft' library safeguards all censored news of the world". Mashable. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  18. ^ Davenport, James (13 March 2020). "New Minecraft library is clever loophole and safe haven for censored journalism". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  19. ^ AJ; Joerg (25 May 2020). "Podcast Episode #89 - The Uncensored Library". Scene World. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  20. ^ Voyles, Blake (13 September 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners". Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  21. ^ "The Uncensored Library". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
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