News

In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., back in February, when many businesses closed their doors, Paula Coutts, the head librarian of the Tumbler Ridge Public Library, kept the library open.

“We’re very much treated as a community hub,” Coutts told CBC Radio’s As It Happens. “We have a lot of people who are alone, and we’re often their adult social contact.”

Continue reading “The Creation of the Canadian Public Library System” →

“The Cost of Knowledge” is the theme for this year’s International Open Access Week (October 19-25).
We create and share knowledge in order to advance human understanding and the common good. We recognize that accessing and sharing knowledge is a human right. Yet, the costs to access and share knowledge continue to increase, often dramatically. Why? Who benefits?

Increasing consolidation and commercial control over all aspects of knowledge comes at a cost. This year’s theme challenges us to consider the financial, human, and environmental costs of creating, sharing, and sustaining knowledge—particularly when these costs are driven by private rather than public interests. Last year’s theme of “Who owns our knowledge?” reflected on the reality of commercial ownership of knowledge. This year’s theme will reckon with the costs of that reality and avenues for reclaiming control of these systems meant to serve the public interest.

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« Le coût de la connaissance » est le thème de la Semaine internationale du libre accès de cette année (du 19 au 25 octobre).
Nous créons et partageons la connaissance afin de faire progresser la compréhension humaine et le bien commun. Nous reconnaissons que l’accès à la connaissance et son partage constituent un droit humain. Pourtant, les coûts liés à l’accès et au partage de la connaissance ne cessent d’augmenter, souvent de manière spectaculaire. Pourquoi ? À qui cela profite-t-il ?

La consolidation croissante et le contrôle commercial exercé sur tous les aspects de la connaissance ont un coût. Le thème de cette année nous invite à réfléchir aux coûts financiers, humains et environnementaux liés à la création, au partage et à la pérennisation de la connaissance, en particulier lorsque ces coûts sont dictés par des intérêts privés plutôt que publics. Le thème de l’année dernière, « À qui appartient notre connaissance? », portait sur la réalité de la propriété commerciale de la connaissance. Le thème de cette année abordera les coûts de cette réalité et les moyens de reprendre le contrôle de ces systèmes censés servir l’intérêt public.

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The fourth edition of CBC Kids Reads, a literary celebration for young readers, has announced this year’s five shortlisted titles.

From a fish with a passion for fashion, to a little girl with a passion for cars and helping her father in the garage, the five shortlisted books are sure to make you crack a smile or two.

Continue reading “5 Canadian picture books in the running for CBC Kids Reads 2026” →

Nearly 12,000 bans took place in American public schools over the past year, according to a new study from PEN America.

This is the highest total since the free expression organization began tracking removals five years ago.

The report arrives during the international Banned Books Week, which runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10. This year’s theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read”, during which events at U.S.-based schools and libraries and other locations call attention to censorship efforts.

Continue reading “Works by Canadian authors Margaret Atwood and Ryan North among books banned in U.S. schools” →

The Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship honours individuals who have significantly enhanced the public recognition and appreciation of the library profession in Canada.

Background

Established in 2007 through a generous donation by Dr. Ken Haycock to the former Canadian Library Association (CLA), the award aims to celebrate exceptional contributions to librarianship. Following the dissolution of CLA in 2016, the Ontario Library Association (OLA) assumed responsibility for the award. Currently, CULC leads the nomination process in collaboration with OLA.

Award Criteria

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional success in enhancing the public recognition and appreciation of librarianship, outside of the usual awareness activity a professional is expected to do. This may be achieved through:

• demonstrating outstanding performance as a librarian,
• educating others about the profession, or
• contributing to literature that promotes the value of librarianship.

Nominees should also exemplify the role of an ambassador and role model for the profession.

Nomination Process

Nominations are accepted annually, with a typical deadline of November 15th at 12:00 pm EST. To nominate a candidate, complete the nomination form (below), including a statement of support that provides specific examples of how the nominee meets the award criteria.

Submit a nominee

Banned Book Week highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. It is an opportunity to inform communities about the escalation in censorship while also highlighting the importance of the right to read and readers’ access to information.

The struggle against book bans is too immense to capture in a single image. This year’s Banned Books Week campaign features three illustrations showing how libraries and access to information enrich our lives. The artwork from award-winning illustrators Hyesu Lee, Loveis Wise, and Mikey Burton embraces joy and creativity as acts of resilience, reminding our communities that a handful of people running organized censorship campaigns should not be allowed to dictate what the rest of us can read.

The 2026 Banned Books Week theme, ‘Let Books Be,’ celebrates the joy of reading and, at the same time, motivates us to stand up for the right to read. We must let books be a window into ourselves and others, a door to new ideas and possibilities, and a path to full participation in our society.

Banned Books Week promotional tools

Freedom to Read Challenged Works List