In Canada, we call it Freedom to Read; in the States, it’s Banned Books Week. Regardless of what we call it, it’s about having the freedom to choose what we read. We are blessed to live in a country that allows us to make decisions for ourselves. Censorship is individuals or groups making decisions for other people, trying to curtail freedom of decision and thought. Even in Canada, there are continued threats to reading as books, movies, and internet are challenged. It is up to each one of us to stand up for freedom to choose. I may not agree with a book’s content and it is my right to choose not to read it. It is not my right, however, to determine that others may not choose to read it.
You will find all sorts of books in our library. Some are books that I do not choose to read – because of the genre, the subject, or the content. However, I have brought them here because they are worthy of being available to you. That’s what Freedom to Read is all about.