Freedom to Read Week
Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed to them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This year, Freedom to Read Week runs from February 18-24, 2024.
This year marks Freedom to Read Week’s 40th anniversary, representing 40 years of dedication to freedom of expression, a fundamental right of all Canadians. Freedom to Read Week, which annually raises awareness about censorship and access to books and magazines, has become a nationwide campaign uniting readers, writers, publishers, schools, libraries, bookstores, universities, colleges, and other organizations across Canada. Learn more about Freedom to Read Week here!
Are you or your library organizing a Freedom to Read Week event? We encourage you to register your event with Freedom to Read to join communities across Canada celebrating the week!
Bail Out the Banned Book Contest on Social Media
Join us on social media during Freedom to Read Week to learn about some Canadian books that have been banned or challenged in libraries across North America, and like our our book posts for a chance to win your own copy of a challenged book!
There are a total of five books available to be won – a different book for each day of the Bail Out the Banned Book Contest running from February 19-23, 2024. The contest is running on all of SLA’s social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
contest rules
Entry into the Bail Out the Banned Book Contest is made by liking any of the contest posts before 9:00am CST on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. An individual can enter each day’s book contest up to three times by liking the contest post on each social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), with one entry coming from each platform.
A winner for each book will be selected at random from everyone who liked the contest post for that book from across all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). An individual can only win one book. If an individual who has already won a book is randomly selected as a winner a second time, a new winner will be drawn.
Winners must be residents of Saskatchewan. Once a winner has been selected, the Saskatchewan Library Association will message that person through social media to gather their mailing address in order to send them their book prize.
FTRW Free Webinar
As part of our Freedom to Read Week celebration, SLA is hosting a free webinar titled Professional Ethics & Political Realities: Responding to Intellectual Freedom Challenges in Public Libraries. Join presenters Sharon Day and Michael Dudley, representatives from the CFLA-FCAB Intellectual Freedom Committee, as they explore the nuances surrounding the challenges and tensions facing public libraries.
The webinar will take place via Zoom on February 21, 2024 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. It is free and open for anyone to join, whether you work in a library and are looking for professional guidance or if you’re just curious about recent book challenges happening across Canada.
2024 FTRW Promotional Materials
The national organization, Freedom to Read, has created free promotional resources for Freedom to Read Week. These digital resources are free and can be downloaded and used by anyone to promote the event.
- 2024 FTRW Posters (English and French) – here you can download the PDF poster or order physical posters for a fee
- 2024 FTRW social media graphics (English and French) – here you can download graphics to use on your social media channels
SLA has also created a free digital poster anyone can download to promote the Professional Ethics & Political Realities webinar on February 21.