New Report: Challenges to Library Resources and Policies in Publicly Funded Canadian Libraries in 2012

The 28 page 2012 edition of Challenges to Library Resources and Policies in Publicly Funded Canadian Libraries was released (includes lists with all challenged titles) earlier today by the Canadian Library Association.
Highlights Below From This CLA News Release.

For the first time since this research began,DVDs outnumbered books in the formats of library materials challenged for removal or reclassification.One challenge was to a poster in the children’s department of a library entitled the “Reluctant Reader’s Bill of Rights” because itmight “encourage youth to go against their parents’ wishes and read books they have been instructed not to read.” The most challenged title – targeted four times,more than any other work – was the 2008 Czech computer‐animated film“Goat Story,” directed by Jan Tománek (released in English in 2010).
Overall, Canadian libraries in the survey, all public libraries,reported 73 challenges in 2012. Of these, 62 involved individual titles in library collections and eleven were to library policies related to collections and services.One series of works was challenged,six episodes of a British television comedy series called “Little Britain USA.”
Nine policy challenges were linked to previously unsuccessful attemptsto persuade library staff to remove items from collections,to change age‐based lending conditions for DVDs, books, or comics,to modify movie ratings (whether official or unofficial), or to affix a content warning label.
As in earlier surveys,the vast majority of objections to both materials and policies came from library patrons, with a few from patrons self‐identified as parents or guardians and others from library staff who were also patrons.One was by a library patron in grade seven.Just over half of all challengers called for removal of materials from libraries, while the remainder requested relocation of titles to adult collections. Four requested warning labels.
More than eight in ten challenges resulted in no change to the status of library holdings or policies, while a few individual titles were reclassified and relocated to adult collections. Titles in just four challenges were removed from library collections.One challenge was resolved with a content warning label; and one resulted in referral of the work to a publisher for review of accuracy.

Direct to Full Text Report (PDF).
Access Previous Reports (2006-2011)

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