TORONTO, ONTARIO—(September 16, 2025)—The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), the Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC), and the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) strongly condemn the Government of Alberta’s book banning policy and the devastating impact it is set to have on students, educators, authors, and communities. The changes announced last week—shifting the focus from written descriptions of sex to visual depictions—do not resolve the fundamental problem: the directive continues to restrict access to literature and undermines the expertise of educators and librarians.

The government’s original directive—framed as a ban on “sexually explicit” materials—forced school boards to prepare lists of hundreds of books for removal, including classics such as The Handmaid’s Tale, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Brave New World. It was only when this sweeping overreach drew international criticism that the government amended its order, acknowledging that its criteria would otherwise censor works considered to be in the literary canon.

However, Alberta’s amended policy will still ban award-winning graphic novels such as Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, Flamer by Mike Curato, and Blankets by Craig Thompson—all of which centre on 2SLGBTQIA+ narratives and all of which were used as justification for this policy in statements by the Alberta Government. These acclaimed works do not endanger students; they affirm diverse identities and reflect the lived experiences of Albertans. Images of nudity are not always sexual, and images of sex are not always pornographic. Teacher-librarians are trained professionals who can make these distinctions and engage with students in thoughtful, productive ways. The removal of these texts from school libraries only serves to stigmatize queer youth and communicate that their stories are unwelcome in public education.

“Alberta’s revisions do not address the underlying issues of this directive,” said Alana Wilcox, ACP’s President. “There was no meaningful consultation with educators, librarians, or publishers, and public survey results showed that a majority of Albertans oppose government interference in what students can read. If Alberta truly wants to serve its young people, it must trust the expertise of educators and librarians to ensure that all students have access to books that foster empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking.”

ACP, CPC, and LPG call on the Government of Alberta to:

• Repeal this harmful directive in its entirety;
• End top-down approaches to education policy that bypass meaningful consultation with educators, librarians, students, families, and publishers; and
• Commit to developing future policies that respect student rights, professional expertise, and democratic values, while supporting—not restricting—access to a wide range of literature.

Book bans do not protect children. They restrict opportunities for learning, stigmatize marginalized communities, and undermine the professional judgment of educators and teacher-librarians. By politicizing school libraries, the Alberta government is narrowing the scope of what young people are allowed to read and imagine, while overburdening an education system already under strain.

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ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

The Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) represents the interests of publishing companies that publish books and other media for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and reference markets, and the retail and library sectors. CPC maintains liaison with major Canadian and international sector associations in writing and publishing, to monitor key developments in the sector and advocate for policies that promote a healthy and prosperous industry.

Founded in 1975, the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers located across the country. LPG’s members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing.

For more information, contact:
Jack Illingworth
Executive Director, ACP
jack_illingworth@canbook.org