We’re Not Book Bouncers’: Library Workers Sound Alarm Over Bill 28
By Lethbridge Herald on April 9, 2026.
Bill 28 will allow the minister to initiate reviews or respond to complaints related to public libraries, it will restrict access to sexually explicit visual materials in public libraries to individuals 16 and older and minors under 15 will not be permitted to access materials without parental consent.
CUPE Local 70 represents municipal workers, library staff, and other public service employees in Lethbridge, and since Bill 28 will amend the Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation, they said they will be directly affected by it.
Unit director for library workers with CUPE 70, Dax Law says Bill 28 will require the physical segregation of library materials the government deems explicit, and it will make those materials inaccessible to the public unless they go through library staff.
“Right now, we have no clear understanding of how many materials in our collections will be affected,” said Law. “What we do know is that this bill goes far beyond children’s materials and extends to both our teen and adult collections.”
He said materials that could be impacted are books, including art history books, magazines, movies, TV shows, and video games.
“Which all would have to be stored within an area of the library that is inaccessible to the public,” said Law. “This means that adults would be forced to talk to library staff members just for permission to borrow these materials because the government has decided that they are too graphic.”
He said many, possibly most libraries, simply don’t have the physical space available or the staffing capacity to separate and monitor these materials individually.
“The bill does not allow for additional funding to redesign and rebuild these libraries with spaces, or to allocate any funding to countless additional staff hours that this would entail,” said Law.
He said for workers, this new system would mean constantly being pulled away from the work that they are already doing helping the community access materials and keep them away from the work that they need to do, providing programming and services to act as gatekeepers.
“This is not what library staff are meant to be doing. We are trained professionals, and we have been handling questions about the age-appropriate materials for decades without issues,” said Law.
He said as library staff, their focus is helping people find the right materials for them, not keeping them away from materials that the government has decided are the wrong ones.
“The logistics of enacting this bill raise some very serious concerns about privacy. How will the library staff be asked to verify age and parental permission? Will the parents be required to provide birth certificates when signing up children for library cards?’ said Law.
He said in addition to how that information be stored and protected, questions like if library inspectors will be granted access to patron’s private accounts arise.
“This last question really touches on the new and troubling element, the potential for library inspections, and the professional consequences for staff,” said Law.
He said this possibility creates a chilling effect in the workplace, because instead of being able to support the intellectual freedom, workers may feel the pressure to over restrict access, to avoid complaints and investigations.
“That’s not good for staff, and it’s not good for the public. We’re not book bouncers, and we don’t check ID at the doors. We’re subject matter experts that help the people access information safely and responsibly,” said Law.
He said they already have tools and guidelines in place to help people navigate and find age-appropriate materials.
“This Bill completely overlooks that Albertans trust their libraries. The Janet Brown poll from earlier this year found that 82 per cent of Albertans have trust in their local public library, that they can make the right decisions about materials for their collections,” said Law.
He said that trust has been earned over decades through positive interactions with members of the community and across the province.
“At its core, Bill 28 is unnecessary, unworkable, and creates more problems than it solves. It increases workloads, threatens privacy, and restricts access to information,” said Law.
He said CUPE 70 is calling on the government to reconsider this legislation and work with library professionals, not against them.
“Albertans trust librarians, and the government should, too,” said Law.
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When public trust for libraries is three time greater than public trust in politicians … perhaps the UCP should consider consulting with them before lighting up Bebelplatz.