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, as well as stylistically allude to the authoritarian structures the project aims to subvert.[6] The library uses over 12.5 million Minecraft blocks.[7]
Format
Each of the five 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.[6] In March 2020, the library contained over 200 different books.[6]
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."[17]
Notes
^Berlin DDB and BlockWorks built the structure of the library, while Media.Monks and Reporters without Borders published the project, the latter also selecting the articles displayed within the library.
^"Multi-party Democracy – The key to strengthen the national economy", written by Nguyễn Văn Đái.