Books that depict transgender procedures, gender ideology or the concept of more than two genders must be now moved to the adult section of Alabama libraries or removed completely.
The Alabama Public Library Service voted to adopt the change to the agency’s administrative code on Thursday after a public comment period on the changes over the past few months. About 80 percent of respondents favored the changes, although opponents criticized APLS Chairman John Wahl, who also chairs the Alabama Republican Party, for soliciting and receiving votes through the party’s platform. Wahl said that even before the final day of comments, 70 percent of letters supported the code change.
The vote took place on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors lives lost due to transphobia.
The amendment had originally set out to ban specifically “positive depictions” of transgender procedures, but Wahl suggested removing that phrasing and suggesting it evidenced his commitment other than hearing out both sides. Murmurs throughout the building suggested the change more likely to avoid a lawsuit.
Wahl also added to the amendment to address youth library cards after complaints from the chair of the North Shelby Library board, of which Shelby County Republicans took control last year, that other libraries in the area were not sufficiently offering youth library cards that restricted access to only youth materials.
That change could be cost-prohibitive for some lower-income libraries, which Wahl said left him torn; however, he emphasized that certain “bad actors” had left him the agency no choice but to ensure all libraries offer restricted cards. Board member Angela Stokes challenged Wahl on calling librarians bad actors, suggesting instead that the code changes are complicated and libraries are doing their best to comply. Wahl doubled down, saying his conversations with some of the librarians is why he views them as bad actors.
“There is something very wrong here at the APLS,” said Angie Hayden, cofounder of Read Freely Alabama. “This board has inflicted chaos on Alabama libraries since the appointment of the chairman.”
Every speaker during Thursday’s public comment session spoke out against the changes.
“Most of the people of Alabama have not asked for this latest library-fixated assault on
the LGBTQ Community, because it’s their children and children of friends and relatives
you’re attacking with the misguided proposal before you,” said Dr. Jim Vickrey. “Ask them and your teens and the teens of others if they favor this kind of irrational public policy. Poll the state, as the Governor this week suggested that the APT Commission should do before it takes precipitous action. This proposal results only from the mischief of a few zealots and is
as unlawful as it is wrong. Do you dare defend the rights of all Alabamians, Mr.Chairman?”
The new APLS code change, like the one before it, requires libraries to have policies in place to keep these books out of youth sections. The prior code change dealt with “Sexually explicit” material. How the board handles perceived compliance with those codes played out next as the board considered whether to consider the Fairhope Public Library back in compliance after cutting $20,000 in funding to the library last year.
Wahl suggested, and was the decisive vote, to once again delay any action on reinstating Fairhope’s compliance. He noted that it would not affect Fairhope’s ability to recoup all monies for the current fiscal year as long as the board rules the library in compliance before June 30, 2026.
The 10 challenged books that remain in the youth section despite complaints from some local patrons that they contain sexually explicit content are now being read through by Wahl. He insisted that he is doing that in response to comments from Fairhope Library Board chair Randal Wright that her board had read the books and he would probably not do the same. Wright, watching from the overflow room, shook her head and laughed at the statement.
But board member Ron Snider once again pressed his claim that Wahl is turning the APLS into a board of censors.
“Are you becoming the censor-in-chief for Alabama,” Snider asked Wahl.
Board member Kassandra Stevens pressed Wahl for how these issues would be resolved as to whether the books are actually sexually explicit, arguing the need for consistency among libraries.
Snider and Stokes voted to restore Fairhope’s funding, while Stevens and Jerria Martin abstained. Amy Minton and Debbie Windsor voted against restoring the funding, leaving the vote at a 2-2-2 tie. Wahl cast the tie-breaking vote to restore Fairhope’s funding. The next opportunity to vote will be Jan. 15.
