Librarian groups worry censorship in Alberta government policies coming on book selection
Monday's announcement by the Alberta government that they will enact policies around the age-appropriateness of books in schools has library groups concerned that censorship of certain books could be the outcome.
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James Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the government might not ban titles outright, but it is possible their policies will force school libraries to not carry certain books.
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Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said Monday in a press conference that he met with parents who shared passages from graphic novels they found concerning.
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Four books of concern were named by the province in a media release, including Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe; Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel; Blankets, by Craig Thompson; and Flamer, by Mike Curato.
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Nicolaides said the government can't ban books, but Turk said the policies could be restrictive enough to keep some books off the shelves.
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'One of the things that every censor always does is to say what they're doing is not about censorship,' he said. 'What he's doing is precisely about censorship. What he's doing is saying there are some school boards in Alberta that would allow books that we don't think are appropriate.'
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Turk said the majority of books being challenged in the last few years are on the topic of sexual identity, are LGBTQ+ positive or touch on sex education topics.
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The Centre for Free Expression tracks challenges to books at Canadian libraries. In 2023, 197 book challenges were tracked, but Turk said the number is likely much higher. School libraries often have an informal process, he said, where a parent may come in and lodge a complaint to the principal and the decision to keep or get rid of the book is not recorded.
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School boards and libraries already have robust guidelines for book selection, including what is appropriate for what age, Turk said, and are continuing to be developed.
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This year, the Centre for Free Expression is turning its attention to school libraries and encouraging more reporting of book challenges. A working group on schools and intellectual freedom has been formed to provide resources to schools and school librarians.
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