The Uncensored Library

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The Uncensored Library

Developer(s)	Berlin DDB BlockWorks .monks Reporters Without Borders
Edition(s)	Java Edition
Release date	March 12, 2020
Article	"The Uncensored Library" – Minecraft.net.

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The Uncensored Library is an unofficial server released by Reporters Without Borders, intended as a tool against suppression of the press. The server is built in the image of a large library, with several areas containing banned journalism from many countries.

Summary

Players spawn inside of a gorge on a quartz boardwalk, with a single book in the inventory, meant to answer frequently asked questions. In front of the player is a teleporter to the library itself, and behind that is a metal sign telling players the server is meant to be in creative; if they can't fly, they must reconnect. Up a flight of stairs lead up to a statue of a hand gripping a pen, surrounded by off road forests and a small garden.

The player can reach the library proper by heading north, though to the sides are two outside exhibits, surrounded by gardens lined with birch trees, pools, hedges, and northward fountains. To the right is Brazil, with a construct of a gavel threatening to crush a readable book, explaining it's meant to symbolize rising efforts to suppress the press with lawsuits. To the left is Belarus, with a build of a TV made of observers in a ring of fire.

Entering the main building, the player passes by several large pillars into a ginormous dome area. At the front is a book explaining Iran's extreme repression of the press, with a full exhibit devoted to Iran below. In front of that are several teleporters to individual areas of the server, including one that can only be reached through the warp; Eritrea, the country ranked last in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index. The area is designed to evoke a jail, with a build in the center made of polished blackstone walls and chains, representing journalists being arrested for their integrity.

The main area of the library is a dome, with a large map of the world with each country ranked by their freedom of press, a lectern holding the World Freedom Press Index. Hanging above are each of the 180 countries' respective flags, with statues of books in the corners below. To the east, west, and north of the entrance are halls with exhibits dedicated to several countries. To the east are Mexico and Egypt, Mexico paying tribute to 12 journalists who were killed by the government, and Egypt showing a literal tipped scale. The west wing consists of Russia and Vietnam, with a build of a large octopus​ and a "labyrinth of truth" representing Vietnam's increasing anti-press operations. The final path contains a cage symbolic of Saudi Arabia jailing reporters, as well as an area not themed after a country. Instead, the player is instructed to stand behind a lectern in the back, past several seemingly randomly placed yellow concrete blocks. From the right angle, they form the word truth.

In the Minecraft franchise

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In 2023, the server received a dedicated article on Minecraft.net. Published without a credited author, the article details the meaning and foundation of the server.^[1]

In 2024, the server received coverage within the 15th anniversary book The World of Minecraft.

Quotes

	“	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.	„
		— Staff[1]

Videos

Trivia

• The flag used to represent Afghanistan in the dome is the flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which is still occasionally used to represent the country even though it is no longer official. It also seemingly features a smiley emoticon in place of the emblem (though this could just be an unintentional pareidolia).

Gallery

Promotional images

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  The Vietnam section
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  Hallway leading to Mexico on the left and Egypt on the right
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In other media

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  Page about the server from The World of Minecraft.

External links

• Official website
• The Uncensored Library on Wikipedia

References

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