Less than five months remain for libraries in Alberta to meet new restrictions on their collections. Some librarians are concerned about the workload and costs involved in complying with the regulations. The restrictions, stemming from Bill 28, mandate Alberta’s public libraries to limit access to materials containing visual depictions of sexual acts. These materials can only be accessed or borrowed by individuals under 15 years old with parental or guardian permission.
Libraries must determine what to restrict, where to store the restricted items, and how to regulate access by January 1. Lesley Moody, manager of the Olds Municipal Library, highlighted the complexity of the task, noting the need to review each book individually. The review process is labor-intensive, with Moody estimating 600 hours and $15,000 needed to assess graphic novels alone.
The costs for assessing DVDs, video games, and other materials with images are expected to be higher. Moody expressed confidence in her staff’s ability to review the collection without closing the library, but smaller libraries may face closure to meet the deadline.
The province plans to release guidelines this month to help libraries adapt to Bill 28. Ron Sheppard, director of the Parkland Regional Library System, is eager to receive these guidelines to address concerns such as the application of restrictions to educational materials and the reliance on ratings systems for films and video games.
Bill 28 aims to prevent children from encountering explicit images in public libraries without censoring content. Libraries have traditionally curated collections based on age-appropriateness and have processes in place to handle complaints. However, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of the new restrictions on the visibility and accessibility of certain materials.
The expanded scope for inspectors to investigate library operations under Bill 28 has raised anxiety among library managers. The inspection process raises questions about local decision-making and community-specific collection curation. Critics argue that the restrictions could limit freedom of expression rights for young library users.
As Alberta’s libraries navigate these changes, the national library community is closely monitoring the situation to assess potential implications for libraries across Canada.
