Ontario’s education minister, Stephen Lecce, has voiced his disapproval of a school board’s practice of removing library books, labeling it “offensive, illogical, and counterintuitive.” The Peel District School Board, located outside Toronto, has been undergoing a process of evaluating and removing older books from school libraries since last spring, with a focus on inclusivity.
An advocacy group comprised of teachers, parents, students, and school staff opposed the board’s approach, highlighting the removal of fiction and non-fiction books published prior to 2008 during their equity-focused assessments.
The Peel District School Board clarified that older books could remain if they met specific criteria, including being accurate, relevant to the student population, inclusive, non-harmful, and supportive of the current curriculum. Popular titles such as “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank and the “Harry Potter” series were confirmed to remain in the collections.
The process of periodically updating library collections, known as “weeding,” is common to ensure that libraries maintain current and relevant materials. The Peel board follows guidelines set by the Canadian School Libraries Association and plans to review its training process for consistency across schools.
The advocacy group, Libraries not Landfills, highlighted that the guidelines appeared to impose a 15-year age limit on books and involved assessing books for physical condition and circulation data. Books that contained misinformation, were misleading, or promoted racist content or non-gender-affirming information were also targeted for removal.
Students expressed concerns about the removal of essential books related to historical events, such as Japanese internment camps, and the potential erasure of critical aspects of history.
While the board’s weeding process has led to the removal of thousands of books, including classics like “The Diary of Anne Frank,” it has also raised questions about how the discarded books are being handled, with some ending up in landfills.
Minister Lecce emphasized Ontario’s commitment to ensuring that new books reflect the diversity of communities but criticized the removal of books from earlier periods that continue to hold value.
The controversy over book removals in school libraries underscores ongoing discussions about inclusivity, historical awareness, and the role of literature in education.