Intellectual Freedom

Recent news of challenges to books in school and public libraries remind us that book challenges are not uncommon in Canada and, in most cases, are dealt with by the library staff. When the public does hear about a book challenge in a school library learning commons, it is usually where the school policies were not followed and the decision to remove the challenged item was carried out by school officials working outside the bounds of the book-challenge procedures.

Freedom of Expression is an important foundation of a democratic society and protected as a “fundamental freedom” in Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Yet, in both countries, free expression is being used paradoxically to justify censorship. A disturbing recent example is the enactment of Texas House Bill 3979: “An Act relating to the social studies curriculum in public schools.”

Marcellus Turner, CEO and Chief Librarian at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and Carla Graebner, Data Services and Government Information Librarian at Simon Fraser University, are the newest members of the Centre for Free Expression Working Group on Intellectual Freedom. Turner spent the past ten years as the Executive Director and Chief Librarian at The Seattle Public Library in Seattle, Washington which, in 2020 under his leadership, was awarded the prestigious 2020 Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal. 

Milton Public Library Chief Librarian and CEO Mark Williams is joining the Centre for Free Expression’s Working Group on Intellectual Freedom. “We are delighted to welcome such a dedicated champion of intellectual freedom to the CFE Working Group,” said James L. Turk, the Centre’s Director.