Should School Libraries Remove Books with Explicit Sexual Images?
Official title: School library standards engagement
Why This Matters
Have kids in Alberta schools? This affects what books they can access in the library. Parents will now get lists of classroom materials and public lists of all other school library content. If you care about what your children read—or worry about censorship—this decision shapes their education.
What Could Change
School boards must remove any materials with explicit visual depictions of sexual acts by January 5, 2026. They must submit removal lists to the minister by October 31. Parents will be informed about classroom collection contents, and all other school library materials must be listed publicly.
Key Issues
- What materials with sexual content are acceptable in K-12 school library collections?
- How should school boards handle transparency about library materials?
How to Participate
- The survey ran from May 26 to June 6, 2025 and is now closed. Review the summary of survey results to see what Albertans said.
- Read the Ministerial Order 34/2025 to understand the new requirements for school boards.
What Happened
The survey ran from May 26 to June 6, 2025. Based on input received, the government issued Ministerial Order 34/2025 in September 2025, requiring school boards to remove materials with explicit visual depictions of sexual acts. The updated standards narrow the scope to explicit visual depictions only, require transparency through parent notification and public lists, and set an implementation deadline of January 5, 2026.