Less than five months remain for libraries in Alberta to meet a deadline to adhere to new restrictions on their collections. Librarians are facing concerns about the practical implications of these regulations, including the potential increase in workload and costs.

The new restrictions, stemming from Bill 28, mandate that Alberta’s public libraries limit access to materials such as books, graphic novels, magazines, films, TV series, and video games that depict sexual acts visually. Minors under 15 are now prohibited from borrowing or accessing these restricted materials without parental consent.

By January 1, libraries must determine which items to restrict, allocate storage for them, and establish protocols for controlling access. The manager of the Olds Municipal Library, Lesley Moody, highlighted the extensive effort required to comply with the regulations. For instance, reviewing their collection of 1,500 graphic novels could take around 600 staff hours, costing $15,000.

Moody expressed confidence in her library’s ability to manage the review without closing to the public, but smaller libraries may face closure during the compliance process due to limited staffing. The province intends to issue guidelines to assist libraries in adjusting policies in response to Bill 28, addressing concerns about the scope of restrictions on educational materials and access to online resources.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs clarified that the aim of Bill 28 is to safeguard children from stumbling upon explicit content in libraries, emphasizing that it is about access control rather than censorship. However, concerns have been raised about the visibility and availability of certain materials post-restriction.

The legislation also grants expanded authority for inspections of library operations, prompting apprehension among library managers about potential overreach. Critics argue that this centralized oversight could undermine localized decision-making and community-specific curation of library collections.

While some support the restrictions to protect children’s innocence, others advocate for a constitutional challenge to safeguard freedom of expression for young library users. The outcome in Alberta may influence future legislative actions affecting libraries nationwide.