Alberta school divisions remove handful of titles from shelves as new school library rules take effect

A fresh enacted provincial prescribe on schooltime literary materials prompted some Alberta school day divisions to transfer a couple of dozen books from school shelves, but the names of those titles are secret.

In response to a government order to get any explicit, graphic material out of students’ reach, the Calgary Board of Education — the province’s largest school division — identified 44 titles to be pulled from shelves, CBE spokesperson Joanne Anderson said in a statement Tuesday.

It’s a tiny proportion of the approximately 700,000 titles available in the school division’s libraries, she said.

Edmonton Public Schools prepared a working list of 34 books to remove from schools, spokesperson Kim Smith said in an email on Monday. That division carries around 480,000 titles.

“It’s important to note that the list is not exhaustive; it is a living document that can be adjusted,” Smith wrote.

Both divisions refused requests to reveal the list of pulled materials. Smith said the Edmonton Public School Board’s list is an “internal document.”

A spokesperson for the Edmonton Catholic School Division said its review resulted in staff removing six titles from shelves. She did not release the names.

In Elk Island Catholic Schools, east of Edmonton, about 20 staff members reviewed the division’s library collection, and didn’t find anything that would warrant removal under provincial rules, spokesperson Lisa Wispinski said in an email on Tuesday.

“The board maintains full confidence in the discernment and professional judgment of our staff,” Wispinski wrote. “The fact that no materials required removal reinforces our position that local governance remains the most effective model for supporting the unique needs of our students.”

The Calgary Catholic School District and Red Deer Public Schools, likewise, found no material they said warranted removal.

Last May, Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides warned new rules around school library material were coming after a conservative interest group said it had found graphic novels on school shelves with content it felt was inappropriate for minors.

In July, Nicolaides said any sexually explicit books must be removed from schools by October.

A first ministerial order, signed in July, also included written descriptions of sexual acts in its definition of books to be removed.

That led Edmonton Public Schools to prepare a list of more than 200 books to be removed from student access, including The Handmaid’s Tale, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Atlas Shrugged, and Brave New World.

That development drew national and international attention from advocates opposed to censorship and authors whose works were on the list.

Premier Danielle Smith said the Edmonton school board was engaged in “vicious compliance,” and said her government would revise the order to ensure classic literature works remained in schools.

A new ministerial order, published in September, was narrowed to target material with graphic depictions of sexual acts.

The order gave all school divisions — as well as charter and independent schools — until Oct. 31 to submit a list to the education minister of books they planned to remove.

There was also a Jan. 5 deadline to adopt new policies about the selection and review of literary materials, and describing how schools would handle a request from a student, parent or staff member to review material they found questionable.

As of Monday, Jan. 5, schools must also arrange ways for parents and guardians to see what materials are in school libraries and in classroom collections.

In an email on Monday, Nicolaides’ senior press secretary, Garrett Koehler, said all Alberta school boards, charter and independent schools have submitted lists of materials to be removed.

Koehler said Alberta Education and Childcare staff reviewed the lists, but not the material itself. The titles on the lists differ between school authorities, he said.

Koehler said deciding what materials meet the standards is up to school boards, and it makes the most sense for local leaders to oversee materials that teachers have selected for their classrooms.

Although school boards wouldn’t put a cost or a number of hours required to complete the work, their answers suggest it was resource intensive in some cases.

At the CBE, central office staff reviewed around 2,100 titles of mostly graphic novels and then instructed library assistants at 250 schools how to review their own collections.

During an October contract dispute between teachers and employers, around 20 Elk Island Catholic Schools staff “conducted a thorough evaluation of our library collections,” Wispinski said.

Koehler said the government stands by the requirements.

“Children should not be exposed to graphic sexual images that show oral sex, child molestation, masturbation, sex toy use, and penetration to name a few examples,” his statement read.

However, a search of Edmonton Public Schools’ library catalogue shows it still has 17 copies of the graphic novel Flamer at middle years and high schools. Flamer, by Mike Curato, was one of the four books Nicolaides initially flagged as a concern.

Meagan Parisian, a Red Deer parent of three and vice-president of the Alberta School Councils’ Association, said parents have varied views on the provincial government's recent scrutiny of books. Some are questioning how widespread the availability of graphic materials actually is, and others say it’s sensible to ensure children who aren’t developmentally prepared don't see mature images, she said.

There are also schools that rely on civic libraries, which aren’t subject to the same restrictions, Parisian said.

Parisian said the CBE finding 44 problematic titles out of 700,000 suggests inappropriate material is not widespread.

She said she trusts local educators and decision makers to choose appropriate material for students.

“Was this a problem to begin with, or was this a bit of catering and platitude towards a certain demographic of the population?” Parisian asked.

Until school divisions reveal the lists of what was removed, the public has no way of knowing whether the exercise was worthwhile, she said, adding that she believes the policy has shown a concerning erosion of trust in educators.

Parisian said she also knows of teachers who have removed their classroom book collections, rather than reviewing every title and risk running afoul of the new rules.

Joseph Jeffery, chair of Canadian School Libraries, said school division staff would likely have to view individual books, videos or other material firsthand rather than perusing catalogues of material to see if it falls within the government’s restrictions. He said that could be time-consuming work that likely targets graphic novels.

Jeffery said while local teacher-librarians are in the best position to decide which resources are most valuable and developmentally appropriate for students, schools have substantially cut these positions in recent years to save money.

He said the four books initially targeted by the government all dealt with 2SLGBTQ+ people’s experiences. Jeffery said if information is ever released about the removed books, he’ll be closely watching which demographics and topics are included.

He said he believes citizens should push for these judgment calls to be made at the local level, not by government.

“They've — throughout it — tried to rush the process, not really thought it through, and at no time have they really consulted with any kind of professionals, even when it was offered to them,” Jeffery said.

Provincial affairs reporter

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