Alberta school library restriction policies: The good, the bad and what it means for you
By Rue Parmar, October 1 2025—
With the rise in global political tensions, we must continue to closely monitor our local governments to determine what we consider necessary to keep our communities safe. Now that literature is under fire in Alberta, what does that mean for us?
On July 4, 2025, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides issued a ministerial order targeting school libraries, defining strict guidelines for the selection and access of educational materials. Books containing images, passages or references to sexual content were to be removed from school shelves, including those reserved for students in higher grades or continuing their education as adults.
This order quickly faced significant backlash for disregarding age and development, but more specifically for its potential for ideological abuses of power. Public outrage grew after the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) proposed a list of over 200 titles to be removed, including Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and many other classic titles.
On Aug. 29, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith held a press conference to address the controversy. Smith stated that the EPSB’s actions were a form of “vicious compliance” and the province intended to “keep [their] hands off the classics.”
Starting on Sept. 3, Minister Nicolaides paused the order for library removals and text orders.
As of Sept. 8, the order now establishes distinct age categories: K-9 students cannot access books with explicit or non-explicit sexual content (including The Great Gatsby and 1984), while students in Grades 10 to 12 may read books with sexual passages but no graphic images.
This revision process has become a total nightmare, with tabloid-esque reporting from official outlets and constant back and forth between the public and politicians representing a grim outlook for the future of the legislative process.
Now, despite the problematic implications these restrictions pose for our school systems, there are a few positives to the situation that deserve to be pointed out. A fast response from a large government, especially on a politically charged issue in a time of uncertainty, provides a sense of commitment to citizens from our provincial government.
In July, a survey to engage the public was launched directly after the initial bill, in which over 80,000 Albertans participated and expressed a growing disinterest or disagreement with the terms of the new policy. Under the pressure of teacher strikes, public dissent and misinterpretation of the order, the education ministry responded to concerns and put into motion these revisions, which enable a compromise between the values of citizens and politicians.
This responsiveness has offered significant respite for those with vocal, progressive values. Unlike book bans in many other countries — the most notable being the United States, China and Afghanistan — our government’s willingness to revise shows that Canadian beliefs remain resilient against third-party pressures and foreign influences.
But responsiveness is only so helpful in the face of such overwhelmingly serious repercussions.
In response to her books being banned, Margaret Atwood released a satirical short story in which two “very, very good children” named John and Mary.
“They grew up and married each other, and produced five perfect children without ever having sex. Although they claimed to be Christian, they paid no attention to what Jesus actually said about the poor and the Good Samaritan and forgiving your enemies and such; instead, they practised selfish rapacious capitalism,” says Atwood in the story, mocking the Smith administration and the legislation in question by writing something “suitable for seventeen-year-olds in Alberta schools, unlike — we are told — The Handmaid’s Tale.”
A communal concern with the original order was that it initially appeared to be designed to silence underrepresented voices, particularly 2SLGBTQIA+ and progressive approaches to society. Alongside the censorship of these books, there has been a major regression in school policies regarding transgender women participating in sports and the usage of chosen names or pronouns in classrooms without parental permission.
Amidst rising levels of right-wing discrimination, the Alberta book bans send a troubling signal, suggesting that ulterior, discriminatory motives are a leading motivation behind the new policies.
Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is a primary example. Despite being a key source for understanding a wide variety of complex topics like genocide and the impacts of fascism, it was placed on the EPSB’s list of so-called “explicit” books to be removed from school shelves.
Surprising to none, the passages that were seen as a cause for concern were those of Frank describing her attraction to girls, even though the ideas shared are non-sexual in nature. This raises the ultimate concern that the removal of certain texts is less about shielding students from sexual content and more about limiting access to ideas that promote dissent from authoritarian governments, which is not only unjust but frightening for anyone who rejects the status quo.
Although this bill targets primary and secondary schools, it raises broader concerns for education as a whole: book bans pose an immediate threat to communal intellectualism, especially in an era of declining literacy. While university students may not be directly affected, their communities, friends, family and previous educators will face the ramifications of reduced access to resources.
Grade 12 students are the most at risk, especially as many look to pursue post-secondary education. Entering university with a narrow literary background will leave these students feeling alienated and underprepared for the type of learning they will have to adjust to. Many banned texts are deliberately studied in higher education, which could produce an ideological clash between what students were told to avoid in high school and what they are suddenly expected to engage with in university.
For example, Nancy Pagh’s Write Moves: A Creative Writing Guide & Anthology, an introductory course textbook, frequently cites Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita for its famously horrific, immersive writing style. Students who were taught to see the book as too “explicit” or “controversial” may feel disoriented when asked to study it seriously, creating tension and undermining their ability to thrive in post-secondary classrooms.
Finally, this order will significantly affect professors and post-secondary instructors. They may face future policies extending to higher education, but more immediately, they must adapt their lessons and their own literature to align with Alberta’s revised curriculum, even if the changes are problematic. Students’ educations come first and foremost, and since certain books will have been withheld during crucial years of students’ developments, instructors will need to adjust their teaching to bridge gaps in knowledge and maintain classroom balance.
But there are ways in which we can combat these discriminatory practices.
Speak up: Voice your opinion on social media or other public outlets. Even if you don’t have a large following, you can spark a conversation about our shared values as a community.
Contact your representatives: Write to the politicians in your area. Advocate for what you believe in, ask tough questions and request better access to public documents like ministerial orders and conference transcripts so information is readily available for those who intend to challenge the legislation.
Read challenged books: Purchase, borrow or share a book that is being challenged and read it; form your own opinion on its content so you can better understand what’s at stake and have nuanced conversations about censorship.
Seek allyship: Engage with your faculty, peers and fellow students to create a network of support, especially if you feel targeted by the proposed bans.
Support those directly affected: Read targeted books to younger siblings, donate books to schools or libraries still accepting and make yourself a resource for others.
Stay informed: Document and research troubling policies to deepen your understanding of the issues and strengthen your perspective.
Book bans have become a constant, common occurrence in the last year. What used to be a distant fever dream for Canadians is now a harsh reality that is becoming more and more difficult to fend off. It is commendable to see our provincial government holding itself accountable for making vague restrictions and overreaching fixes in all the wrong ways, but it is troubling to see that such an order would make it past the orders of council, let alone have to receive harsh criticisms to be revised.
It goes to show that even in the midst of global tragedies, our local governments still need to be held accountable to the people. And if the people consider these book bans deplorable, then we need to voice our concerns and not let our apathy restrict our access to education and our right to free speech.
We don’t want to be like John and Mary, I promise you.
This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.