Books that were once censored or banned will be getting their own section at 100 Toronto Public Library branches as part of Freedom to Read Week.
The Book Sanctuary Collection will bring back 50 adult, teen, and children’s books that have been removed from a public library or school in North America.
It’s part of a campaign initially launched in Chicago last year, which is now being expanded to Toronto.
“Toronto Public Library (TPL) is highlighting the increase of intellectual freedom challenges across North America and reaffirming the important role public libraries play in protecting this freedom,” a media release issued earlier this week notes.
Books included in the special sections include Anne Frank’s ‘The Dairy of A Young Girl,’ Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ and Spiegelman’s ‘Maus: A Survivor’s Tale,’ among others.
The sections are only being set up temporarily at most branches but will be made permanent at the Toronto Reference Library.
“It’s never been more important to stand up and speak out for intellectual freedom, and to ensure voices, especially those of marginalized and equity-deserving communities, are not shut down,” City Librarian Vickery Bowles said in the release.
