Freedom to Read

Freedom to Read Week 2013 (Feb 24 to Mar 2)

Freedom to Read Week (FTRW) is an annual national event that celebrates intellectual freedom in Canada and raises awareness about the challenges to our freedom to read. EPL and libraries across the country play an important role in protecting your intellectual freedom, ensuring everyone has uncensored access to materials of varying topics, beliefs and opinions.

FTRW 2013 Event Schedule (sorted by date)

What	Chris Hedges Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt Controversial Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and writer Chris Hedges speaks about injustice and corporate greed in America...and argues Canada is travelling the same path. Read more about Chris Hedges
When	Sunday, February 24, 2013 \| 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Where	Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Room 1-430 11455 Saskatchewan Drive University of Alberta Campus
Cost	Free
Register	No registration required. Share our Facebook event page with your friends!

What	*Banned Books Cafe* Celebrate Freedom to Read Week by participating in the Banned Books Café. Hear readings from challenged books and join in discussions about censorship and your freedom to read.
When	Sunday, February 24, 2013 \| 2:00pm
Where	Woodcroft Branch 13420 - 114 Ave
Cost	Free
Register	Drop In. No registration required.

What	*Freedom to Listen* Mash-ups can produce musical experiences that become more than the sum of their parts, but what happens when major labels don’t want you to hear them? This talk’s focus will be Danger Mouse’s notorious Grey Album—fusing together The Beatles’ “White Album” and Jay-Z’s Black Album—as well as copyright issues and mash-up culture as a whole. Please note that this presentation will feature explicit lyrics that might not be suitable for everyone.
When	Tuesday, February 26, 2013 \| 12:15pm
Where	Stanley A. Milner Library (Audio Visual Room) 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Cost	Free
Register	Drop in. No registration required.

What	*Freedom to View* Celebrate Freedom to Read Week by watching a film considered controversial. Warning: contains explicit content and may not be suitable for young children.
What's Playing	Wednesday, February 27, 2013 \| 6:30pm @ Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre As part of Freedom To Read Week, we are excited to show the newly restored classic Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli as a flighty but talented diva who performs a nightclub act in 1930s Berlin.
What's Playing	Thursday, February 28, 2013 \| 7:00pm @ Idylwylde Branch Join us for a screening of Wiebo's War, a documentary about Wiebo Ludwig and his fight against Big Oil. A discussion of the influence of the media on our understanding of the events in the news will follow.
Cost	Free
Register	Drop In. No registration required.

What	*Freedom to Create* Celebrate Freedom to Read Week by creating your own artistic masterpiece in our "Free-for-all" art project.
When	Thursday, February 28, 2013 \| 2:00pm
Where	Capilano Branch 201 Capilano Mall 5004 - 98 Ave
Cost	Free
Register	Drop In. No registration required.

Intellectual Freedom and EPL

<<< Download EPL's Intellectual Freedom brochure >>>

With over 260,000 Edmontonians enjoying our services regularly, our customers come from a rich mixture of cultures, representing over 36 countries from around the world, each holding a diversity of opinions and beliefs. One of the vital community roles the library plays is to protect the Intellectual Freedom of our many customers, including yours.

"It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some elements of society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular, or unacceptable. To this end, libraries shall acquire and make available the widest variety of materials." - Canadian Library Association

EPL strongly supports this statement and supplies a wide range of materials allowing for individuals to use them without obstruction and to develop their own informed opinions and ideas.

"Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause, or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive, and disseminate ideas."

- American Library Association

Challenged materials from around the world

Books, magazines, newspapers and other materials are challenged and banned in Canada and around the world all the time. Each challenge has sought to limit public access to materials in schools, libraries or bookstores.

Take a look at why they were challenged and what the results were.

What will I find at EPL?

Walk into any branch and you'll find a wide range of books, CDs, DVDs and other materials. We don't condemn, endorse or advocate controversial materials on our shelves. Nor do we mark or identify materials to show approval or disapproval of the contents. Why? Because it's your "right to know". It's your right to use these materials freely and to develop your own informed thoughts and opinions.

How does EPL select books and other materials?

All materials at EPL are selected based on the following criteria:

Relevance to our community's needs
Importance as a historical document or as a current event
Relation to the existing collection and other materials on the subject
Popularity and local demand

We also take into account the expertise, comprehensive treatment of a subject, clarity and representation of different points of view (including extreme or miniority points of view). >> Complete Collection Development Policy.

What if there are materials in the library I don't like?

If you think we should not have a particular item on our shelves, or that an item should be relocated within the collection, you can request reconsideration of materials by filling out forms available at every branch. All requests from customers are taken seriously and will be answered. If you believe there are better materials available expressing certain viewpoints, you can make suggestions for new items at any branch or on our website.

Need more info? Take a look at EPL's procedure for dealing with citizens' complaints about library materials.

Do my kids have access to all library materials?

Yes, your child's card provides access to all material in our library, however, children under the age of 18 must have permission from their parents or guardians to get a library card. Parents and guardians are the best judge of what their children should or should not read and can regularly review their borrowing activity. We recommend that you have discussions with your children about what is appropriate for them to read, listen, view, and play.

<<< Download EPL's Intellectual Freedom brochure >>>

“The right to know is a requirement for freedom of thought and conscience; freedom of thought and freedom of expression are necessary conditions for freedom of access to information.”

- International Federation of Library Associations

<<< Download EPL's Intellectual Freedom brochure >>>