Freedom to Read Week 2022
February 20-26
- What is Freedom to Read?
- Challenged materials in Toronto
- Intellectual freedom at TPL
- Librarians write
- More resources
What is Freedom to Read?
Toronto Public Library is celebrating Freedom to Read Week, an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom.
Public libraries are on the frontlines of the fight to protect books and other materials from censorship. By providing universal access to knowledge, ideas and opinions, public libraries are a true force for democracy. This is truer than ever in today’s information age.
Challenged materials in Toronto
Books, magazines, newspapers and other materials are challenged in Canada and around the world all the time. Each challenge seeks to limit public access to materials in schools, libraries or bookstores.
Here’s a sample of challenges we’ve received over the years. Click to read about why the title was contested and what happened:
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Close gallery itemGood Dog Carl and the Baby Elephant
By Alexandra Day, Laughing Elephant, 2012
Children’s Picture Book
Concern: Depicts unsupervised children at a zoo interacting with wild animals.
Findings: The book is fantastical in nature. Children’s literature, both past and present, is abundant with stories in which children of all ages are shown interacting with animals in a manner that would be unsafe in real life.
Action: Retained in the children’s collection.
Good Dog Carl and the Baby Elephant -
Close gallery itemCrank
By Ellen Hopkins, 2004
Teen Fiction (English)
Concern: Promotes use of crank (methamphetamine) and is inappropriate for teens.
Findings: The author is an internationally-recognized writer of children's and teen books who has been nominated for the National Book Award among others. Rather than promoting the use of methamphetamine, the book shows its devastating impact. It is not only well-written but deals with themes of interest to youth and is popular even with reluctant readers.
Action: Retained in the teen fiction collection.
Get Crank -
Close gallery itemMein Kampf
By Adolf Hitler
Adult Nonfiction
Concern: Contains anti-Semitic material and promotes hatred against Judaism.
Findings: Hitler's autobiography and political manifesto is central to understanding the origins of National Socialism and the World War II era. It is studied extensively at the university level and is available in public and university libraries across Canada.
Action: Retained in the adult nonfiction collection.
Get Mein Kampf -
Close gallery itemBest of Drawn and Quarterly
Edited by Chris Oliveros, et. al., 1993
Adult Graphic Book (English)
Concern: Contains sex and violence.
Findings: A collection of illustrated stories from an internationally known and award-winning publisher of graphic books.
Action: Content intended and suitable for adults and shelved in the adult collection. Retained in the adult collection.
Get Best of Drawn and Quarterly -
Close gallery itemA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Written by Dave Eggers, Simon & Schuster, 2000
Adult Book
Concern: Contains profanity and poor grammar and sentence structure.
Findings: This memoir describes Eggers' struggles in raising his younger brothers following the death of their parents. It was very well reviewed and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Action: Retained in the adult nonfiction collection.
Get A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius -
Close gallery itemSoraida, A Woman of Palestine
Directed by Tahani Rached, National Film Board of Canada, 2004
Adult DVD
Concern: Propaganda - not based on factual events with no artistic or educational merit.
Findings: Soraida, a Palestinian woman and her circle of family and friends share their experiences during the Israeli occupation of Ramallah in 2002. Some of their experiences and dreams are re-enacted. The director is a well-known Egyptian-Canadian film-maker whose work has been featured in the Toronto Hot Docs festival. The film was positively reviewed and was recommended for high school students by the educational magazine CM: Canadian Review of Materials. The film is subjective in nature and there is no requirement that documentaries contain news footage. The occupation of Ramallah has been documented by various reputable news sources. The re-enactments are clearly identified as such.
Action: Retained in the adult DVD collection.
Get Soraida, A Woman of Palestine -
Close gallery itemKilling Kennedy: The End of Camelot
By Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Henry Holt & Co., 2012
Adult Book
Concern: Contains falsehoods because it concludes Kennedy was killed by Oswald alone.
Findings: The book is a work of popular history that describes JFK's presidency and the events leading up to his assassination. Bill O'Reilly is a well-known author and television host, many of whose books, including Killing Kennedy, reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The theory that Oswald acted alone is one of the currently accepted versions of the assassination. Books by authors who dispute this conclusion are also found in the Library's collection.
Action: Retained in the adult collection.
Get Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot -
Close gallery itemLizzy's Lion
By Dennis Lee, Stoddart, 1984
Children's Picture Book
Concern: Violent and disturbing; has no place ina children's library.
Findings: The book tells the story in rhyme of Lizzy whose pet lion saves her from a robber by eating him. The author wrote it to help children deal with bullies as it shows a little girl facing her fears and finding her own inner strength, depicted by the lion. This theme of empowering a child by showing them overcoming adversity is common in children's books from classic fairy tales to modern classics like Where the Wild Things Are.
Action: Retained in the children's collection.
Get Lizzy's Lion -
Close gallery itemBlubber
By Judy Blume, Bradbury Press, 1974
Children's Book
Concern: Depictions of childhood bullying are graphic and detailed.
Findings: The book is a realistic and frank exploration of the issue of childhood bullying which conveys an anti-bullying message. It is considered a classic work of children’s fiction by an acclaimed author. The scenes of bullying, while disturbing, are intrinsic to the theme and plot of the novel and reflect the lived experience of many children who are bullied.
Action: Retained in the children’s collection.
Get Blubber
Intellectual freedom at TPL
Every year, Torontonians borrow millions of items from the library and attend thousands of programs that provide uncensored access to a wide variety of topics, beliefs and opinions.
We also have more than 1,800 public computers and offer unaltered Internet access in support of intellectual freedom. Only dedicated children's computers have filters.
How does the library select materials?
Our materials selection policy guides staff in the acquisition of materials that are of current interest and/or lasting value.
What if I have a concern about library materials?
There may be library materials in our collection of more than 10 million items that you don’t like. Tell us about it. Share your concerns with a staff member and, if you’re still not satisfied, fill out the reconsideration form available at every branch. We will review the item and respond to your questions.
Librarians write
Check out our The Buzz...About Books blog where we regularly share book lists and reading recommendations from our staff and reading challenge participants on diverse topics. With so many books in our collections, there is always room to learn something new!
More resources
Freedom to Read Week is organized nationally by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council. Visit freedomtoread.ca for more information.