Alabama Library Association

The clash over freedom to read is playing out on the Gulf coast with both sides thinking they’re right. Members of the Fairhope Library Board agreed to stand their ground over books deemed too adult for younger readers. The city’s public library lost its state funding last month when the Alabama Public Library Service board voted to deny funding over books it says don’t belong in the library’s teen section. It was the agency’s first such denial over book placement.

The Baldwin County Commission voted Tuesday to terminate the current agreement with area libraries tying courier service to state funds. The libraries have signed new contracts without the funding requirement. The move comes after Fairhope and its residents lost access to the courier when the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) denied state funding to the Fairhope library last month. The two sides disagreed over 10 young adult books the state board says meets its definition of sexually explicit.

The board overseeing Alabama public libraries on Thursday voted to remove books that discuss being transgender from the teen and children’s sections of all public libraries in the state. The Alabama action is the latest salvo in the national fight over library content that has frequently centered on titles with LGBTQ+ themes and characters.

An Alabama board is seeking to prohibit public libraries from placing books that “positively” depict transgender themes and topics in teen and children’s sections. The Alabama Public Library Service Board of Directors is considering a proposed rule change that expands the existing requirement for youth sections to be free of “material deemed inappropriate for children.”

The Alabama legislature is considering two bills that could change control of local libraries and possibly expand obscenity laws which could mean more book banning. The University of Alabama Bateman Team is a group of public relations students. They just released a survey that shows opposition to both measures. Ninety percent of those in the survey believe government should not have the power to ban books

Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation that could see librarians prosecuted for providing “harmful” materials or programs to minors. The Alabama bill removes the existing exemption for public libraries in the state’s obscenity law.

Alabamians have the opportunity to weigh in on state policy that would restrict the circulation of certain books to minors in public libraries. The Alabama Public Library Service is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, April 30 to discuss the proposal.

Legislation that reduces the independence of public library boards in Alabama could be debated this week. The state legislature convenes on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Republican Senator Chris Elliott’s SB10 has already passed the Alabama Senate and now goes before the Alabama House.

Amidst the growing number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in Alabama, the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest has stepped up with a thoughtful initiative. The facility is providing cognitive care kits to those affected by this challenging disease.

The American Library Association is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that has been pushing back against book bans nationwide. Alabama is among a number of states which are in the process of removing themselves from the ALA due to the organization’s defense of controversial books