The Drumheller Public Library is celebrating one of the most basic, and sometimes taken for granted, freedoms of the western world; the freedom to read.
Across the country this week, Canadians are being encouraged to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The theme this year for the nation-wide Freedom to Read Week being displayed at the Drumheller Library, is to stand up against the censorship, or attempted censorship, of literature.
Abroad, some of the literature taken for granted in Canada is censored. For example, Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham is banned in China because of its depiction of early Marxism. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was banned in the 1980’s in London, because it only depicted “middle-class rabbits.”
Closer to home, other works are subject to scrutiny. Libraries across Canada are subjected to complaints and requests to have books or movies removed from their shelves. For example, in 2011 the entire His Dark Materials series, which contains The Golden Compass, was challenged by a patron who suggested the book “...be burned,” or moved to the adult section at a public library in Alberta.
In another example, a parent formally complained about the use of Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale in a Grade 12 English class. The parent complained that the novel’s coarse language, anti-Christian overtones, violence, and sexual degradation probably violated the district policies.
In many cases sexuality, violence, and language are the primary causes of patrons seeking to have material removed.
The Drumheller Public Library is encouraging residents to exercise their freedom and free a challenged book by giving it a read.
