Freedom to Read Week: Charter Rights at Your Library

In recognition of Freedom to Read Week (February 23-29, 2020), today we will be discussing the place of public libraries as providers of legal information and, of course, how LawMatters is here to help!

Freedom to read week

As many of you know, Freedom to Read Week is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom – guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Libraries are integral to providing access to all forms of knowledge:

“By providing universal access to knowledge, ideas and opinions, public libraries are a true force for democracy. This is truer than ever in today's information age”

-Toronto Public Library.



So where does legal information fit into this?

Well, during Freedom to Read Week, we are focusing on Charter Rights so let’s start there!

If you or any of your patrons are interested in actually reviewing the Charter you can find it online or in print:

If reading legislation doesn’t sound particularly accessible, there are many other resources to consider if a patron asks:

What are my rights ... ?

These online resources can be referenced online or printed

For Further reading check out the following books:

Any of these can be added to your collection using the LawMatters Grant!

Informed citizens are essential to the realization of just societies. Through LawMatters, our goal is to enhance access to legal information in partnership with public libraries.

If you have any questions about LawMatters programs, grants, or collections support, please let us know!