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Welcome to Vancouver Island Regional Library

Home / Freedom to Read Week

Freedom to Read Week

Banned books, in this day and age?

Believe it. Canadians are fortunate in that our rights and freedoms to choose what we want to read is protected.

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Maybe you’d be surprised to learn that “challenged” books include the Harry Potter series; Canadian author, Margaret Atwood’s riveting series The Handmaid’s Tale, and even children’s books!  We are also seeing more challenges to programming, like the ones aimed at Drag Queen Storytimes in libraries across the province including ones in our service areas.

LEARN more about Freedom to Read Week in Canada, check out https://www.freedomtoread.ca/.

WATCH the videos in the Banned Books and Films category in Kanopy – a movie-streaming service free for library customers.

READ & LISTEN to these eBooks & eAudiobooks in our Overdrive collection, all of which have either been challenged or banned in the past.

EXPLORE further by diving into any of the titles below…all challenged works in Canada.

Freedom to Read Week

Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone Cover
Harry Potter and…
Rowling, J. K., author.
Underground to Canada Cover
Underground to Canada
Smucker, Barbara, 1915-2003, author.
The wars Cover
The wars
Findley, Timothy, 1930-2002, author.
The handmaid's tale Cover
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret, 1939- author.
The golden compass Cover
The golden compass
Pullman, Philip, 1946- author.
A jest of God Cover
A jest of…
Laurence, Margaret, author.
Go ask Alice Cover
Go ask Alice
Hold fast Cover
Hold fast
Major, Kevin, 1949- author.
When everything feels like the movies [paperback] Cover
When everything feels…
Reid, Raziel, 1990- author.
Three wishes : Palestinian and Israeli children speak Cover
Three wishes :…
Ellis, Deborah, 1960-
Who is Frances Rain? Cover
Who is Frances…
Buffie, Margaret.
You can't read this : forbidden books, lost writing, mistranslations & codes Cover
You can't read…
Ross, Val.
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