Our Freedom to Read and Why It’s Important – Intro

Libraries are essential gateways for all persons living in Canada to advance themselves through literacy, lifelong learning, social engagement, and cultural enrichment.
~ Canadian Federation of Library Associations Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries

Welcome to the Parkland Regional Library System Intellectual Freedom Blog Series! Every Friday throughout the month of July, we’ll be sharing a short blog post on intellectual freedom and the freedom to read in the library. This first one is intended to give you an introduction to the topic and some additional resources to get you started. The rest of the schedule will look like this:

July 11 – What do library staff need to know about freedom to read?

July 18 – What do board members need to know about freedom to read?

July 25 – What do patrons need to know about freedom to read?

What is Intellectual Freedom?

Intellectual freedom gives people the right to think for themselves. It respects individual dignity and self-rule. This freedom allows people to form their own ideas and opinions by questioning the world around them. Every person has the right to access information from all points of view, in all formats, and without restriction. Privacy is required for true intellectual freedom. Protection of this freedom assures every person’s right to form their own ideas and opinions (Censorship Q&A, American Libraries Association, n.d.).

The origins of intellectual freedom are found in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and are defined as follows:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Our freedom to advance knowledge, learn and grow, and support open and informed discourse and decision-making is also recognized as a fundamental freedom in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and forms the basis of our democratic systems (Calgary Public Library, 2025).

Helpful Definitions

Ban – The removal of materials from a library based on the objections of a person or group.

Censorship – Limiting or removing access to words, images, or ideas. The decision to restrict or deny access is made by a governing authority. This could be a person, group, or organization/business. Censorship by the government is illegal.

Challenge – An attempt to have a library resource removed, or access to it restricted, based on the objections of a person or group.

Collection Development Policy – Guidelines libraries use for the selection, acquisition, purchase, and disposition of library materials. The policy assists library staff in building a collection that aligns with the library’s mission and can be made public to inform library users of selection criteria.

Harmful to Minors – Sexually explicit materials that adults have a legal right to access, but that lack any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors. It is illegal to knowingly distribute these materials to any minor. The fact that a work has topics addressing sex, or contains sexual content, does not make the material “harmful to minors.” Whether materials are considered “harmful to minors” is determined by the Canadian court system under the obscene materials and child pornography sections of the Canadian Criminal Code. (Censorship Q&A, American Libraries Association, n.d.)

Public Good – The benefit or well-being of the public (Oxford Languages, n.d.).