10,000 books were tossed at a London school. Librarians say there are other ways to give books a second life
CBC
Some archivists and librarians say there are ways to preserve old and outdated books, amid controversy about a London high school’s decision to purge thousands of titles from its library.
As first reported by the London Free Press, more than 10,000 books were tossed from the shelves at H.B. Beal Secondary School between January and March last year.
CBC News spoke with former Beal librarian Larry Farquharson, who said he was invited to participate in the book cull but declined. He has since retired.
“It is a fundamental attack on the freedom to choose what to read. When someone else is deciding what to remove, they are unilaterally deciding what you can and cannot read,” Farquharson told CBC’s London Morning on Friday.
LISTEN: Why this London high school tossed 10,000 books
In an email statement, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) said library collection reviews are standard practice across the province and that Beal’s review was part of an inclusive libraries project.
“Most items at H.B. Beal were withdrawn due to age, condition and lack of circulation. Some specifics include physical damage (such as mold), or harmful and outdated content such as racist imagery (blackface) or stereotypical depictions of Indigenous people,” the statement said.
Some books were removed if newer editions or more “appropriate resources” were available, the TVDSB said.
“They are not being censored, nor have they been ‘banned’ by the TVDSB.”
Following the news about Beal’s library purge, Ontario’s Ministry of Education said it is halting further school library reviews.
“The Minister has directed that all current and future library collection reviews be paused, pending further evaluation. The decision regarding library collection reviews at H.B. Beal Secondary School was made prior to the board being placed under supervision by the previous board leadership,” said Education Minister Paul Calandra’s press secretary, Emma Testani.
In 2023, former Education Minister Stephen Lecce put forth a provincial directive to end the practice of book weeding.
Farquharson provided CBC News photos of old Beal books with their covers ripped off in large plastic bags. The TVDSB said all of the books were recycled.
However, some librarians say there are ways to save books when they reach the end of their shelf life.
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Some archivists and librarians say there are ways to preserve old and outdated books, amid controversy about a London high school’s decision to purge thousands of titles from its library.