Public Libraries Reading in Quebec: A History of Censorship Freedom

Abstract

Quebec public libraries have had a complex and eventful history. It was only a half century ago, in 1960, that a public library policy was set up. 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. Under the control of the Catholic Church, the parish library was a major phenomenon in the history of public literacy in Quebec. Parish libraries and the public libraries belong to two different ideologies, two different world visions. They were polar opposites. At the beginning of the 1960s, the public library chased out the parish library. The modernization of institutions during what is called the ‘Quiet Revolution’ in the early 1960s radically changed, among other things, public reading policy. The public library 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.