Libraries are being accused of offering child porn. Librarians explain why that's not true

Stroll through the stacks of any library and you're bound to find something you don't agree with. But in parts of Canada, people are campaigning to make public and school libraries remove books they claim make sexually explicit ma‐ terial available to minors, or even contain child pornography.

The books in question are often ones aimed at children and teens and that have con‐ tent related to sexual educa‐ tion and/or LGBTQ and gen‐ der identity issues.

The librarians who have been tasked with selecting books and maintaining ro‐ bust collections say the claim they would stock child pornography on their shelves is not true, and that these ef‐ forts seem motivated by per‐ sonal beliefs.

"We make the information available. We don't force any‐ body to look at it," said Kay Cahill, the Vancouver Public Library's director of informa‐ tion technology and collec‐ tions.

The efforts to have books pulled from libraries follows similar movements through‐ out the United States, where there have even been laws enacted to punish libraries and librarians.

In multiple communities in southern Manitoba, individu‐ als have made cases to mu‐ nicipal councils that libraries should have their funding tak‐ en away unless certain books are removed. They believe the books violate sections of the Criminal Code of Canada.

In February, RCMP in Chilli‐ wack, B.C., investigated and dismissed an allegation that books in school libraries con‐ tained child pornography. And a school board in On‐ tario's Durham region faced heated questions over the in‐ clusion of a book on gender diversity in high school li‐ braries during a meeting last month.

WATCH | How books are selected at Vancouver Pub‐ lic Libraries:

'A line in the sand'

There are around 1.8 mil‐ lion books at Vancouver Pub‐ lic Libraries' (VPL) Central Branch, according to Cahill, who along with Inness Camp‐ bell, leads the collection team for that location and 20 oth‐ ers around the city.

It's impossible to read every single book, cover to cover, before putting it on the shelf. But Cahill is adamant that "we don't carry illegal content, you know, that is a line in the sand."

Cahill explained VPL has a team with areas of expertise in various subjects, and they work closely with publishers and vendors, as well as re‐ ly on publishers' notes, library journals and media reports, to determine what books they should stock.

The library also looks at "developmental appropriate‐ ness" when it selects books for the children's and teens' sections, added Campbell, VPL's Collections and Techni‐ cal Services Manager.

They also consider the reading level of the age group and whether a topic is "de‐ scribed and talked about ap‐ propriately for that age."

When it comes to material related to sexuality and gen‐ der identity, Cahill said the li‐ brary won't restrict access to specific books. While there are dedicated sections for books aimed at teens, any li‐ brary card holder at any age has access to the full collec‐ tion.

"If you constrain offering materials around sex-ed be‐ cause some people perceive it as controversial, you'll have teenagers who are going out looking for information else‐ where, possibly using unreli‐ able sources," Cahill said.

School libraries 'an easy target'

School libraries are "an easy target" for accusa‐ tions because they deal solely with young readers, said Anita Brooks Kirkland, the chair of the non-profit organiza‐ tion Canada School Li‐ braries and a retired teacher librarian in On‐ tario's Waterloo Region Dis‐ trict School Board.

"'Age appropriateness' is a common phrase that is used," she told CBC News.

But these charges are usu‐ ally concerning books with content about sexual identity, gender identity or sexual ex‐ pression — "not actual pornography," she said.

Brooks Kirkland said she and other librarians have been cautiously watch‐ ing the spread of book bans and library restrictions in the United States and that it has brought "a chill into our hearts." She noted several school districts across Canada have already faced challenges.

While many jurisdictions may have dedicated school li‐ brary staff including teacherlibrarians — teachers who have additional professional qualifications in librarianship — districts with reduced staffing may rely on profes‐ sional library technicians, cler‐ ical staff or volunteers, she said. The guidelines for how a collection is built may be dif‐ ferent in each province or each district, Brooks Kirkland said, but her organization provides a set of standards that can be used as a guide.

Like public libraries, she said school libraries have the same duty to provide books on an array of topics and with a range of perspectives.

WATCH | People in south central Manitoba call for sexed books to pulled from shelves:

Certain books under scrutiny

Earlier this spring, people in south central Manito‐ ba urged municipal councils to reconsider funding for li‐ braries, accusing the South Central Regional Li‐ brary (SCRL) of "creating an unsafe environment" by offer‐ ing access to certain sex-ed and LGBTQ books.

Two of the titles that have come under fire are books about sexuality and gender identity: Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Re‐ lationships and Being a Hu‐ man by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan; and It's Per‐ fectly Normal: Changing Bod‐ ies, Growing up, Sex, Gender and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris and Michael Ember‐ ley.

It's Perfectly Normal is in‐ tended for age 10 and up, while the publisher of Let's Talk About It categorizes the book for teens and young adults.

Both books contain illus‐ trations of developing bodies and depictions of sexual activ‐ ities, including masturbation, as well as chapters on safe sex, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, sexual and gender diversity, consent and online safety.

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto, the per‐ sonal story of LGBTQ activist and writer George M. John‐ son, has also come under scrutiny. The book includes descriptions of sexual activi‐ ties.

"Why does council contin‐ ue to fund the South Central Regional Library, which con‐ tinues to purchase and dis‐ tribute materials that contain child pornography and in‐ struct on sexual touching for minors," asked Karin Banman, one of the people making a case to cut library funding at a March 14 city council financial planning meeting in Winkler, Man.

Banman and others cited

Section 152 of the Criminal Code of Canada, related to the invitation of sexual touch‐ ing to a person under 16 years old, and Section 163, which pertains to child pornography and the depic‐ tions of people under the age of 18 years old in "photo‐ graphic, film, video or other visual representation[s]" but excludes materials that have "a legitimate purpose re‐ lated to the administration of justice or to science, medicine, education or art."

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens sent a letter to SCRL, on behalf of council, to raise concerns about "graphic sexual act de‐ pictions and descriptions con‐ tained in some children's books in the library," but he insisted council was not in‐ tending to get involved in li‐ brary operations.

Personal objections

It's highly unlikely that any book on a library shelf con‐ tains content that would be considered child pornography under the Criminal Code of Canada, said Jordan Donich, a criminal lawyer in Toronto.

"The publisher doesn't want to face liability," he said. "So, I think it's safe to assume if it's [in] a bookstore or in a li‐ brary, it's likely been vetted by lawyers."

He said people have their opinions, but that doesn't mean they should make child pornography accusations and attempt to use the Criminal Code of Canada as a "back‐ door" to have content they personally object to be re‐ moved from libraries.

LISTEN | How librarians are responding to growing calls to ban books:

VPL's Campbell explained it's up to the parent to be a part of making that decision with their child — something that is actually stated on the back of the library card.

"We don't honestly know what's appropriate for that child, in that patron's eyes, but parents, absolutely, we want involved with their chil‐ dren's reading. It builds better readers," she said.

If there's something a par‐ ent has questions or concerns about, Campbell and Cahill said librarians are available to discuss why a certain book may be in the library. But they haven't had many issues at this point.

Often, people just want to "feel heard," said Campbell.