The Fairhope Public Library’s board of trustees voted on what to do with 14 books in the teen section after reading them and discussing the content.
Due to inappropriate content, four of the books will be moved to the adult fiction section and one will be moved to the parenting section. All of the others will remain in the teen section.
Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) chairman John Wahl said the APLS Board will formally review Fairhope’s decisions at its upcoming July meeting. He said that if all the books containing sexually explicit content were moved out of the juvenile sections of the library, state funding would be restored.
“The APLS Board has been clear and consistent regarding the regulations and requirements in Alabama state code concerning sexually explicit material,” said Wahl. “All public libraries in Alabama must relocate any materials containing obscenity or sexually explicit content out of youth sections in order to remain eligible for state funding. There are no loopholes or gray areas in this requirement.”
The library has adopted new policies and has started a new juvenile card system, which allows parents to choose which sections their child can access for checking out books.
“If families want their children to access these materials, they can do so by approving an adult library card for them,” Wahl added. “But no sexually explicit content should remain in youth sections—period. Until that standard is met, state funding will not be reinstated.”
The APLS paused funding to the library in March after Wahl said that the library was not in compliance with the new APLS policy on inappropriate material.
“Sexuality is a deeply personal and sensitive topic, and we must recognize that people hold a wide range of views on how and when it should be introduced to children,” Wahl added. “We want every family in Alabama to feel welcome in our public libraries. Parents who want their children to have broader access to materials have that ability, but at the same time, parents who do not want their children exposed to sexually explicit content should have confidence that their child will not accidentally stumble across inappropriate books in our youth sections. The APLS standards were written to reflect this balance and to respect the viewpoints of all Alabamians.”
Fairhope Public Library director Robert Gourlay provided the list of books that were voted on Monday:
Books to be moved to the Adult Fiction section:
“Boy Toy”
“Damsel”
“The Haters”
“Tricks”
Book to be moved to the Parenting section:
“Sex is a Funny Word”
Books to remain in the Teen section:
“Beyond Magenta”
“Crank”
“Doing It”
“Identical”
“Lighter than My Shadow”
“Shine”
“The Handmaid's Tale”
“The Hate U Give”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
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