John Wahl thanks Kay Ivey for her recommendations to the library board
Alabama Public Library Service Board member John Wahl released a statement thanking Alabama Governor Kay Ivey for her efforts to protect children from sexually explicit content and her recommendations to the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board at Thursday’s APLS Board meeting. Governor Ivey’s proposed amendments moved forward after a motion from Wahl and a unanimous vote in favor by the APLS Board. The rule changes will still require a final vote after an upcoming mandatory public comment period, but if passed, will address policies related to the physical location and relocation of sexually explicit material in order for public libraries to receive state funds. “I am thankful for Kay Ivey’s work to address the location of sexually explicit books in our libraries, as well as her recommendations to the APLS board,” Wahl said. “Governor Ivey has been a strong advocate for protecting Alabama families and finding common sense solutions that respect Alabama taxpayers. Her recommended changes to the APLS code are a great step in addressing the issues we are facing in the youth sections of Alabama libraries, while also helping to make sure parents are in control of what their children are exposed to. Taxpayer money should never be used to push a Marxist agenda from the American Library Association, and Alabama families should never have to worry about their children accidentally stumbling across sexually explicit books in the youth section. I hope we can all agree that libraries should be a safe place for our kids. I look forward to working with the Governor to make sure parents can trust their local libraries in every area and as soon as possible. It is time to be responsible with taxpayer money and protect our children from inappropriate content.” Wahl is also presently the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Most observers had expected the APLS board to disaffiliate with the controversial American Library Association. Gov. Ivey, Wahl, and numerous citizen activists wanted to disaffiliate from the American Library Association. APLS Director Nancy Pack had seemed to acquiesce in a recent APLS-wide memorandum. The Board did not do that but instead postponed the decision to disaffiliate. This postponement gives the APLS time for a public comment period on the proposed change. The libraries have come under fire from conservative groups for the introduction of sexually explicit books, including books on gender transitioning and LGBTQ+ topics in the children’s section. The libraries have also been charged with promoting Marxism to children. Governor Ivey has sent a couple of letters to Pack demanding that the libraries do a better job of protecting children and parental rights. Library defenders accuse the critics of advocating book burning and censorship. They argue that disaffiliation will lead to the libraries losing training and other resources that the national association provides. The APLS Board will take up the issue of disaffiliating when it meets in March. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gov. Kay Ivey lacks confidence in library chief Nancy Pack
On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey sent an open letter to Alabama Public Library Service director Nancy Pack. Ivey had previously sent a letter to Pack expressing her growing concern about the libraries and the state’s affiliation with the ultra-liberal American Library Association. Pack, in her response, defended the Alabama Libraries Association. Ivey made it clear in Wednesday’s letter that she was displeased. “I still lack confidence that our libraries are most effectively fulfilling their mission,” Ivey said. “In my previous letter to you, I described the core problem as the exposure of children and youth to inappropriate materials without adequate means of parental supervision. Unfortunately, your response does not persuade me that Alabama libraries have policies in place to strike the right balance in responding to this problem.” Pack said it is the parent’s responsibility to protect children from harmful material, not the libraries. “Parents should be confident that the materials available in children’s sections are, in fact, suitable for children. And children should have the freedom to wander freely in a children’s section without being exposed to harmful materials,” Ivey wrote. Libraries have become front and center in the ongoing culture wars. As one former librarian explained to Alabama Today, a large part of a librarian’s work is “managing and building their collections.” Children’s books about children and alternative lifestyles, gender transitioning, and the LGBTQ+ experience did not just suddenly appear on the shelves at a neighborhood public library. Libraries have fixed budgets and only so much money to buy new books and shelf space to store books. If those books are on the shelves in the library, in most cases, it was the librarian who made the decision that the library needs LGBTQ+ books geared to kids. As Pack said in a recent appearance on Capital Journal, children living in an LGBTQ+ home where there are two mommies or two daddies want to be able to go to the library and find books with families like theirs. Social conservatives argue that LGBTQ+ books should be in an LGBTQ+ section, if present at all. The librarians say that that is censorship. Conservatives, on the other hand, contend that the local library is an arm of city government and that the city governments should have some say on the content that is on the shelves in the city library and are thus putting pressure on city mayors and councils to get their libraries more appropriate for children. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, who also serves on the state’s library board, has suggested that there are ways that the state Legislature could step in to this situation. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
