Freedom to Read Week: Raising awareness about censorship and intellectual freedom
Freedom to Read Week takes place from February 23 to March 1, 2025. For a second consecutive year, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is joining the library community to encourage all Canadians to reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom and to raise awareness of the harms of censorship.
To mark this occasion, LAC is offering a variety of resources and opportunities to celebrate the freedom to read.
Learn more about LAC's role in combatting censorship
Canada’s published documentary heritage is an integral part of the collective memory preserved at LAC. Our rich collections include works from throughout history to today’s newest releases. There’s much to learn about Freedom to Read Week and its links with LAC’s mandate and collections on LAC’s Discover Blog.
The archival holdings at LAC also document the history of this important week and intellectual freedom advocacy in Canada. Explore related records today.
In the National Capital Region
LAC is presenting two in-person events for Freedom to Read Week in collaboration with the Ottawa Public Library.
On February 26, we are hosting Upholding Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, a Balancing Act, where Mathilde Barraband and Catherine Lachaîne will discuss the prominent role libraries play in our democracies and the complex challenge of curating and weeding their collections. This event will be held in French with English simultaneous interpretation available on site.
On February 27, public historian and comics librarian Amie Wright will present The Freedom to Read Graphically: A (Brief) History of Comics Censorship at RBC Foundry in Ottawa. This event will be presented in English.
About Freedom to Read Week
Freedom to Read Week is an annual campaign that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom. As of 2024, Freedom to Read Week entered a new phase led by Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council and the Ontario Library Association, in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council.
Learn more
Consult newly updated resources for Freedom to Read Week 2025:
We encourage you to also listen to last year’s panel discussion: Leslie Weir in Conversation with Challenged Authors.
Related links