NOTL chief librarian under fire for supporting U.S.-based group
Column chronicled Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism’s support of Freedom to Read Week, but opponents say group is anti-LGBTQ
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library board is expected to respond to the community next week after public uproar over a column penned by chief librarian Cathy Simpson in support of an American-based organization that opponents say promotes “anti-LGBTQplus pseudo-science.”
“Cathy is working on a plan to restore confidence in the library,” said board chair Daryl Novak, a day after the library board held an in camera meeting to address the chief librarian’s article.
In its Feb. 22 edition, the Lake Report published a column by Simpson titled “Censorship and what we are allowed to read.”
In it, Simpson discussed censorship at libraries and said “many librarians no longer encourage those with differing viewpoints to respectfully challenge each other.”
“In fact, viewpoints that don’t conform to progressive agendas are rarely represented in library collections, and anyone who challenges this is labelled a bigot.”
Simpson said, after “talking with librarians,” she was introduced to an organization called Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), a U.S.-based organization that in 2022 established six chapters in Ontario opposed to Bill 67, which would require Ontario school boards to implement antiracist policies.
The non-profit U.S. organization founded in 2021 describes itself as non-partisan and “pro-human” and has been prominent in discussing critical race theory.
The Southern Poverty Law Center released a 2023 report that described FAIR in Medicine as a “key voice amplifying anti-LGBTQ-plus pseudo-science.”
Simpson said FAIR’s library chapter “supports Freedom to Read Week principles” including intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, freedom to read and resistance to censorship. Simpson wrote FAIR also supports pluralistic principles such as viewpoint diversity, library neutrality and human individuality and autonomy.
Two security guards were stationed at the March 13 library board meeting, which drew roughly 15 people, and was focused on what the library should be offering the community.
Novak refused to say if during the in camera portion of the meeting board members reprimanded Simpson, who has been chief librarian since 2012.
“We wanted some time to talk to her,” he said.
Novak added board members will be examining Simpson’s plan, and that the library board will be “making some sort of statement” to the public “fairly soon,” possibly next week.
“We need some time to reflect and say the right thing,” said Novak. “We need to make a statement.”
Novak said most of what Simpson said in her column about upholding freedom of speech, “nobody could object to it.”
But the characterization of FAIR as a group that supports diversity and equity and intellectual freedom is misleading, he said.
“It is not what it seems,” said Novak. “We have a constitution. We don’t need an American (group) telling us (about) freedom.”
During the hour-long public portion of the meeting, members heard from four delegates, including Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Matthew French, who castigated Simpson for her article, arguing she was a “mouthpiece for a sophisticated American right-wing political advocacy group.”
During his 10-minute presentation, French said the organization is a “very slickly marketed group, which cloaks themselves in the language of fighting oppression while actually working to promote it.”
French said Simpson “advocates” for libraries to add to their collection material, which negatively portrays “equity,” and she wants to add books that argue against systemic racism and which combat “transgendered ideology.”
“FAIR is opposed to equity in Ontario’s schools,” said French.
French said Simpson wrote in the NOTL Library newsletter she is “working with the library division of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism on a position statement … We are concerned about book bans, but also deeply concerned that identity politics is trumping intellectual freedom when libraries choose titles.”
French questioned Simpson for “promoting inflammatory statements” on behalf of FAIR.
“Are we to understand that our public library is taking a formal stand against diversity, equity and inclusion?”
Another resident, Anthony Powell, a retired lawyer, said he was addressing the library board after a letter by French was published by the Lake Report critical of the chief librarian. Powell told the board he “strongly” agrees with Simpson’s position that the library “should encourage public debate, discussion” on various ideas.
Powell said French’s letter was “misguided, hateful and offensive,” and that instead of challenging the chief librarian’s views it “attacked her personally.” Powell said French incorrectly characterized Simpson as espousing right-wing propaganda.
Also speaking to the board was former library board member and chair Andrew Porteus, who said he “strongly believes that heterodoxical information, information that is nonconforming and that goes against the norms, should be included in library collections, sitting alongside the materials that espouse more orthodox viewpoints.”
He cited section 1 (4) of the library’s collection development policy that says, “The library upholds the right of the individual to access information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox or unacceptable to others.”
Porteus defended Simpson, saying the chief librarian was supporting library policy by “upholding the principles of, as well as advocating for, intellectual freedom.”
Board members were not allowed to ask questions of the delegates.
Novak said it was his decision to assign security guards for the meeting, especially in the wake of what recently occurred at the downtown St. Catharines Public Library branch, when a small group of protesters barged into the library disrupting a Drag Queen Storytime event.
“We live in difficult times,” said Novak. “There have been protests at libraries.”
But his fears were unfounded, as about 15 people attended the board meeting without any incident.
“What a nice group of people,” said Novak. “But sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry.”