As Freedom to Read Week comes to a close, it’s a time to reflect on the vital role this event plays in celebrating our right to read freely and access diverse ideas. This week serves as a reminder of our fundamental right to read any book and access a wide range of ideas and information, despite efforts to censor materials deemed inappropriate by some.
As an academic institution, the Leddy Library plays a crucial role in fostering an open and equitable environment that supports access to diverse perspectives and ideas. Book bans represent a regression to a moralistic view of libraries, which historically were founded with the mission to educate the public. Today, libraries are not meant to impose value judgments on materials; instead, they should provide equitable and easy access to a variety of viewpoints.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations' “Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries” ((Canadian Federation of Library Associations, 2016) underscores this responsibility, affirming that libraries must safeguard access to constitutionally protected expressions of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinions, including those considered unconventional, unpopular, or even unacceptable by some. Leddy Library stands firm in upholding these principles.
While book bans have traditionally been seen as a more significant issue in the United States, the number of book challenges in Canada has been on the rise in recent years. Prior to the pandemic, Canada’s challenges were fewer and typically focused on materials perceived as racist. These types of challenges can still be problematic, as in the example of the banning of Lawrence Hill’s The Book of Negroes for the use of the n-word. As Hill (Hill, 2024) stated in an op-ed in response to the ban,
It may be well intended, but it has the same effect as efforts, in the United States and Canada, to ban books that explore anti-Black racism. It denies our children access to a wide range of challenging (and thrilling!) literature, and it will exacerbate the widespread tendency to ignore Black history, Black culture, Black literature, and Black people (para. 12).
Since 2021, Canada has seen a sharp rise in challenges, particularly concerning LGBTQIA+ materials (Nyby & Ellis, 2024). These are also the most challenged types of books in the US, often falsely accused of “grooming” children, “promoting pedophilia, or being pornographic in nature” (Nyby, 2024). It's crucial to recognize that book challenges are significantly underreported in both Canada and the U.S., meaning the extent of the problem is likely even greater than current data suggests.
As a political issue, book bans not only restrict access to knowledge, but they also reflect a deeper societal divide, growing increasingly contentious in our polarized times. Some politicians downplay the issue, even going so far as to deny the existence of book bans. In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Education dismissed the position of Book Ban Coordinator established under President Biden, dismissed all related complaints, and declared book bans a “hoax” (U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax | U.S. Department of Education, 2025). In response, the American Library Association issued a statement defending the reality of book bans, reaffirming their harmful effects. The ALA ((ALA to U. S. Department of Education, n.d.)said, “everyone, everywhere, regardless of their age, background, or political views, deserves access to information from a wide range of perspectives and books that reflect their lived experiences. Libraries have provided that access for hundreds of years” (para. 5).
Libraries across North America are responding to the rise in book challenges by establishing Book Sanctuaries, including the Toronto Public Library, that “actively protects the freedom to read” by committing to make challenged books more accessible (Intellectual Freedom at TPL, n.d.). These efforts aim to mitigate the harm caused by book bans.
As we reflect on Freedom to Read Week, we are reminded that the fight against censorship is far from over. This week serves as a powerful reminder that our right to read and explore ideas is something worth defending, not just for ourselves, but for future generations. Let’s continue to protect the freedom to read without fear of censorship. Check out our list of banned books available at the library!
References
ALA to U. S. Department of Education: Book bans are real | ALA. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://www.ala.org/news/2025/01/book-bans-are-realCanadian Federation of Library Associations. (2016, November 15). Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries. https://cfla-fcab.ca/en/guidelines-and-position-papers/statement-on-intellectual-freedom-and-libraries/
Hill, L. (2024, December 7). About that word, and about those books. The Globe and Mail. Canadian Newsstream Collection. https://ledproxy2.uwindsor.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/about-that-word-those-bo...
Intellectual Freedom at TPL. (n.d.). Toronto Public Library. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/about-the-library/mission-vision-values/intellectual-freedom/index.jsp
Nyby, M. J. (2024). Weathering the Storm: Recent Challenges in Canadian Libraries. Freedom to Read. https://www.freedomtoread.ca/articles/weathering-the-storm-recent-challenges-in-canadian-libraries/
Nyby, M. J., & Ellis, R. H. (2024). A Confluence of Trends in Library Censorship. The Political Librarian, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.7936/pollib.8918
U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax | U.S. Department of Education. (2025, January 24). http://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-ends-bidens-book-ban-hoax
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