COLUMN: Think Again – When libraries go woke

Why do we have libraries? The obvious answer is that libraries improve literacy because they make it easy for people to access a wide variety of books and other resources free of charge.

However, some librarians aren’t content with just providing books to the public. Instead, they want libraries to be centres of social justice activism that are committed to “dismantling systemic oppressive practices.”

Earlier this month, the Ontario Library Association (OLA) released a bizarre statement titled “OLA’s Commitment Towards Inclusive Librarianship.” Along with emphasizing the importance of recognizing “multiple intersectionalities,” the statement acknowledges “the colonial history of Canada—a nation built on the ongoing genocide of Indigenous peoples on their homeland.”

Their self-flagellation continues with a formal recognition that the OLA “has been complicit in perpetuating the oppressive systems that form the foundation of Canada and its institutions.” Apparently, libraries have been hotbeds of racial oppression for decades and Canadians were too blinded by their white privilege to see it.

In a bid to atone for its sins, the OLA has hired an EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) consultant who will provide the organization with the necessary spiritual guidance. With the help of this consultant, “the OLA is now ready to embark on a new direction in our work towards inclusive librarianship, starting with anti-racism.”

Lest you think that the OLA is talking about opposing racial discrimination, anti-racism doesn’t mean what you might think it means. In the world of EDI, anti-racism training puts race front and centre in every context. Rather than telling people to treat all people equally regardless of race, the anti-racism of EDI classifies people into “oppressors” and “oppressed” based on their skin colour.

What this means in practical terms is that everyone with “white privilege” must spend the rest of their lives atoning for the sins of their ancestors. Lest you think I’m exaggerating, look at how White Fragility author and race grifter extraordinaire Robin DiAngelo, puts it in one of her workshop handouts.

“All white people benefit from racism, regardless of intentions; intensions are irrelevant…. Racism must be continually identified, analyzed and challenged; no one is ever done” (emphasis in original).

So, there we have it. Far from being a framework designed to help people learn how to treat everyone equally regardless of race, EDI sets itself up as a religion that requires regular sacrifices from the guilty. No matter how hard someone works at being anti-racist, the work will never be done.

This is a great deal for consultants who make their living pushing the latest EDI seminars and books, but it does precious little to improve relationships between people of different backgrounds.

By the way, if you think I’m overstating things when I call EDI a new religion, consider just how similar its practices are to those of an organized religion.

For example, EDI anti-racism presenters act like high priests. They are the ones who provide us with the religious texts we must read (like Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility), the prayers we must recite (land acknowledgements), and the rituals we must perform (renouncing our white privilege). And if you like putting money in the offering plate, these EDI race grifters are more than happy to take your money too.

This has gone too far. Like many other Canadians, I’m fed up with organizations like the Ontario Library Association promoting woke ideology. Libraries should be places where we pick up books, not centres of religious indoctrination.

If libraries keep going woke, they can expect to go broke. Let’s keep the religion of EDI out of our libraries.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and deputy mayor of Steinbach. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.