Alberta library administrators protest province’s Bill 28

A group that oversees Alberta's libraries is against the proposed Bill 28. Hannah Lepine has details.

Alberta public libraries are raising concerns over Bill 28, and its proposed changes to how public libraries are governed and operated across the province.

Bill 28, titled the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act 2026, would allow changes to three existing pieces of legislation: the Libraries Act, the Municipal Government Act and the Housing Act.

Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams introduced the bill at the Alberta legislature on April 2.

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If passed, no books will be banned from the shelves, but Williams said material containing sexually explicit images would be placed behind the library counter or in an area where youth aged 15 and younger can’t access them.

The legislation would also allow the government to initiate reviews or respond to complaints related to public libraries.

“This is about consistency for schools and public libraries, and it’s about parental authority and parental expectation,” said Williams. “It’s about making sure safeguards are in place across the province of Alberta, right now approaches can vary and something this important, families expect clarity.”

The changes to the Library Act will affect 324 public libraries serving 99 per cent of residents in the province.

The Coalition of Alberta Public (CAP) Libraries says this would compromise the core mission of libraries as inclusive, free spaces for information.

“Albertans trust their public libraries. Bill 28 creates new barriers to access, moves decision-making from local boards and trained professionals, and raises privacy concerns,” said Pilar Martinez, CEO, Edmonton Public Library.

“Taken together, these changes undermine a system that communities across Alberta rely on and value.”

CAP Libraries say they have requested a meeting with Premier Danielle Smith and Williams to discuss a collaborative path forward.

They are asking the province to remove plans to require libraries to be province-wide gatekeepers, recognize that systems and policies already exist in Alberta libraries, and to have a proper privacy review, implementation planning, and dedicated funding for any future operation requirements.

CAP Libraries also referred to recent polling in its statement, which indicated that 82 per cent of Albertans trust public libraries to make appropriate decisions about their collections.

Forty-six 46 per cent of people trust the province to make those same decisions and 60 per cent are against the UCP government imposing legislation that restricts access to library materials.