Tag: FTRW

Freedom to Read Week

What do the following titles have in common?

harry mock rye tale bibl orig

munroAll of these are titles which have been challenged.  Somewhere in Canada in the past 30 years, individuals or groups have tried to have these books removed from schools, libraries and bookstores.  The list of challenged authors includes Canadian Alice Munro, the 2013 Nobel Laureate for Literature.

Freedom to Read Week

What is the biggest threat to our “Freedom to Read?”  Is it censorship? Or is it something else?  Perhaps it is apathy. Do we care enough about our rights and freedoms to do enough to protect them?  Or perhaps it is simply the fact that not enough of us spend enough time reading. 

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“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”  While this quote probably didn’t originate from Mark Twain, despite popular attribution to the brilliant writer, the sentiment is still worthwhile. We can teach our kids to read, but if they choose not to read, what then?  We need to protect our “Freedom to Read.”  It is vital to democracy.  Yet the forces that would seek to erode our freedoms need not concern themselves very greatly if we simply fail to take advantage of our freedoms.

Freedom to Read Week

What do the following titles have in common?

harry mock rye tale bibl orig

munroAll of these are titles which have been challenged.  Somewhere in Canada in the past 30 years, individuals or groups have tried to have these books removed from schools, libraries and bookstores.  The list of challenged authors includes Alice Munro, the 2013 Nobel Laureate for Literature.

Freedom to Read Week

From freedomtoread.ca:

FTRW-2014-banner-ENGLISH155x300The Book and Periodical Council and its Freedom of Expression Committee are delighted to announce the 30th anniversary of Freedom to Read Week. A national celebration of freedom of expression that takes place in libraries, schools and arts venues across Canada, this year’s program runs from February 23 to March 1, 2014.

Incorporating public readings and panel discussions, challenged book and magazine displays and a kit for librarians and educators, Freedom to Read Week encourages Canadians to express their views about censorship and the right to free speech and opinion.

For the rest of this article, click here.