Freedom to Read Week (Feb 22-28) is a reminder that reading is more than access to books—it’s an opportunity to explore ideas, reflect on different perspectives, and connect with the world around us.
Removing a book from a shelf doesn’t make its ideas disappear. It simply limits the chance to engage, think critically, and have meaningful conversations.
Freedom to Read Week invites us to celebrate a core principle of public libraries: the belief that everyone should have the freedom to explore ideas, encounter diverse perspectives, and draw their own conclusions. Intellectual freedom is not just about what sits on our shelves: it’s about creating a culture where curiosity, learning, and thoughtful conversation can flourish.
At Ottawa Public Library (OPL), this commitment is at the heart of everything we do. It shapes the collections we build, the programs we offer, and the welcoming, accessible spaces we create. Spaces where you can slow down, sit with a book, follow an idea to its end, and reflect on perspectives that may be new or unexpected. In everything we offer, we invite you to Connect with Curiosity: to wander the shelves, try a program you’ve never tried before, or ask a question that sparks new thinking.
Upcoming Events
As part of Freedom to Read Week, OPL is proud to offer two public events that bring these ideas to life:
February 25 at 7:00 pm: OPL and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) welcome Randy Boyagoda, writer, professor, and the University of Toronto’s Advisor on Civil Discourse. Randy will explore why civil discourse matters, and how intellectual freedom sustains it. His talk will highlight the unique role libraries play as spaces for dialogue, learning, and productive disagreement, supporting the pursuit of knowledge, the common good, and thoughtful engagement. Register to this event.
February 24 at 7:00 pm: OPL and LAC will host Sébastien Pierroz for a French-language event as part of la Semaine de la liberté d’expression. This is an opportunity for francophone audiences to reflect on freedom of expression and the freedom to read in today’s world. Register to this event.
Freedom to Read Week is about celebrating the joy of reading, the freedom to explore ideas, and the chance to reflect and connect with others. At OPL, we are proud to be a free, welcoming third space, where intellectual freedom is not just a principle but a lived practice. It is a place to sit with ideas, explore questions, and connect with the world, and with one another, through reading.
In every visit, we invite you to Connect with Curiosity, finding inspiration, wonder, and new perspectives along the way.