Freedom to Read Week

Do you believe that you should be able to choose what you read? Or should other people be able to decide for you what you can read? Freedom to Read Week celebrates our fundamental freedoms as citizens of democracies and our fundamental rights as human beings. Freedom to Read Week also asks to to beware of the forces at work which erode and seek to destroy your rights and freedoms.

Do you take your Freedom to Read for granted? These are books that are available in our libraries which have been challenged, and in far too many cases, removed from shelves, and banned. Many of the books pictured here are on the list of the top 20 most banned books in the U.S. for the 2021-2022 school year.

This isn’t just happening in authoritarian states such as North Korea, Iran, China or Russia. This is happening in the so-called free world. This is happening in the United States. So far it hasn’t been as bad in Canada, but challenges are growing here and there are too many who want American censorship to come to Canada.


Find out more:

Freedom to Read Week

Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools

Challenged Works List

Coming Soon: Drop Everything and Read

Monday, October 24 is Canadian School Library Day, BC School Library Day, and the day for the BCTLA/BCTF Annual “Drop Everything and Read” Challenge. All students and staff at LTSS are challenged to use the Tutorial Block on Monday to read for pleasure.

source: BCTLA

Put away the homework and the text books. Shut down your phone and the computer. Ignore the marking and the lesson planning. Pick up a book and read for recreation. Read for pleasure. Read to learn something you are interested in (outside of school!). Read to escape. Read for fun.

Be sure to have some good reading material ready for Monday. Come down to the School Library where that is our number one job, helping you to get good reading material into your hands.

The DEAR Challenge is extended to all the citizens of our province! So pass on the word to your family and friends. Challenge them to take some time on October 24 to “Drop Everything and Read!”