The Call is Coming From Inside the Library

While book challenges dominate headlines, thousands of titles are being removed quietly by library professionals. The debate is no longer just about external censorship, but also internal gatekeeping.

Shelves of books in the Stittsville Public Library outside of Ottawa, Ont. Photo by JULIE OLIVER/Postmedia

You may have heard about increasing calls for library book bans from members of the public. What you may not have heard is that the number of library staff members quietly banning books behind the scenes is increasing.

More than 10,000 books were removed from the H.B. Beal Secondary School Library in London, Ontario, between January and March of 2025, and two years earlier, all books published before 2008 were removed from Peel District School Board libraries (also in Ontario). These book purges were initiated by school and library staff, not by citizens demanding censorship.

The threat of ideological influence within library collections is not new. Since the late 1960s, some library professionals have increasingly seen their role not only as stewards of intellectual freedom but also as agents of social change. A 2022 article in the Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy describes this shift: “If a postwar centrist consensus ever existed within American librarianship, it shattered in the late 1960s in ways that parallel political developments in the country at large.” These librarians reject the profession’s core principles of neutrality and viewpoint diversity in a quest to make society more equitable. This quest has made librarians some of the most prolific censors.

Despite censorship within the profession, librarians celebrate themselves as intellectual freedom fighters every year during Freedom to Read Week in Canada (Feb 22 – 28, 2026) and Banned Books Week in the United States (October 4 – 10, 2026). Both events feature condemnation of book banners and lists of the most banned and challenged books.

While book challenges have recently increased and become more organized, few result in books being pulled from shelves. What Freedom to Read Week and Banned Books Week fail to acknowledge are books that never make it to the shelves because library staff disagree with the content.

“A truly great library has something to offend everyone”, was wisely stated by Jo Godwin, librarian and final editor of the Wilson Library Bulletin, and Ms. Godwin is right. Everyone, including library staff, has the right to be offended but not the right to censor.

Library staff are entitled to their opinions, but must not let these opinions influence what’s on the shelves. Intellectual freedom is only possible when library collections are neutral and offer multiple viewpoints.

David Berninghausen defended library neutrality as chair of the American Library Association (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Committee from 1948 to 1952 and 1967 to 1972. Berninghausen witnessed censorship attacks from the right during the Cold War communism scare and from the left during the 1960s social revolution. His book, The Flight from Reason: Essays on Intellectual Freedom in the Academy, the Press, and the Library, gives readers a sense of déjà vu. We’ve been here before and seen the threat to intellectual freedom when educators and librarians believe only their views are correct and alternate views must be suppressed.

The good news is that more librarians are speaking up about the insider threat to intellectual freedom. In 2023, librarians from across North America began discussing an alternative to existing associations that were pushing the profession towards divisive social activism. The Association of Library Professionals (ALP’s) mission is to uphold neutrality, open inquiry, individual liberty, freedom of thought, speech, and intellectual freedom. The ALP also recognizes the role libraries play in children's healthy development and advocates for age-appropriate books and parental guidance.

FAIR in Libraries (FiL) was also formed to uphold traditional library values and includes members from across North America. FiL focuses on empowering library users, parents, and educators with the support and tools they need to ensure their library remains neutral and offers multiple viewpoints.

Ultimately, intellectual freedom depends not on slogans or awareness weeks, but on consistent commitment to neutrality in practice. Libraries serve the entire public, not a single ideology, political movement, or cultural moment. When collections reflect genuine viewpoint diversity, communities gain the opportunity to think critically, engage respectfully with disagreement, and make informed decisions for themselves. Protecting that balance requires vigilance from librarians, stakeholders, and patrons alike. A truly free library is not one that tells people what to think, but one that trusts them enough to explore ideas openly and decide for themselves.

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