How Your Library Supports Parental Rights

It’s so important for kids to have inviting community spaces where they and their families and caregivers feel safe and welcome. For almost fifty years, Strathcona County Library has provided this service. Every day, families come to the central library and Bookmobile to enjoy child-friendly spaces in which to read, attend programs, try hands-on learning activities, explore, interact with staff, and meet with friends and neighbours.

At the library, child-friendly areas are easy to spot, like the giant reading tree that beckons to preschoolers from the Enchanted Forest, the starry mural that inspires school-agers to “Discover”, and the bright colours of the TeenZone. Furniture and shelving in these areas has been designed not only for comfort and safety, but also to showcase developmentally appropriate materials and encourage curiosity and independent wandering while maintaining clear sightlines. Labels and signs help caregivers understand what their children are browsing, and service desks are nearby so our friendly and knowledgeable staff can guide the way to collections and services that meet your family’s needs and preferences.

Here are some other ways that your library supports parents and caregivers:

Materials

• Library materials are catalogued and labeled with information to help you identify their format, subject matter, author, and intended audiences.
• The library’s full collection is searchable online so you can choose ahead of time what is suitable for your family to view or borrow. We also offer catalogue stations in the library.
• Catalogue features include book covers, reviews, related materials, and a map of where an item is in the central library. In response to community borrowing patterns, library staff have some collections of interest, such as cooking, travel, romance fiction, Christian fiction, and more—making it easier for people to find the books right for them.
• Library staff are skilled and eager to help you find resources. They can also offer tools to guide you in your choices, such as: curated booklists, the online resources section of the library’s website, or Your Next Five Reads—a personalized reading recommendation service.
• The library’s website contains distinct kids and teens sections, featuring reputable learning resources designed for those ages. 
• The library welcomes purchase suggestions or can request titles for you through interlibrary loans from other libraries. And using the ME Libraries service, you can sign up for access to physical materials at other Alberta libraries. Find out more in the can’t find it FAQs.

Services

• Library cards are free for Strathcona County residents with proof of residence. It’s easy to sign up online.
• To keep services accessible and affordable, there are no fees or fines for late materials.
• So that others can enjoy library materials, there are several ways to receive reminders about when your family's items are due.
• Parents can decide whether family members have their own cards or receive library notices for their children’s accounts.
• The Library Elf app can help keep track of all of your family’s library accounts in one place—including those from other participating libraries!
• Children and their families are welcome to visit any of the library’s spaces, use library materials and online resources in-house, and to attend programs without a library card.
• The library and Bookmobile offer a variety of programs throughout the community for families and kids, homeschoolers, teens, and on a variety of topics like parenting and childcare.
• Parents can choose between accompanied and independently attended programs for young children. Library staff are happy to help you understand what to expect from a program.

Policies and Principles

• The Strathcona County Library Board consists of ten community members appointed by Strathcona County Council.
• The Library Board maintains a set of clear library policies. These are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they comply with Alberta and federal legislation and that they remain relevant to the community.
• The library follows the Canadian Federation of Library Association’s statement on intellectual freedom, which asserts that libraries have a core responsibility to support the principles of intellectual freedom and privacy.
• In keeping with the rights and responsibilities that caregivers have in choosing what’s appropriate for their children, and because all visitors are expected to follow the library’s Patron Code of Conduct, the library requires that children under 12 must be accompanied by someone older than them.
• If a Strathcona County resident has a concern about the library’s collections, programs, or displays, they can submit a Request for Reconsideration.
• In 2024, the library held a community-needs assessment, during which it heard from over 1600 County residents about what they want see from the library over the next few years. See the Plan of Service for more details about what was said and how the library is responding.

The library strongly supports the rights and responsibilities of parents or legal guardians to make choices for their children about which materials are suitable for them to request, review and/or borrow, which programs they attend, which services they receive, and which spaces they visit or frequent.

Feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions.