Ontario librarians say 'they have to be ready' amid growing calls in U.S. to ban books
Librarians here are using Freedom to Read week, which wraps Saturday, to call attention to the issue, fearing it could worsen and deter future librarians from entering the profession.
"Honestly, it's kind of scary," Kristen Caschera, supervisor of central information and fiction at the London Public Library's Central branch, said of news from the United States. In multiple states, laws have been tabled that threaten librarians with harsh punishments for distributing books deemed inappropriate.
"It's wild to think … how this could possibly be happening. But more than ever, I think that reaffirms our commitment to making sure as much information is available as possible," Caschera said.
Calls to remove books from library shelves in the U.S. have soared in recent years, attributed in part to organized campaigns, often from Conservative political groups.
Such book banning campaigns haven't materialized to the same extent in Canada, but similar efforts have made their way north, a recent investigation by The Fifth Estate revealed.
A 2024 study from the Canadian Federation of Library Associations has documented a growing number of book challenges in recent years, in particular since the COVID-19 pandemic.
It found there were 197 complaints challenging books in Canadian libraries in 2023 and nearly half were about 2SLGBTQ content. That's compared to roughly 10 per cent in 2019, the study said.
Asked what she's heard from librarians in training about the current atmosphere, Caschera said, for some, it's strengthened their feelings about intellectual freedom.
In the U.S., book banning campaigns have seen the number of titles targeted surge over the last several years to more than 4,200 in 2023, compared to fewer than 200 a decade earlier, the American Library Association (ALA) says.
Books about 2SLGBTQ+ issues and characters have also been the target of a growing number of challenges at school libraries in Ontario, influenced by U.S. campaigns, said Wendy Burch Jones, president of the Ontario School Library Association.
"A lot of the times, the books that are getting challenged are coming off of lists that get published and get passed around. A lot of the time, the people asking for books to be banned haven't even read the books," she said.
She added it was important school boards have rigorous book selection and deselection policies, and clear language around how to deal with challenges.
South of London, St. Thomas Public Library is also taking the matter seriously, said its chief librarian. The library has designated 2025 as the year to ensure its stance on intellectual freedom is "really, really solid," and its intellectual freedom policy "ironclad," Heather Robinson said.
"We're not resting on our laurels. Because this could happen, and it could happen anytime, is what I'm thinking anyway. We have to be ready," said Robinson, who has been with the library for 27 years and is its CEO.
"There seems to be information out there" on how to get books removed, she said. "It's different methods than what has been. We're seeing the systematic removal of books a group deems should not be in the library."
According to the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto's Metropolitan University, Ontario libraries received 39 complaints about books in 2024, with 28 calling for removal of the offending title.
One challenge was reported at London's library. Caschera said it involved the coming-of-age book A Sister by Bastien Vivè — the complainant felt should be in the adult section. In a letter to the complainant, the library said the book would stay in its young adult graphic novel section.
At the St. Thomas library, one challenge was filed for language in Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl. The complainant wanted the book removed, a request that was unsuccessful.
Neither book deals with 2SLGBTQ+ themes, but a concern is that future challenges will be, driven by the kinds of pressure campaigns that have targeted drag queen story sessions at local libraries.
Of the top 10 books challenged in the U.S. in 2023, most had "LGBTQIA+ content" cited as a reason, the ALA says.
"It's scary, and you feel a sense that we now need to stop being, sort of, neutral and nice," Robinson said.
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