Public library boards are subject to many other laws and regulations besides the Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation. This includes, but is not limited to:

Alberta Employment Standards Code: As employers, library boards must adhere to the minimum standards of employment for employers and employees in Alberta workplaces. They include standards for:

Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Act, Code, and Regulation: This provincial legislation sets rules for safety in the workplace.

  • Many small public libraries have only one employee, who often has to work alone. Alberta has specific legal requirements for employees who have to work alone. Click here for more information.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP): As public boards, library boards must follow this provincial legislation that governs the use and release of records of public organizations in Alberta. It also stipulates how personal information can be collected, used, and released by public organizations in Alberta. This legislation requires library boards to have several policies:

  • FOIP Policy: This is a policy passed by your library board that tells who will be responsible for managing FOIP requests at your library and how fees will be charged. Click here for a sample policy.
  • Records Retention Policy: This is a policy that states how long your board will keep its various records, in what format, and how the records will be destroyed after they are kept. Click here for more information about creating a records retention policy.
  • Personal Information Bank (PIB) Policy: This is a policy that states what personal information is managed by the library about specific groups of people, where that information is stored, and who has access to it. Your personal information bank policy should be made available to the public. Click here for more information about identifying personal information banks and creating a personal information bank policy.

In addition to these policies, whenever boards collect a patron's personal information on a form they will need to include a notice stating under what authority it is being collected, how it will be used, and who can be contacted with questions about the information. A sample FOIP notice can be found here.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Part of the Canadian constitution, this federal legislation outlines the basic freedoms entitled to all Canadians.

Copyright Act: This federal legislation outlines how copyrighted material can be used by individuals and corporations.

  • Click here for a guide to this legislation.

Human Rights Legislation: This legislation prohibits discrimination on various grounds and helps ensure equal treatment for all Albertans. There is both provincial and federal legislation related to human rights.

  • Click here for information about federal human rights protections
  • Click here for information about provincial human rights in the workplace
  • Click here for information about protected grounds in Alberta