The Prattville Library board of directors went against the recommendations of the library committee and has decided to change the designation of several LGBTQ+ children's books and move them to a higher shelf.
Last week, the board met to judge the complaints of several parents who raised concerns over the books' content and their location.
After the parents requested a review of the books, a review committee – made up of one board member and two library staff members – was convened to determine the validity of the requests.
The books reviewed were:
"Yes! No!" a children's book on sexual consent.
"Bye Bye, Binary," a children's book on gender expression.
"Calvin," a children's story about a girl who says she has been a boy since she can remember. It details the story of her family and school embracing her new identity and name.
"Being You: A First Conversation About Gender."
"Alice Austen Llived Here," a book aged 12-14 about a "non-binary" person named Sam who explores "their" identity.
"The Pronoun Book," a children's guide to alternative pronouns.
At a Thursday board meeting, the board announced the committee's decision to keep the books and leave them in their current place, with the exception of moving "The Pronoun Book" out of the "Grammar" section.
After the board concluded its meeting, it announced it would relocate four of the six reviewed books contrary to the review committee's recommendation.
"The board understands the spirit in which the committee made their decision on the following books," The board said in an email release. "However the decision was made by the board to relocate these books to the Dewey location of E 306.76 - Sexual Orientation, Transgenderism, Intersexuality; and their spine labels will be changed to reflect this location. The books will be placed on the highest shelf within the Easy Non-Fiction section."
The relocated books are "Bye Bye Binary," "Calvin," "Being You," and "The Pronoun Book."
The decision by the board has not satisfied opponents of the books. According to one parent attending the Thursday meeting, several parents have compiled a list of over 80 books containing similar content and plan to submit them to the board.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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