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(Image Credit: Curtis Galbraith.)
By Curtis Galbraith
Libraries

GPPL officials raise concerns with new provincial legislation

May 15, 2026 | 6:00 AM

Officials at the Grande Prairie Public Library have outlined several concerns with the province’s Bill 28. 

The legislation has several sections, including one on public institutions. 

This will allow the minister to answer complaints about libraries and allow guidance from the minister on how libraries are governed. The government also says it wants what it calls “age-appropriate access to library materials with explicit visual content.” 

One of the concerns from the Grande Prairie library is that decision-making is being taken away from local communities and boards. 

Library director Hailey McCullough says this would turn libraries into gatekeepers.  

“We did some polling through the (Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries) organization and found that 82 per cent of Albertans trust their local public library to make appropriate decisions about what materials are available.” 

“Public libraries are historically community-led institutions that are governed locally by a publicly -appointed board, and (guided) by professional standards.” 

McCullough says the city appoints people to the local library board that then makes decisions on policies. She adds the government is overstepping by wanting to take over.  

Another one of those local concerns is that people’s privacy could be compromised. 

McCullough says the way the legislation is currently worded, the minister could inspect a library’s records. 

“That’s being expanded to having them be able to appoint anyone to do that, and anything can trigger a review.” 

“Those records will now include reading history and private patron records and information, so it’s just a bit more expansive in what it covers.” 

“No Albertan should have their reading habits tracked, flagged, or monitored by any government body. That’s not how a free society works.” 

A third concern is that the legislation could lead to barriers to access. 

McCullough says this would require people to approach library staff and ask for a particular book.  

“If it’s a book about a sensitive topic like, you know, about something related to maybe mental health or LGBTQ+ kind of thing, it puts them in a really uncomfortable position where they have to basically declare what they’re wanting to read.” 

McCullough says people can currently take the book they want from a shelf and use the self-checkout.

She adds the bill feels like “a solution to a problem that doesn’t actually exist” when it comes to kids accessing explicit materials.

She says there have been no complaints or concerns related to this, and the only formal complaint the library has had in the last five years was about rainbow stairs.  

McCullough says the library already has a collection policy in place where they are separated into children, teen, and adult sections. 

People with concerns about a certain book can fill out a form that can be reviewed. 

Any kids under 10 have to be with a parent, and kids under 8 have to be within arm’s reach of a parent at all times.  

McCullough says the library is asking people to write their MLAs and city councillors to “ask for their support for libraries” as they deal with these changes.  

“There is no financial support provided by the government to make any of these changes. Some libraries that are really large might have to change some shelving around, change some rooms around, and hire more staff.”  

“We don’t really know what it looks like yet, so we’re just hoping for support from them.”  

Bill 28 passed third reading in the legislature on Wednesday.

by Curtis Galbraith