By Sonia Bebbington, Chief Librarian and CEO of Ottawa Public Library
Public libraries are places where people can freely express themselves, explore new ideas, and learn without limits. From February 23 to March 1, Ottawa Public Library (OPL) will celebrate Freedom to Read Week. We take seriously our role to uphold intellectual freedom in Canada.
In 2024, OPL had 11 formal requests to reconsider books in its collection. The requests submitted by OPL cardholders were about different issues. Concerns included that books weren’t appropriate for certain ages, were biased, or included transphobia, Islamophobia, low-quality content, support for LGBTQIA+ rights, incorrect medical info, or explicit content.
Why should we care? Censorship is a direct challenge to an individual’s freedom of thought, expression, and access to ideas. Taking a book off the Library’s shelves stops people from accessing it and from potentially learning new ideas. Not having access to a variety of content makes it harder to think critically, understand different viewpoints, and question received information.
Libraries play a key role in safeguarding our freedom to read. They provide valuable access so that everyone can read and explore new ideas and different perspectives, without limitations, no matter who they are or what they want to explore.
Reading freely sparks our imagination and creativity. Reading freely develops our critical thinking skills. Reading freely fosters empathy and understanding. We need this now more than ever.
I invite you to use the last week of February to not just celebrate our freedom to read, but also to engage with and learn from a variety of opinions, experiences, and ideas.
Get a library card if you don’t have one, and read a new perspective. Join us in celebrating the freedom to read – today and every day.