In an effort to address potential malpractice in the curation of school library collections, Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, has urgently requested the Peel District School Board west of Toronto to cease its ongoing process of evaluating and discarding older books from school libraries.
The controversy, which came to light on Wednesday, is founded in the concern expressed by some inhabitants of Peel Region regarding the board’s new guidelines. Residents noted that an unusually large number of books, specifically those published prior to 2008, seemed to be extracted from libraries based purely on their publication date.
The Minister issued a sharp statement insisting that while Ontario is dedicated to adding newer books that reflect the diverse nature of the community, it is equally essential to preserve older books that provide education on Canada’s history, antisemitism, and other notable literary classics.
Peel District School Board maintained its stance that undeterred by their publication dates, books that are “accurate, relevant, inclusive, non-harmful, and aligned with the current curriculum” are considered valuable assets. The board denies issuing any directives for the removal of all books published before 2008, or of any specific books.
Rashmi Swarup, the Board’s Director of Education, clarified on Wednesday that books such as ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank and the ‘Harry Potter’ series continue to remain in their collections. Upgrades through newer versions are considered only when the book’s condition is deteriorated.
The board vouched for the longevity of ‘weeding’ library collections, a practice aimed to ensure that the collections stay current and well-maintained. The board claims to follow the weeding guidelines set forth by the Canadian School Libraries Association.
Furthermore, in response to the issue, the board will reevaluate its training process to improvise on the consistency across schools. Libraries not Landfills, an advocacy group comprising teachers, students, staff, and principals in Peel Region, has also alleged that multiple books were removed from libraries solely based on their publication date as the weeding process instigates equity.
However, the recent update in the board’s weeding guidelines after recommendations for a comprehensive audit from the province, concerns members of Libraries not Landfills who fear large-scale removal of books published before 2008.
The three-step weeding directives involve librarians placing a 15-year age limit on books, examining their physical health, and reviewing their circulation data with stringent measures against books that contain misinformation, are misleading, or strengthen racist content or information that is not gender-affirming.
In a significant revelation, the Peel Region Landfill communicated their need for additional staff to handle the bulk of books received for destruction, indicating the massive extent of the weeding process. As the books consist of mixed media materials, they require careful deconstruction for disposal. As aptly put, this situation represents not just book discarding but rather a systematic destruction of comprehensive fiction and non-fiction materials.
