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EDMONTON, AB — CUPE Alberta is raising serious concerns about new legislation introduced today that will require the physical segregation of certain public library materials and mandate parental permission for youth under 16 to borrow them.
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Bill 28 would apply to public libraries across the province, and would restrict citizens’ access even to materials aimed at adults. According to Minister of Public Affairs Dan Williams, books his government deems too “graphic” will be required to be placed “behind a counter.”
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CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal says the legislation is ill-conceived and ignores the realities facing public libraries across the province.
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“Clearly, this is another instance of the government creating unnecessary legislation with no thought as to how it would be implemented,” said Uppal. “Public libraries are already stretched thin, and this bill downloads significant new responsibilities onto library workers without any plan or support.”
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The legislation comes with no additional funding, despite the expectation that libraries will likely need to undertake costly renovations and hire additional staff to comply with the new requirements. This could include building new, patron-inaccessible areas to store materials and the creation of an identification verification process.
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“We would prefer if the government focused on solving real problems facing Albertans, rather than chasing social media outrage and conspiracy-driven policy ideas,” Uppal added.
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CUPE Alberta emphasized that library workers are trained professionals who are already well-equipped to support their communities and manage access to materials appropriately.
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“CUPE library staff are capable of addressing concerns as they arise,” said Uppal. “They do not need heavy-handed direction from this government to do their jobs.”
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The bill also introduces government-appointed library inspectors, who will have the authority to investigate libraries based on a single complaint, raising further concerns about overreach and the potential for politically motivated enforcement.
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“Instead of supporting public libraries as vital community spaces, this government is undermining them with vague rules and intrusive oversight,” said Uppal. “Albertans deserve better.”
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