Freedom to Read Week - The Freedom to Read Graphically: A (Brief) History of Comics Censorship
This event will be presented in English.
Library and Archives Canada, in collaboration with Ottawa Public Library, invites you to mark Freedom to Read Week 2025. This annual campaign raises awareness about censorship and promotes access to books and magazines, bringing together readers, writers, publishers, schools, libraries, bookstores, universities, colleges, and other organizations across Canada.
This Freedom to Read Week, join Public Historian and Comics Librarian Amie Wright for an evening discussion about the unexpected history of comic book censorship in the United States and Canada. Historical restrictions have left a lasting impact on how comics and graphic novels are perceived today. Despite their popularity, these works remain some of the most censored and misunderstood titles in schools and libraries.
About Amie Wright
Amie Wright, MA MLIS (she/her), is a Public Historian and Comics Librarian. She is currently pursuing her PhD in History at Carleton University, focusing on the 1950s moral panic surrounding children’s comic book reading. Aime also serves as a contract instructor at Carleton University’s Department of History and at McGill University’s Graduate School of Information Studies. Previously, Amie was the Manager of School Outreach/MyLibraryNYC at the New York Public Library and the inaugural President of the American Library Association Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table. Since 2013, she has worked to create professional development opportunities for schools and libraries on comics, partnering with New York and San Diego Comic Con, and the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Amie’s writing on comics, history, libraries, and education has been featured in Canadian Literature, The Teaching Librarian, Booklist, and American Libraries.
Event details
- Date
- Thursday, February 27, 2025
- Time
- 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
- Event admission
- Free admission; registration is required
- Event location
- RBC Foundry at Bayview Yards
- Event address
- 7 Bayview Station Road Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 2C5
Seating is limited, so please register:
Register
For more information, please email evenements-events@bac-lac.gc.ca.
