Freedom to Read Week provides an opportunity for Canadians to focus on issues of intellectual freedom as they affect your community, your province, our country, and countries around the world. Whether you are a librarian, bookseller, educator, student, or member of the community, there are lots of ways you can help mark this annual event.
Freedom to Read Kit
Each year, the Freedom to Read Kit includes a Get Involved section that provides activities designed for classroom instruction and discussion. Get Involved is also intended for citizens outside the classroom who wish to plan community events. This section includes ideas for publicizing challenged books and magazines in Canada, organizing events that draw attention to freedom of expression and generating publicity for local events.
How You Can Observe Freedom to Read Week
We encourage you to use these ideas to Get Involved during Freedom to Read Week and all year round. We sincerely hope your efforts have an impact in your library, classroom and your community.
Read through for some easy ways to put Freedom to Read Week events together!
Celebrate Freedom to Read Week on social media!
Get creative during Freedom to Read Week by trying out these fun DIYs!
Create a mugshot backdrop. Library patrons can have their picture taken with a banned or challenged book or magazine…
Set up a speaker podium where people can read aloud from censored materials. Invite local authors to read from their books, or keep it simple…
Select a book that has been challenged, and make censorship the focus of your group discussion. For a list of challenged books and magazines, go…
Each year, new challenges are made to books, magazines, and other print materials in Canada. We strive to keep accurate, up-to-date records of challenges to…
Host a trivia night over Zoom or Google Meet. Click here to visit our resources page for ideas to help you create questions about censorship…
If your school newspaper reviews books or your library provides a book review column in the local newspaper, during Freedom to Read Week review famous…
Organize a book display by genre or theme. You could have a display of censored young-adult fiction or books challenged for offensive language. Here are…
Ask your municipal or local council to declare your community a Freedom to Read Zone. The proclamation could be modelled on the Sample Proclamation. Make…
Organize these activities to have some fun this Freedom to Read Week!
Did you know that someone in Canada is trying to stop you from reading certain books? Are you shocked? Are you willing to spread the…
