The Government of Alberta is expanding its restrictions on library materials for minors, proposing legislation that would affect all public libraries. 

Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams announced Bill 28, the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, on April 2. The omnibus bill spans a wide range of issues, including housing, education and governance accountability, but the amendment to library access for minors raised many questions during the press conference. 

Minister Williams said the legislation is meant to aid parents, not replace them. 

“It’s the same standard that we have with obscenity laws across this country,” he said.

“If things are truly pornographic and sexually explicit in nature, then it’s going to have to be a conversation with those parents.”

If passed, the legislation would amend the Libraries Act to enable the minister to provide guidance in library governance, including initiating reviews or responding to complaints. It would also restrict access to materials deemed too sexually explicit for minors under 16. 

Minister Williams said the legislation will not ban any books, nor restrict access if a child has parental consent. 

“We will not be requiring the removal of these materials,” he said. 

“However, we will require that they are put behind a counter in a place that children cannot find them while wandering libraries.”

Minister Williams held up a copy of Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe several times during the press conference to bolster the legislation. 

“This is not a question of freedom of expression or censorship,” he said while holding the graphic novel.

“This kind of material can be very damaging to young children that see it as a cartoon. This is adult content.”

The government further emphasized that the changes are not a ban in a fact sheet put out with the media release. It stated that no specific materials are being targeted and that no authors or titles are being forbidden all-together. 

Instead, Minister Williams said the goal is to create consistent safeguards in public spaces used by both adults and children.

“This is about making sure the libraries continue to maintain the trust that they enjoy from Albertans, and making sure that we balance the core service of a library with the interest of those families and parents,” he said. 

Alberta libraries left out of the loop

The Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries (CAP Libraries) questioned why it was not consulted in the crafting of this legislation. 

In a statement, CAP Libraries said it has been in discussions with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the province about intellectual freedom since Fall 2025, but was not consulted on the new legislation. 

In May of 2025, the province announced plans to re-consider what is age-appropriate for school libraries, asking for feedback from Albertans to create province-wide standards. According to the CBE, 44 books were pulled from circulation in January 2026 in response to a ministerial order requiring books with sexually explicit images to be removed from school shelves.

The coalition also emphasized the scope of impact that this legislation will have. 

“These changes impact 324 public library service points across Alberta, which serve 99 per cent of Albertans,” the statement read. 

“CAP Libraries is reviewing these recent changes and will be providing further statement in the coming days.”

It also pointed to research by Alberta pollster Janet Brown, which shows strong public trust in libraries. 82 per cent of Albertans said they trust their local library to make decisions about materials, and 69 per cent said those decisions should remain local.

When asked to comment, the Calgary Public Library linked to the CAP Libraries’ statement and said it would provide a further statement in the coming days. 

Details of how the rules will be implemented are still to come, with the province saying regulations and guidelines will be developed in the coming weeks.

When asked about the provincial oversight of public libraries, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he was briefed on Wednesday and was under the impression the library rules only applied to those attached to schools.

“My understanding is that the intent, at least from the various conversations I’ve had with ministers as well as public statements, is that this was not intended to capture standalone libraries and that municipal autonomy would be respected,” he said.

Farkas said he may have further comments if he gets further clarification.