What makes a book “dangerous”? Often, it’s not the writing—it’s the ideas. Freedom to Read Week is an annual Canadian campaign that asks us to reaffirm intellectual freedom and to notice how frequently books are challenged, restricted, or removed. Even in a country that values free expression, censorship pressures can be seen in schools, libraries, publishing, and public life. 

This display highlights banned and challenged books—titles that have sparked controversy due to language, politics, religion, sexuality, race, or simply because they present experiences that some people would rather keep off the shelf.

This display also reflects a local, timely conversation: in September 2025, Alberta’s Minister of Education and Childcare issued Ministerial Order 34/2025 that narrows restrictions to materials with explicit visual depictions of sexual acts and introduces expectations around communication and publicly available listings of school materials. This display features books that have been banned or challenged, along with titles swept into Alberta’s debate over what belongs on school shelves including graphic novels such as Gender Queer, Fun Home, Blankets, and Flamer—works that are widely discussed in conversations about challenges and “bans.”

We invite you to explore these books with curiosity and care. Read broadly. Think critically.