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The Uncensored Library is a Reporters Without Borders (RSF) project built inside Minecraft. Launched on March 12, 2020, it republishes journalism censored in the reporters’ home countries as read-only Minecraft books. Players can enter a virtual neoclassical library, browse rooms devoted to selected countries and journalists, and read reporting that may be blocked on ordinary websites. It is a press-freedom intervention and a curated digital archive—not a complete database of every banned article.
What is The Uncensored Library in Minecraft?
RSF created the library as an alternative route to information when websites, blogs and independent news outlets are blocked. Minecraft’s global reach makes the game world a distribution channel: instead of visiting a censored news site, a player enters the library and opens an in-game book containing the article.
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The books are read-only on the project server, so visitors can browse them but cannot alter the text. Articles appear in English and/or their original language, depending on the material selected by RSF and its collaborators. The collection is curated journalism, not a comprehensive archive, and its rooms, article selection and technical access can change.
How does Minecraft help people reach censored news?
Minecraft does not magically defeat every form of internet censorship. The method works because authorities that block a newspaper’s website would also need to block the game, the relevant server or the connection used to download and host the map. That creates another path for readers, while the downloadable version makes preservation less dependent on one central server.
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RSF’s project launched with an open server at visit.uncensoredlibrary.com. Server addresses, uptime and compatibility are volatile, so check RSF’s current campaign instructions before connecting. Access still requires Minecraft and an internet connection, and a government could restrict either the game or a particular server.
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How can I access The Uncensored Library?
You have three practical options. The live server offers the most social, immediate experience; a downloaded map supports independent hosting; and a web walkthrough provides a quick look without entering the game.
| Option | Reader experience | Resilience | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Minecraft server | Shared exploration and in-game reading | Depends on the project’s current server | Address, uptime and network access can change |
| Downloaded map on an independent server | Local or separately hosted reading and preservation | Less dependent on one central server | Requires Minecraft setup, storage and compatible hosting |
| Web walkthrough | Fast orientation and easy sharing | Simple to distribute as a demonstration | Does not reproduce the full in-game reading experience |
Use the live server
- Install a compatible copy of Minecraft and confirm the edition and version required by RSF’s current instructions.
- Open multiplayer mode and enter
visit.uncensoredlibrary.comas the server address. - Once inside, explore the building, enter a country room and open the displayed books to read the selected articles.
Host the downloadable map
RSF also provides a full map download. Download the current file from the campaign site, import it into a compatible Minecraft world, and host it locally or on an independent server. This approach is useful for schools, preservation projects and readers whose connection to the public server is unreliable. Hosting requirements depend on the Minecraft edition and the server software you choose.
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Preview the project on the web
A 360-degree walkthrough lets you inspect the architecture and layout without launching Minecraft. It is useful for a quick demonstration, but the walkthrough is not a substitute for opening the books in the game world.
Which countries and journalists are represented?
The first rooms covered Egypt, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. RSF later added Belarus and Brazil in 2021, an Eritrea room created with the Dawit Isaak Library in Malmö, and an Iran room in 2023. RSF’s German project page says a USA room opened in March 2026 and that new material was added to the Egypt, Belarus, Russia and Iran rooms. Because rooms and contents are updated, the current campaign map is the best way to confirm what is available.
Named journalists and outlets represented in the project include:
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- Eritrea: Dawit Isaak.
- Belarus: Natallja Radsina.
- Brazil: Patricia Faermann, Luis Nassif and Nayara Felizardo.
- Saudi Arabia: Jamal Khashoggi.
- Russia: Yulia Berezovskaia of grani.ru.
- Vietnam: Nguyen Van Dai.
- Egypt: MadaMasr.
- Mexico: Javier Valdez.
- Iran: Elahe Mohammadi.
What is in the USA room?
RSF presents the USA room as a record of subtler press-freedom pressures in an established democracy rather than a claim that the country has the same censorship system as the other rooms. Its material addresses removed government webpages, access-to-information disputes, selective exclusion of media from press conferences, pressure involving the Federal Communications Commission and lawsuits against media companies. It also includes Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes’s political cartoon that The Washington Post declined to publish.
How large is the Minecraft build?
BlockWorks built the original structure with RSF over three months. RSF reports more than 12.5 million blocks, 24 builders from 16 countries and more than 250 hours of work. The main dome is nearly 300 metres wide. Its neoclassical design deliberately recalls public institutions associated with knowledge and civic life, giving the digital archive the visual language of a courthouse, museum or national library.
The layout contains about 300 books arranged through twelve wings, according to Minecraft’s official explainer. RSF says countries were selected partly through Minecraft-community activity and its Press Freedom Index, so the lineup reflects a deliberate editorial choice rather than a neutral survey of every censored newsroom.
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Is The Uncensored Library still available?
The project remains an active RSF initiative, with the German RSF page documenting the USA room’s March 2026 opening and new material in several earlier rooms. Availability of the public server, map files and individual articles can change, however. If the server is unreachable, use the current downloadable map or web walkthrough listed by RSF.
RSF’s campaign page reported historical first-year figures of more than 20 million players from 165 countries, over 400 YouTube videos and more than 300,000 map downloads. Those are campaign-era totals, not a live player counter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does the project matter?
The library turns a familiar entertainment platform into a distribution and preservation tool for journalism. Christian Mihr of RSF Germany said the aim was to give young people access to independent information when websites are blocked, while journalist Yulia Berezovskaia described sharing censored work as the only real way to fight censorship. The project’s value is therefore both practical and symbolic: it preserves selected reporting and demonstrates that censorship-resistant publishing can use spaces designed for games.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read the books without owning Minecraft?
The complete in-game collection requires Minecraft, but RSF’s 360-degree web walkthrough can show the building without entering the game. The walkthrough is an orientation tool and does not provide the same book-reading experience as the playable map.
Can I edit or add articles to the library?
Books on the project server are read-only, so visitors cannot edit them there. The collection is selected and published by RSF and collaborators rather than being an open wiki.
Does the library include every censored journalist?
No. It is a curated selection of countries, outlets and articles. RSF changes the rooms and adds material over time, so absence from the map does not mean a journalist’s work was not censored.
Why is there a room about the United States?
RSF uses the USA room to document less overt forms of pressure, including removed government webpages, information-access problems, press-conference exclusions, regulatory pressure and lawsuits involving media companies. It is framed as a record of press-freedom concerns in an established democracy.
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