No book should be silenced, and the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) is making sure of it.
KFPL is celebrating Freedom to Read Week from Feb. 23 to March 1. In 1984, Freedom to Read Week started as an annual opportunity for libraries to showcase their commitment to freedom of information. This year, KFPL is teaming up with Queen’s University Libraries, St. Lawrence College Libraries, and Massey Library to host a Read-a-Thon on Feb. 28.
The Read-a-Thon, hosted at the Central Branch, will showcase community leaders and local politicians, Mayor Bryan Paterson, as they read short excerpts from previously banned books. The library is also hosting a banned books challenge, where readers of all ages are encouraged to read previously banned books while earning badges and entering giveaways.
Libraries play an essential role in promoting freedom of information in the community. “It’s one of those values in of intellectual freedom that’s foundational to the library itself,” Laura Carter, MBA ’13, chief librarian and executive officer said in an interview with The Journal.
Access to information is critical to upholding an accurate representation of the diverse Kingston community, with libraries playing a critical role in ensuring books and literature are available from every perspective.
Censorship isn’t always obvious. Through complaints about curriculum, library collections, and local events, there’s a risk of erasing the perspectives of various historically underrepresented groups.
An example of a previously challenged book in Canada and the United States is Jacob’s New Dress (2014), a heartwarming story about a young boy wearing a dress to school. Jacob’s New Dress was challenged by parental groups and school districts on the grounds of being a tool of indoctrination normalizing transgender behaviour.
“This is a book I’m thrilled to defend, you know, I want this in our collection, I believe in its values,” Liz Coates, manager of programming and marketing at the KFPL shared.
It’s challenges towards books like Jacobs’s New Dress that contribute to the systemic erasure of entire communities. The suppression of these voices can take the form of complaints against libraries, thievery or vandalism of library materials, and organized efforts to discredit books on social media.
For both Carter and Coates, it’s important for children, and anyone, to receive an accurate reflection of the world when they engage with literature.
“It’s crucial in of people’s development and identities in order to see themselves reflected in the literature,” Carter said.
The KFPL’s commitment to freedom of information comes from their core values of joy and acceptance, focusing
on engaging with the community in all its forms. Libraries are for the entire community, and the KFPL programming strives to reflect that.
One initiative seeking to promote diverse voices is the KFPL Drag Queen Storytime, where a drag queen will showcase books to a younger audience, entrenching values of acceptance and inclusion in the next generation.
READ MORE: Kingston’s drag scene has adult and children audiences
Barring hate speech, the KFPL hopes to ensure all forms of media are available to the community, leaving it up to parents and families to decide what’s age-appropriate for their children.
READ MORE: Protesters face off at City Hall over LGBTQ+ education
With debates over freedom of expression and access to information unfolding south of the border, it’s crucial not to overlook similar challenges happening right here at home. Canada—and even Kingston—has been at the centre of these discussions. In Toronto, protests against drag queen story times have gained momentum, and in September of 2023, Kingston itself hosted the 1 Million March for Children, a demonstration opposing 2SLGBTQ+ education in schools. These events make it clear Canada isn’t immune to the very criticisms we often direct at our neighbours.
The KFPL’s commitment to intellectual freedom serves as a reminder that access to diverse stories and perspectives is essential for a thriving, inclusive community. The library hopes the community buys into the messages being promoted this Freedom to Read Week and continues to uphold the value of equal access to information.
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