The Martlet

Potterheads, Canlit hounds and Orwellian-dystopia fans all have something in common — each has held a banned or challenged book in his or her hands. This week, UVic celebrates their experience.

“Freedom to Read Week [is a time] when we get to think about and reaffirm our commitment to intellectual freedom,” said Susan Henderson, UVic Libraries Communications Officer.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of Freedom to Read Week (FTRW) in Canada, which runs from Feb. 21 to 27.

You might be wondering why you’re still able to get your hands on these banned materials. Henderson explains that the bans are not usually governmental, but are rather initiated by organized groups targeting personally offensive books for physical removal from public schools, libraries and bookstores.

“It’s alright for people to have personal opinions and values systems,” Henderson added.

But when they come in to remove these books, they take away everyone’s access, right and privilege to read them, she says.

“You don’t want [to make] a policy of exclusion, but that’s exactly what these groups do when they come in and remove these books,” she said.

With Henderson’s help, UVic began celebrating FTRW last year. She is spearheading this year’s event as well.

The celebration is a joint effort by UVic Libraries and the Bookstore. On campus, it consists of the release and tracking of selected banned and challenged works.

Among those titles are Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Michael Willhoite’s Daddy’s Roommate, and J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. A wide variety of other banned classics, Canadian novels and children’s storybooks are also being featured.

Twenty six campus representatives, including students, staff, faculty and members of the administration, will set these books free across campus and throughout the Victoria area.

“They go out like the Easter Bunny and place their book somewhere for others to find,” said Henderson. “They can be released at a bus stop, a laundromat — anywhere.”

Books will be tracked with BookCrossing, “The World’s Biggest Free Book Club.” Finders of these books will find a numbered sticker directing them to the website, and are encouraged to write a quick review or journal entry if they read it, but are not obligated to do so.

Finders report where they picked up the book and place it somewhere new for the next person to find. These books will travel around the Victoria region and onward.

An interactive display has been set up in the McPherson Library to complement the event, and features 26 banned and challenged books, symbolizing the 26 years of FTRW.

Henderson says the display is very fun, presented in a flash card-like format with a photocopy of the book jacket on one side and an explanation for the ban on the other. She says students are already showing interest in the display.

She hopes the event will help people understand the importance of keeping these books available to the public. The challenge continues, she says.

“[Book] removal becomes very divisive between the book attackers and the book defenders,” Henderson said. “It’s a very polarizing issue.”

Learn more about Freedom to Read Week at freedomtoread.ca, and join the BookCrossing community at bookcrossing.com.