Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
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| June 2025 Fairhope Library Board. |
STATE BOARD MEETING
Library Board Chairperson Randall Wright and other Fairhope library supporters are heading to Montgomery tomorrow for the Alabama Library Service's executive board meeting where suspended funding to the library is expected to be on their agenda.
In June, the Fairhope board relocated some of the 14 "challenged" books found objectionable by the state board (after hearing local citizens' objections), but left others in place.
The library receives about $40K annually from the APLS (in installments), but continued participation in the book exchange program is the primary concern of library director Robert Gourlay.
Among their options, the state board could decide to lift the suspension ... or continue it. Some conservative media outlets in the area are already reporting all of the books will have to be moved to restore the funding ... but we cannot confirm that.
The Fairhope Library Board meets "as needed" and there are no meetings scheduled currently.
City council candidates are already weighing in on the book matter as an issue for the August 26 election.
The meeting starts at 10 AM; in the past their meetings have been available to view live on YouTube's Alabama Channel.