Most of the university’s library collections were on open access to promote browsing across disciplines, contrary to the situation in many libraries on the European mainland, the University of Malta said in a statement.

It said that nonetheless, it has traditionally been the library's policy of treating a number of collections under closed access arrangement.

These covered all the library's Melitensia (Maltese publications), the majority of the fine arts books, and all the rare, particularly out-of-print, and manuscript holdings.

Such material, which includes a tattered copy of Irvine Welsh and a rare reprint of De Sade, is kept under closed access for added custody against mishandling and possible theft or misplacement, but definitely not by way of censorship.

The library said that other notorious works, including works by De Sade, were, in fact, on open shelves.

“All closed access material is identifiable via the library's electronic catalogues and can be consulted by registered university students and academics.

“Censorship goes against the library's principle of archiving for posterity, and of providing unhindered access to information,” it said.

The university said this was all the more true of university libraries where the collections were meant to support the teaching and research needs of academe.

“It should also be added that never, throughout the past 60 years, has the University Library been restrained from purchasing or acquiring any particular publication, on censorship considerations.”