2025 saw a dramatic rise in censorship efforts aimed at libraries in Canada, with activity focused at school libraries in Alberta following the Alberta Ministerial Orders. Challenges reported by libraries rose from 172 in 2024 to 512 in 2025.
The Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University has published ‘The Rising Demands for Censorship: Final Report on Challenges faced by Canadian Libraries in 2025’ which provides a summary of the challenges submitted to the CFE-CFLA/FCAB Canadian Library Challenges database. CFLA has added to CFE’s totals the challenges reported to CFLA by the L’Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ): 14 in 2024 and 8 in 2025. Libraries in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI and Saskatchewan did not report challenges to CFE or CFLA in 2025.
CFE notes that public libraries reported 116 challenges, with 98 to items in their collections [124 total/106 collections including Quebec]. The increase is at school libraries, which reported 384 challenges, the majority in Alberta as well as 14 in Manitoba, 8 in BC, and 1 in Nova Scotia.
The most notable finding by CFE is that of the 502 challenges [509 with Quebec] reported by Canadian public, school, and academic libraries in 2025, 360 were the result of the Alberta Ministerial Orders (May/September 2025]. This is the largest book ban in Canadian history.
CFE observes that the reported numbers of challenges are likely a vast underestimate of the actual numbers since not all libraries report challenges, and some only report challenges to items in their collections, and do not report challenges to programs, exhibits, community use of space and internet use policies.
The final list of books receiving most challenges at Canadian libraries in 2025 was (ordered from most to least):
- Neil Gaiman, The Sandman (series)
- Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead (series)
- Brian K. Vaughan, The Last Man (series)
- TIED: Kanoko Sakurakoji, Black Bird (series) AND Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (series)
- Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
- TIED: Craig Thompson, Blankets AND Alan Moore, The Watchman (Series)
- Matyas Namai / George Orwell, 1984: The Graphic Novel
- Margaret Atwood, The Handmaids Tale – Graphic Novel
For French books in Québec, one challenge was reported for each of:
- “À la soupe !” La petite philo de Mafalda, Quino Quino
- Comment on fait les bébés, Babette Cole
- Le cousin de Max et Lili se drogue, Dominique De Saint Mars
- Le Dit du Genji, Asaki Yumemishi
- Émilie n’aime pas quand sa mère boit trop, Dominique De Saint Mars
- Le mariage de Simon, Agnès Desarthe (removed)
- Spirou et la gorgone bleue, Yann
Library Challenges Database and Submission Form
The annual challenges survey was initiated by the Canadian Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Advisory Committee in 2006 and transferred to CFLA as CLA’s successor in 2016. Results in the database hosted by CFE include challenges from 1976-2026, incorporating submissions from individual institutions prior to the survey.
Libraries in Canada can submit challenges anytime via the google form. CFLA encourages libraries to report all challenges, including those to materials, programs and displays.