Public Libraries Reading in Quebec: A History of Censorship Freedom

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
Public Libraries Reading in Quebec: A History of Censorship Freedom
Abstract
The author points out that Quebec public libraries have had a complex and eventful history. Between 1760 and 1840, Quebec had a subscription library founded by English-speaking residents, and, after 1840, a parish library for the French-speaking residents was established. Under the control of the Catholic Church, the parish library was a major phenomenon in the history of public literacy in Quebec. The author argues that the parish libraries and the public libraries belonged to two different ideologies, two different, polar opposite, world visions. The modernization of institutions during Quebec's Quiet Revolution in the early 1960s radically changed, among other things, public reading policy. The public library, adopted by Francophones, has since affirmed its place and influence across the province of Quebec, both in cities and rural areas. Performance indicators for libraries, reinforced by the huge success of the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal, clearly show that public libraries are now lively and dynamic institutions in Quebec.
Publication
Library & Information History
Volume
Vol. 28
Issue
no. 1
Pages
26-40
Date
March 2012
Language
en
Citation
Lajeunesse, Marcel. “Public Libraries Reading in Quebec: A History of Censorship Freedom.” Library & Information History Vol. 28, no. 1 (March 2012): 26–40.
Find in a library
Permalink