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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 16, 2007 - 27 Freedom to Read Week F To mark Freedom to Read Week, the eb. 25­March 3 is Freedom to Read Week. The 23rd annual Freedom Freedom of Expression committee, in to Read Week, sponsored by partnership with BookCrossing.com, has come up with a fun and Canada's book and magainnovative task for zine producers, distribuCanadians, called Free a tors, and readers, is Challenged Book. intended to focus public Like many people, attention on the vital you may even have a issue of intellectual freechallenged book in your dom. own home. Freedom to read can Take part in never be taken for grantFreedom to Read Week ed. Even in our own counby releasing a chaltry, which is `free' by lenged book somewhere world standards, books and magazines are banned at the border. -- on a park bench, in a coffee shop -- as Free speech on the Internet is also under a way to mimic how challenged books are passed from person to person, and to help scrutiny. These things affect the right of spread the word about challenged and Canadians to decide for themselves what banned books in Canada. A list of challenged literature can be they choose to read. "When we consider the books that found on the Freedom of Expression have been subject to censorship in the Committee website. When you free a past, we get an interesting picture of how book into your community, it could be our attitudes and social morals have picked up by a local person or maybe evolved," says Lori Sims, Director of even by a tourist or foreign exchange stuCustomer Services for the Oakville Public dent who will release it in another counLibrary. "In many cases, it's fascinating to try -- it's what the project is all about. To get started, visit www.freedomtoresee what ideas and depictions were seen as dangerous and disturbing many years ad.ca/freedom_to_read_week/bookcrossago, are regarded as classics today. Ernest ing.asp. If you find a challenged book that's Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Margaret Laurence and Maurice Sendek have all been freed, visit the Book Crossing webhad their works censored in the past. site and tell them about it. The person who freed that book Even Beatrix Potter was will be able to find out challenged in a school "Most requests for about the journey district in England for censorship are based upon their novel has taken. portraying only `middle age appropriateness, faith Oakville Public class rabbits.'" Library has adopted Each day librarians beliefs and issues of the Canadian Library see how vast the range sexuality." Association's of interest and tastes of Statement of library customers are Lori Sims, Director of Intellectual Rights for different works and Customer Services for the and Freedoms, which Oakville Public Library genres. endorses the libraries' Reaction to a particresponsibility to ular published piece is quite individual, one person greatly uphold the rights protected in the enjoying a work and the ideas it presents, Canadian Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. while another person feels differently. "Canadians have the right to have "It is the responsibility of the library to provide the widest variety of materials access to all expressions of knowledge, to meet the needs of a broad audience," creativity, and intellectual activity, and to express their thoughts publicly," states Sims. Even today, popular works such as states Sims. "These principles are J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series are endorsed in our collection development policies and practices, and also in our challenged. Although it's natural for individuals internet access and meeting room rental to question the validity of something policies. Our librarians select materials when the ideas it contains are in contrast that provide a wide variety of styles and to ones deeply held values, challenges to viewpoints. No work is excluded on the materials also exercise freedom of basis of nationality, politics or religion. Excepted are any materials falling under expression. "Most requests for censorship are the prohibitions in the Criminal Code of based upon age appropriateness, faith Canada, for example expressions of beliefs and issues of sexuality," explains hate." Public libraries provide free and open Sims. "In Harry Potter for example, the depiction of magic and wizardry is con- access to collections, facilities and servtrary to some groups' faith beliefs. For ices for users of all ages. "The ultimate responsibility for others, the magic in Harry Potter is a standard feature of a classic adventure choice lies with the user," she says. "In tale, which lends to its enjoyment and these ways the principles of free thought and expression are upheld, the cornerthe exercise of youthful imagination." She adds that for librarians, it's stones of a democratic society and our important that each individual have the healthy community." For more information about freedom to choose materials according to their own tastes and beliefs, with par- Freedom to Read Week, visit www.freeents taking the responsibility to guide domtoread.ca. -- Submitted by the Oakville Public their child in selecting materials in keeping with their families' beliefs and values. Library FEBRUARY IS HEART MONTH. CLEARANCE SALE Canadian Made Grandfather clocks Please give. 3 DAYS ONLY Everything must go! Friday FEB 16 10am-9pm Saturday FEB 17 9am-7pm Sunday FEB 18 9am-5pm WATCH FOR FLYERS IN TODAY'S PAPER 3063 SOUTH SERVICE RD, BURLINGTON ON. BURLINGTON NORTH ROOM AT THE HOLIDAY INN