New Alberta Library Regulations
Frequently Asked Questions
In May 2026, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 28 (the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2026), expanding provincial authority over public library operations and collections. Following the passage of the bill, the province released detailed regulations in July 2026 governing age-based access to visual library materials, public internet, and gaming systems. Under these new provincial requirements, all public libraries across Alberta—including the Olds Municipal Library—are required to adjust their facilities, cataloging procedures, and user policies to be fully compliant by January 1, 2027. You may read the regulations here
Policy and Scope
Is the Alberta Government asking libraries to remove titles?
No. The new provincial regulations do not ban or remove books. Instead, they establish age-restricted guidelines for materials on public shelves. Items meeting the criteria must be moved to a designated restricted area that is monitorable by staff. Only patrons who verify their age (16 and older) or have parental permission will be permitted to browse or borrow these items. Additionally, the regulations require libraries to implement an age-verification process for public internet and computer use.
Is there an official list of banned or restricted books provided by the government?
No. The Alberta Government has not provided a specific title-by-title list. Instead, provincial officials released general criteria focusing on visual depictions of sexual acts. Library staff must independently evaluate all materials with graphic or visual content; including graphic novels, comics, non-fiction illustrated books, DVDs, and video games—to determine if any images meet the government’s restricted definition.
Are there currently sexually explicit materials in our library?
Under the specific definitions outlined in the new regulations, there are titles currently housed in our adult collections that will need to be relocated to a restricted section. Library collections are already categorized and separated by age appropriateness (Children, Young Adult, Adult). For example, some graphic novels cited in provincial discussions are part of our adult graphic novel collection. Public libraries do not hold obscene or illegal materials, but items containing adult visual themes will be moved to comply with the new rules.
How does the library currently ensure materials are age-appropriate and protect children?
Long before new provincial regulations were introduced, the Olds Municipal Library maintained established policies and practices to guide young readers and support families in making informed borrowing choices:
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Professional Curation & Selection: Library materials are thoughtfully selected by trained staff using professional reviews, age-level guidelines, and established collection development criteria. Materials are acquired to serve the educational, recreational, and informational needs of the entire community while keeping age appropriateness top of mind.
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Clear Age-Based Collections: Our physical library space is intentionally divided into distinct sections: Children’s, Juvenile (JF) Young Adult (YA), and Adult. Books, media, and graphic novels are cataloged, labeled, and placed in their respective areas so children and teens can easily explore content created specifically for their developmental stages.
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Parental Choice & Authority: We firmly believe that parents and guardians have both the right and the responsibility to guide their own children’s reading and viewing choices. Parents have full authority over their children's accounts and are encouraged to browse the library together, set household rules for checkout, or inquire about items on their child's account at any time.
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Formal Expression of Concern Process: If a local patron or guardian encounters a specific book, media item, or program they feel is misplaced or inappropriate, the library offers a formal Expression of Concern process. Submitting a request initiates a structured, transparent review by Library Administration and the Library Board to re-evaluate the item's cataloging or placement fairly.
Operational and Financial Impact
What is involved in evaluating the collection to comply with these regulations?
Because no master list was provided, library staff must audit physical materials individually. Many graphic novels contain hundreds of pages, requiring a frame-by-frame review to ensure full compliance. Additionally, we estimate auditing the Adult Graphic Novel collection alone will take approximately 120 hours. While our juvenile and young adult collections are curated specifically for younger audiences, staff must still evaluate them to verify that no items fall under the new provincial criteria.
Evaluating media such as DVDs and video games presents additional challenges, as rating systems do not always align directly with the specific language in the new provincial regulations. These collections will likely take more time to evaluation.
In total, we estimate a full collection audit will require approximately 600 hours, representing roughly $15,000 in diverted labor and administrative costs.
What other costs are associated with the new legislation
Capital: Creating a separate, staff-monitored restricted area requires purchasing specialized lockable shelving and reconfiguring physical layout spaces. Estimated shelving costs start at $2,000, depending on the volume of relocated items as well as additional staffing costs.
Policy Creation: The legislation requires the creation and adoption of four new operational policies governing library card issuance, age verification, internet use, and video game access. Developing, legal-vetting, and adopting these policies before the January 1, 2027 deadline represents at least 80 hours of administrative work, alongside dedicated review time by our volunteer Library Board.
Work Flow Changes: Staff must design and implement new operating procedures for hold pickups, digital resource access, library card registrations, requiring additional staff time and staff training.
Is there additional funding provided to help offset the costs of implementing these new regulations?
No. The Alberta Government has not provided supplementary funding to assist libraries with compliance. The financial and labor burdens must be absorbed within existing municipal budgets, which may require reallocating resources away from other community programs, events, or collection purchasing.
Additional FAQs
How will these changes affect how my family uses the library day to day?
Patrons can expect changes to library card registration, renewal procedures, and computer access. Parents and guardians will need to complete consent forms for youth aged 15 and under to access internet terminals or borrow restricted items. Patrons may also be asked to show identification or verify their age when browsing restricted sections or logging into public computers.
Does this affect digital collections, like e-books and audiosbooks?
Yes. The regulations require age restrictions to apply to digital offerings as well. Because third-party digital platforms (such as Libby) manage digital rights across large provider networks, library boards across Alberta are working with vendors to determine how age-gating can be implemented without compromising access to non-restricted digital content.
Shouldn't parents be in charge of what their children read?
Yes. The Olds Municipal Library Board firmly believes that parents and guardians have both the right and responsibility to guide their children's reading and media choices. Historically, public libraries have supported parental authority rather than acting in place of parents. While the library must comply with provincial legislation, our goal remains providing open, welcoming, and diverse resources for all families in our community.
How will compliance with these regulations be monitored or enforced?
Under Bill 28, the Provincial Government expanded the authority of the Minister of Municipal Affairs to appoint provincial inspectors. These inspectors have the legal authority to enter public library facilities, inspect collections, review physical displays, evaluate services, and examine administrative board records. The board and staff are legally required to cooperate with these inspections to maintain compliance.
Will the library keep a record of who borrows or views restricted materials?
No. The Olds Municipal Library remains committed to protecting patron privacy. While new regulations require staff to verify a patron’s age or ensure a parent/guardian consent flag is attached to a youth account before issuing or borrowing materials, the function of tracking or permanently logging individual checkout histories is turned off by default and must be turned on by the card holder. This will remain an individual choice. All records are protected under the Protection of Privacy Act.
Where can community members direct questions, concerns, or feedback about these provincial regulations?
Because these regulations are mandated directly by the Alberta Provincial Government under Bill 28, policy concerns or requests for regulatory adjustments should be directed to our local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or the Minister of Municipal Affairs. For local operational questions regarding how our library is managing implementation, patrons are always welcome to contact Library Manager, Lesley Moody lmoody@prl.ab.ca or attend open Library Board meetings.