Freedom to read

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

Most Canadians are proud they can read and write, and have the right to express and share thoughts with others whenever they want.
That is why Freedom to Read week, which this year ran Feb. 26 to March 4, is an important initiative for everyone.
In Canada, our literacy rate is high and evaluated not just on the ability to read, but also on how well we decode the wordage and apply that information to problem solving levels. Statistics Canada rates Albertans at a higher-than-average level than some provinces in Canada. However, with a necessary influx of people from other countries, programs to read and write in English can help newcomers flourish and contribute in our society.
Reading, whether done digitally or from the printed page, gives individuals the opportunity to take in knowledge and apply that knowledge to an activity or decision-making process. It is a way to build on core understandings, and advances cultures and societies on multiple levels.
There are challenges to reading rights that are causing concerns globally. They include access to information, the cost of obtaining reading material, suppression of the written and spoken word, and technology’s impact on the need for reading.
The Freedom to Read website, freedomtoread.ca, provides a wealth of information for supporting the right to read, but also lists 100 works placed on censorship lists by those seeking to suppress various points of view.
Security and monitoring by government and commercial interests concern Canadians, as reading choices and website use are data mined to persuade, sell and influence decisions. There are concerns privacy rights are not protected, and every time the “I agree” box is ticked on apps and digital sites, Canadians give away their rights and freedoms on what they read and access.
Economic constraints can curtail the freedom to read. Public libraries are feeling the economic crunch on supplying patrons a cost-effective way to read while keeping their fees down. It is one reason the Strathmore Municipal Library has come up with some innovative fundraising programs to support keeping the library viable.
Costs to provide affordable digital services are also constantly rising, with the need to pay for proprietary sites and provider fees. New book prices put magazines and books as a luxury item for many people. Even used booksellers, who often halve the price of the original item, face increasing costs to keep doors open and provide reading material to the public.
Anyone who has a college student buying texts for the new term book list recognizes how cost affects the chance of obtaining a relevant education. Students in remote areas, with governments supported by a smaller tax base, have significant inequalities to the type of education resources and access to digital services for learning material, although some Canadian businesses and government grants are moving to improve resources in those areas.
One charitable organization is Books without Bounds, started in 2011 by Julia and Emma Mogus, two Ontario teens who are supplying books to indigenous communities worldwide. They said they were inspired by a report that states having as few as 20 books in a home can encourage children to read and move on to higher learning levels.
Books also support charitable organizations in return. The Strathmore 5 for Life society utilizes book sales to support programming for those in need.
Some wonder how technology is affecting our ability to read and write. The abbreviation of the written language, shortening of messages for digital bytes, video and film replacing written material, and the dependency on electronic media, is under the literary microscope. Supporters for technology say easy access to information improves children’s ability to take in knowledge, with the responsibility on educators to provide the critical thinking skills, allowing early readers to sift through the data universe for accurate and appropriate data.
There are things individuals and groups can do to support literacy: read a book, support library programs, recycle books, support a literacy charity and share a good story with another person. Groups can vocalize to legislative committees and government officials the need to protect freedoms, speaking out against those infringing on rights, supporting initiatives to increase literacy-based skills on an equal basis, and aiding in global programs to improve literacy.