Medicine Hat library spared full review under new rules

The Medicine Hat Public Library says it will not have to review its entire collection under new provincial rules that take effect Jan. 1, 2027, but its chief librarian says the restrictions on explicit material will still damage library service.

In a statement posted Tuesday, chief librarian Ken Feser said recent provincial information clarified that libraries can single out "high risk" collections and concentrate on those, rather than examining every item.

"Youth under 16 will not be able to access these materials without parental approval," the statement said.

The rules come from the Libraries Amendment Regulation, made by Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams under Ministerial Order MSD:045/26. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, a library board cannot let anyone 15 or younger use or borrow books, comics, graphic novels, video games or video recordings that contain a visual depiction of a sexual act unless a parent or guardian has authorized it.

Those materials must also be kept physically separate from the rest of the collection, in a location where staff can control access. Only people 16 and older, or younger people with a parent's authorization, may be given access.

The regulation defines a sexual act in detail and excludes contact related to medical examinations or treatment, biological processes such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and activities such as kissing or hand-holding.

Boards must also set policies on how they verify age and parental permission, how they decide which items are restricted, and how children 15 and under get library cards, use library computers to go online and play video games. Every board must make those policies public and send the minister written confirmation of compliance by Jan. 1, 2027.

The library said it will not have to restrict physical access to DVDs, because their content cannot be read without equipment, so those can stay in areas open to youth.

Feser said restricted items will be out of sight and adults will have to identify themselves and ask staff for them. "Burying a book is nearly as effective as burning it," the statement said.

The library said "well under 1%" of its materials contain images that could be considered explicit, usually within larger works such as scientific texts, art books, health guides, films and graphic novels. It said it has "literally no record" of children using its facility to get explicit material.

Feser also said the province "has abandoned its longstanding co-operative approach to the public library network" and proceeded without input from libraries. The library has proposed parental advisories and finer-grained parental controls instead.

When the province introduced the measures in April, a Municipal Affairs fact sheet said materials "will remain in libraries and will not be removed" and that adults would keep full access to library collections.

The library must have its policies in place and report its compliance to the minister before the rules take effect on Jan. 1.