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not about banning books, says ucp

Alberta introduces new standards for books in school libraries

Jul 10, 2025 | 2:05 PM

The Alberta government has announced new standards regarding inappropriate sexual content in school libraries.

Under the standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content, with non-explicit content to be accessible only to Grade 10 and above students, if it is considered age-appropriate.

Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides says these standards are not about banning books but ensuring school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials.

“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books,” Nicolaides remarked Thursday.

“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.”

The province also quoted Blaine Badiuk, who is described as an education and LGBTQ advocate.

“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense,” said Badiuk. “LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”

The Opposition NDP issued a rebuttal, saying there are far more urgent education-related issues which require focus from the minister.

“Like the fact that, under this UCP government, Alberta students are funded at the lowest level in the country, or the looming teachers’ strike, the overcrowded classrooms, and the lack of educational assistants to support students with complex needs. These are the issues facing our education system that deserve the most focus,” said Amanda Chapman, education shadow minister.

“Of course, materials in schools should be age-appropriate. But once again, the minister is inserting himself into decisions that should be made by educators and librarians—if this government actually funded schools enough to keep them in the building. Our kids don’t need political theatre and press conferences about books. They need teachers, EAs, and a government that actually funds public education.”

Later Thursday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association issued a statement, saying the ministerial order accomplishes nothing important.

“Other than adding to teacher workload, politicizing a non-issue and targeting vulnerable students. It’s also an overreaction that highlights a lack of resources for school libraries and the fact that our schools cannot afford to employ teacher-librarians to create, curate and coordinate library resources to support student learning in age- and grade-appropriate ways,” stated ATA president Jason Schilling.

“The sweeping scope of this ministerial order will result in the removal of valuable and inclusive resources from our libraries. It will also discourage teachers from seeking out materials that interest and engage students.”

Added Schilling, “Ultimately, it will have a chilling effect on our schools and signal to students who are coming to understand themselves that some expressions of their gender and sexual identities are shameful and should be hidden away.”

School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their libraries by Oct. 1 and must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards in place by January 2026.

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