INNISFAIL - Chinook’s Edge School Division’s board chair joined her counterpart from Red Deer Public Schools in expressing support for the provincial government’s rollout of revised school library standards announced Thursday requiring sexually-explicit materials to be removed from shelves starting this fall.
“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well,” Holly Bilton was quoted as saying in a provincial government press release issued July 10.
Under the new standards, which will require school boards to implement new or updated policies, school libraries will not be permitted to include library materials that contain explicit sexual content. While non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, the material must be “age-appropriate.”
School boards will also have to conduct regular reviews of their school library collections as well as publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials.
Any materials with sexual content that is deemed explicit will have to be removed from school libraries by Oct. 1.
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School boards will be expected to make their new or updated policies compliant and publicly available by Jan. 1, 2026.
“These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library,” the government said.
Demetrios Nicolaides, the minister of Education and Childcare, announced plans for consultation in early June after he said after it was brought to his attention that four books found in Alberta K-12 school libraries contain inappropriate materials. The books, all by American writers, each contain explicit sexual content.
Nicole Buchanan, Red Deer Public Schools board chair, was quoted sharing a similar sentiment to Chinook's Edge School Division's board chair.
“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive,” reads her statement.
“Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”
The Alberta government says it introduced the new standards to ensure school library materials are “age appropriate.”
“School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content,” the government said in announcing the changes.
“However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.”
As a result, the government said it sought feedback from education partners and the public to create the standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.
“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books,” Nicolaides was quoted as saying.
“These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”
But the move has not been universally welcomed by everyone with many critics including the Alberta NDP, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, as well as some Albertans questioning who gets to determine the definition of subjective phrasing like “age appropriate” and what constitutes “sexually explicit” material.
