What's at stake?
What's at stake when voices are silenced, civil discourse erodes and access to information is narrowed? How are challenges to intellectual freedom shaping and impacting our way of life? How can we protect free thought and ideas?
Freedom of expression and information are being threatened in Canada and worldwide. Now is the time to have open, meaningful and respectful dialogue and debate about what's at stake.
This spring, we're continuing these critical conversations with events, civil forums and installations. We invite you to challenge your perspectives, engage with new ideas, learn from one another and – most importantly – join the conversation.
Events and civil forums are part of our On Civil Society programming and generously funded in part by the Toronto Public Library Foundation.
Upcoming events
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The Age of Magical Overthinking | Amanda Montell & Cara Santa Maria
Thurs, April 25 | 7 pm | Toronto Reference Library
What’s at stake when our ability to reason is compromised? Author Amanda Montell talks about her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, in conversation with science communicator, psychologist, and Talk Nerdy podcast host Cara Santa Maria.
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Racing to Go Viral | Ben Smith & Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Wednesday, May 22 | 7 pm | Toronto Reference Library, Appel Salon
What's at stake when news becomes click-bait? Journalist Ben Smith discusses his book Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral, exposing the struggle to balance journalist integrity with commercial success. In discussion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud and in partnership with the Canadian Journalism Foundation.
Past events and civil forums
Last season, we heard from global activists, warrior librarians, big tech whistleblowers, human rights leaders and others who are defending intellectual freedom in the face of war, legal harassment, misinformation and censorship. Watch recordings of our 2023 season:
Reflections from the City Librarian
A message from Vickery Bowles about the importance of our new series and how libraries are uniquely positioned to host and facilitate these conversations.
Installations
Experience installations that explore what's at stake when books are challenged or banned, and libraries are forced to limit their access to information, ideas and diversity of thought.
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The Book Sanctuary Collection
These 50 adult, teen and children's books from across our collections represent titles that have been challenged, censored or removed from a public library or school in North America. Explore the collection to learn why these books were challenged.
Third floor, North York Central Library
Fourth floor, Toronto Reference Library
What is intellectual freedom?
According to the American Library Association, 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.
Additional resources
Learn how we're protecting and defending intellectual freedom across our collections, programs and spaces.