The Uncensored Library

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and yet, there are countries that seek to censor their citizens or prevent them from accessing certain information. This is why The Uncensored Library exists; a grand digital library meant to combat censorship – and it’s all accessible through Minecraft. 

Created by the organization Reporters without Borders and the Minecraft design collective BlockWorks, this blocky book bastion was first introduced in 2020 to provide silenced authors a platform in their own respective countries. While social media and other platforms tend to be either blocked or controlled in these countries, Minecraft often remains accessible, giving Reporters without Borders a way to circumvent the censorship and make information accessible. 

The library itself is accessed through a Minecraft server but can also be downloaded locally. It consists of around 300 books distributed between twelve wings, most of them represented by a country where information may be limited. From here, visitors can explore the library and read banned articles in the form of Minecraft books. 

The countries in the library were selected with the help of Google Analytics, by looking at countries with an active Minecraft community, as well as the RSF’s Press Freedom Index. Once a list had been made, journalists from each of these countries then provided the library with their articles so that they could be transformed into Minecraft books.

The library is carefully curated and regularly updated by the RSF, and also keeps expanding – just recently, new rooms were added with texts from countries including Brazil, Belarus, Eritrea, and Iran. 

Minecraft is a game that allows its players to express themselves however they want. We’re happy to see that this goes beyond just building things with blocks.