This finding appeared to be strongly related to the qualifications of the library personnel. Where a teacher-librarian was employed, there was almost always a selection policy in place. Most teacher-librarians were employed in urban schools. Censorship creates a restrictive atmosphere in the classroom and limits the flexibility of a teacher's instructional strategies. It contravenes the spirit of the goals of education in this province, and it makes it difficult to encourage the development of a multicultural, global outlook among students.
Censorship stifles creative and critical thinking by narrowing the viewpoints available to students.
And because it restricts formats, reading levels and the number of resources available on various topics, censorship restricts the ability of the teacher to adapt the curriculum to the learner. Interestingly, the title or series that received the most challenges in Saskatchewan was the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. Graham Pierce, a teacher-librarian with the board's department of research and technology, reported that this was the first time the board has had a formal censorship challenge. The case began when three parents sent a letter to every elementary and junior high school principal in the board. Excerpts, taken out of context, proved their points.