The Alberta Government has announced a new set of guidelines for school libraries.
According to the ministerial order, school boards will have to remove all sexually explicit material by Oct. 1, 2025. School boards will need to create or update plans and policies by Jan. 1, 2026.
Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides said that before this order, there were “zero standards for selecting age-appropriate books for libraries.”
All books with explicit sexual content will be banned.
Students in grade 9 and below will not be able to access any library material with non-explicit sexual content. This includes any depiction of a sexual act that is not detailed or clear.
For students in grade 10 and above may access material with non-explicit sexual content, if it is deemed developmentally appropriate for them.
Nicolaides explained that this was never about banning books or erasing narratives, but about ensuring that young students are not exposed to inappropriate content.
“This policy gives clear direction for school boards, teachers and school staff, and provides greater assurances to parents about the kinds of material available to children in school libraries,” said Nicolaides.
The new policies will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools, but they will not affect the 55 municipal libraries located in schools.
The order will also not apply to materials selected by teachers as part of their curriculum or religious materials.
The new policy stems from an announcement made by Nicolaides in May, in which it was reported that four inappropriate graphic novels were found in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary.
Following this, a public survey was conducted from May 26 to June 6 on the potential standards for materials available to students in school libraries. Nicolaides said nearly 80,000 Albertans responded.
