Hello, fellow readers. Here’s a February trivia quiz for you: Which of the following books have been challenged or banned in Canadian schools or libraries?
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Give up? The correct answer is: All of them.
Clearly the censorship community wields a broad sword, along with a fairly narrow set of values. Happily, the public library system has historically been a refuge for and a champion of inclusiveness and non-judgmental availability of reading material. Unfortunately, it has also been the target of high-profile challenges to books and programs, such as drag queen story times, deemed unacceptable by some.
Each library makes its own decisions regarding acquisitions, which is what makes the Nelson Library different from the Trail Library different from the Beaver Valley Library. Being spoiled for choice in our region is an amazing privilege, library-wise. Each library also has a process in place for dealing with challenges before a decision is made to retain or withdraw a book in the collection. It’s a bit of a tricky business: your perception of unacceptable may be entirely different from mine or his, so whose point of view should prevail?
Often the decision comes down to common sense and the common good. The philosophy behind public libraries is to foster an open environment with universal access to materials. The Castlegar Library policy manual, posted on the library website, devotes an entire section to collection management and intellectual freedom. The Canadian Federation of Library Associations, cfla-fcab.ca, has published a statement on intellectual freedom and libraries that unequivocally supports the role of libraries as “essential gateways for all persons living in Canada to advance themselves through literacy, lifelong learning, social engagement, and cultural enrichment.”
Wow — and you thought we just checked out books.
This year, Feb. 23 to March 1 has been designated as Freedom to Read Week in Canada. Now in its 41st year and led by Library and Archives Canada, the Urban Libraries Council and the Ontario Library Association, in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council, Freedom to Read Week encourages Canadians to actively defend their rights to publish, read and write freely.
Everyone is welcome to visit the library and peruse our banned books display materials, spend some time helping to assemble our banned books jigsaw puzzle or even take a banned book home to read. You can find out more at freedomtoread.ca.
