Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
OTHERS LEFT IN PLACE
After hearing individual reviews of each book and the recommendations from two-person board-member teams randomly-assigned to read them, the Fairhope library board of trustees voted Monday afternoon to relocate five books challenged in 2023 (under the previous standards) by patrons for alleged sexually-explicit content policy violations -- and to keep nine others in place. The 14 books were also on a list sent from Alabama State Library Service director John Wahl pertaining to the suspension of state funding to the Fairhope library earlier this year, for violating new state policies adopted in 2024. (Participating in the state's inter-library county book exchange is also tied to the same funding; it's the library board's main concern.)
Book titles relocated included: Boy Toy, Damsel, The Haters, and Tricks -- from teen to adult section.
Beyond Magenta, Shine, Crank, Doing It, Identical, Lighter Than My Shade, The Handmaid's Tale, and Perks of Being A Wallflower were some left in the teen section after the evaluations determined they met current Fairhope library policy standards.
One book, Sex is a Funny Word, was moved to the 'parental shelf '-- still in the youth section.
Chairperson Randall Wright commented she felt like "The Sword of Damocles is hanging over our heads," no matter what was done some will still be unhappy.
No members of the public spoke during the meeting but Elizabeth Williams of the local Read Freely Alabama organization told the Times after she was appreciative of the board members' hard work and hoped the ALS would now see fit to release the suspended funding.
Library Board members are all unpaid volunteers.
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| APLS's "sexually explicit" definition. |