Alberta launches survey on school library materials after ‘extremely graphic’ content flagged

Alberta’s government is considering implementing new rules by which school boards would choose content for their libraries.

The move is in response to the discovery of multiple books in some school libraries across the province that show what the government is calling extremely graphic and age-inappropriate content.

The four pieces of content in question, highlighted by the province Monday, were found in Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) libraries. The books, all of which are graphic novels, were in the libraries of K-9 schools and high schools in the two cities.

The books were flagged for various types of mature content, including sexual activities, sexual nudity, nudity, profanity, suicidal commentary, alcohol use, derogatory terms, self-harm, and violence. Excerpts from each of the graphic novels — “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe; “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel; “Blankets” by Craig Thompson; and “Flamer” by Mike Curato — were presented in a news release from the province.

The Alberta government shared portions of each graphic novel it found problematic.

Currently, the province gives voluntary guidelines for learning and teaching resources but doesn’t have a consistent provincewide standard for school boards when selecting age-appropriate school library materials.

It claims this has led to concerns about whether strong enough safeguards are in place.

“As a parent, it is extremely concerning to find out that books explicitly depicting sexual acts are available to students in some school libraries,” said Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides. “We are going to do something about this serious issue, by consulting Albertans and creating standards to ensure students do not have access to age-inappropriate materials in school libraries.”

The Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) say it is important that the material in school libraries is appropriate, but they are calling on the province to consult with teachers and school staff.

The ATA says the government’s process could potentially lead to the prioritization of special interest groups.

University of Alberta professor Dia Da Costa reviewed the material for CityNews. Despite the explicit content, she disagrees with the government’s stance.

“It is really important for children to learn to debate about this, and think about things like consent and violence and healthy sexual behaviour and healthy sexual attitudes and desires and so forth, with their peers,” said Da Costa.

Da Costa also looked at the public survey the government has launched to get feedback.

She believes Alberta is following other far-right governments with dangerous overreach into censorship.

“You kind of fearmonger based on the extreme example and then you make it impossible for students to get healthy access to sex ed,” said Da Costa.

“It seems like there is no coincidence that the government’s announcement on library materials specifically singled out 2SLGBTQIA+ materials,” says ATA president Jason Schilling in a statement. “The Association welcomes being included in policy decisions concerning school libraries and learning commons spaces.”

The province wants input from Albertans on the issue. A new online survey will ask what they believe is acceptable for school library collections.

Dennis MacNeil, president of the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta, recognizes that while the issue is contentious, he is pleased the government is consulting with the public before it makes any changes.

Changes that are chosen to be implemented wouldn’t impact material in public libraries, the government adds, including the 55 municipal public libraries that are housed in schools. School boards would be required to implement the new standards by the start of the 2025-26 school year.

New standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter, and independent schools, the province says.

Announcement a ‘complete surprise’ to Calgary, Edmonton school boards

In a statement to CityNews, the board chairs for CBE and EPSB say they are “deeply concerned” by the provincial government’s announcement.

“This announcement has come as a complete surprise to both our boards,” the CBE’s Patricia Bolger and EPSB’s Julie Kusiek, said in a joint statement.

“To date, the Ministry of Education has not raised any concerns with either the Calgary Board of Education or Edmonton Public Schools regarding library resources.”

Furthermore, the school board chairs say their divisions follow “established, rigorous processes to ensure that library resources are age-appropriate and relevant for students.”

They add there are clear processes in place for any member of the school community to bring forward concerns about specific resources.

Practices are also informed by principles outlined in “Foundations for School Library Learning Commons in Canada: A Framework for Success.”

“We value a collaborative relationship with the government, because it is essential for pursuing common goals and providing the best possible educational experience for all students in Alberta,” the statement reads. “This unilateral announcement undermines the spirit of partnership we expect.”

EPSB and CBE remain committed to making sure students are able to access library resources that support learning and development while also upholding the values of the community and established protocols.