This year, from February 23 to March 1, Canada will once again celebrate Freedom to Read Week in libraries across the nation.  Led by a few library steering organizations, this annual event encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to all expressions of intellectual freedom. Or in other words, the ability to access information and material without restrictions, something that libraries have always prided themselves on being able to provide to our communities.

While celebrating Freedom to Read Week has always been important, even before it’s official inception in 1984, it certainly has hit differently as we’ve come into the 2020s.  Reports of an exponential rise in book challenges and bans have been flooding in from the United States over the last few years, and Canada has not been immune.   According to this article on the FtRW site, in the 2022-2023 period book challenges in Canada went up from 46 and 55 the previous years to 118.  More than double the previous year, and that was only what was reported. These targeted books are labeled as ‘dangerous’, ‘obscene’, ‘harmful’, and other choice words. Certain people and groups have taken it upon themselves to keep books out of reach, driven by that person or group’s own sense of what is right, what is wrong and what is factual.

As a library staff member (and first time blogger on this site, hi everyone *waves*) this has been troubling news for quite some time.  There’s been a saying that’s been around for a while now; “Free People Read Freely”.  The right to learn, to have access to relevant and accurate information at appropriate age levels (shown in how we catalogue our collections for children, teens and adults), and to find this information without barriers is what empowers our community members to live to their fullest potentials.  This also includes the ability to find stories that reflect not just the reader but the world around them, embracing the beautiful diversity of people, cultures, histories and experiences. Having a week where we can focus on the topic (along with Banned Books Week in the fall) is an excellent opportunity to remind ourselves that this freedom can often be tested, and that your local library is an amazing place to put that freedom into practice.

If you’d like to learn more, we have items you can borrow that help illuminate the issues. The following are just a few to highlight:

That Librarian by Amanda Jones, an adult nonfiction book about the author, who has become a famous example of targeted harassment to those who stand up against book bans by people and organizations who want to remove books from schools and libraries. Jones’s story is a cautionary tale but one full of hope and resilience as well.

There’s also Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kristen Miller.  This adult fiction novel tells the tale of a town where a resident named Lula Dean has taken it upon herself to remove books from schools and libraries.  She starts a little free library outside of her home with more ‘appropriate’ books for people to borrow, but a local mischief maker has taken the covers off these approved books and placed them on the very books Lula is trying to get rid of.  These books find their way into the hands of residents who need them most, causing big life changes and reverberations across the whole town.

Finally, there’s The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak. Another adult fiction novel, this one centers on Gia, who is returning to her hometown after many years spent away.  Her reasons for leaving divided the residents back in the day, but upon returning she learns that the Banned Book Club she founded before she left is still running.  This along with other revelations will help Gia determine if this place might be for her after all.

We have other titles for different age groups as well. Feel free to check out my colleague’s list below, especially if you have young readers in your life.  Thank you for borrowing any of our books and exercising your right to read freely.