John Wahl to make motion on children’s book controversy
Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board Member John Wahl announced on Thursday he plans to introduce a proposal to help address the issue of inappropriate LGBTQ+-themed books being in prominent positions in the children’s section of several Alabama libraries. Wahl’s proposal follows remarks by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey earlier this week, drawing light to the situation. Wahl’s motion would require the APLS to develop a list of books that may contain sexually inappropriate content for display purposes in children’s library sections. The proposal would create a framework where parents could submit material they felt was unsuitable for children, and the findings would be shared with local libraries across the State. “I believe it is critical that we address the concerns of parents across the State of Alabama and provide our local libraries with some guidance on what books may contain inappropriate content for children,” Wahl said. “I am a strong advocate of the First Amendment and do not believe in banning books, but this is not a question about banning anything. The question here is should taxpayer funds be used to purchase books with explicit sexual content and other inappropriate material that are readily accessible to our children. We have rating systems for movies, television shows, and even video games which help protect our youth from unsuitable materials. Libraries should be a safe spot for children and a place where parents do not have to worry about what they may be exposed to in the children’s section.” “As a board member of the APLS, it’s important for me that we represent the values of the people of Alabama and protect our children from sexually inappropriate content and woke policies,” Wahl explained. “The people of Alabama have put their trust in our state government, and I hope that my fellow board members share my concerns. I strongly believe that we should let children be children again, and stop pushing a social agenda on them.” This is not the first time Wahl has expressed concern about sexually explicit content found in the children’s sections of some Alabama libraries. At the last APLS board meeting, he addressed issues brought forth by upset parents and made a motion asking the Attorney General’s Office for clarification on what authority the APLS has over local libraries and possible inappropriate content found in their youth sections. The motion passed unanimously. More information on that meeting can be found here. Last Friday, Gov. Ivey sent a letter to Alabama Public Library Service Director Dr. Nancy Pack expressing the Governor’s concern that Alabama’s libraries have not been a suitably friendly environment for Alabama’s children and families. “I am writing to express concern—and to seek answers—about the environment our Alabama libraries are providing to families and children,” Ivey wrote. “Public libraries play a vital role in our communities. They facilitate research and learning. They provide recreation. And they promote literacy by fostering a love of reading that will improve our citizens’ lives and uplift our State’s communities. Regardless of background or income, Alabama libraries are or should be—a safe place for all individuals in a community. Including families and children to read, learn, and explore.” “Especially given libraries’ importance to society, I have grown increasingly concerned due to recent reports calling into question whether our own libraries here in Alabama are most effectively fulfilling this important mission,” the Governor continued. “The heart of the issue seems to be the exposure of children and youth to inappropriate, sexually suggestive materials without adequate means or parental supervision.” The Governor cited several books related to exploring one’s gender identity and gender transition in the children’s sections of several Alabama libraries targeting children as young as eight as well as books with gratuitous sexual content targeting 12- and 13-year-olds. “This list could go on, but the important point, as I understand it, is that each of these books has been made freely available in the very part of the library where children and youth are most likely to browse,” Ivey stated. “As several parents have eloquently put it, their concern is not about removing these books. The concern is about ensuring that these books are placed in an appropriate location. In other words, the parents are saying, if our children and youth are going to encounter these books at all, it should be because of a considered family decision, not the whims of a local library.” “Rather than supporting Alabama families, out-of-state library groups like the American Library Association appear to be making the situation worse,” Ivey states. “The ALA’s “Library Bill of Rights”—which the Alabama Public Library Service has adopted as its own—says that a person’s library use should not be abridged because of “age.” Not to be misunderstood, the ALA’s website regarding youth access to library resources clarifies that “like adults, children and teens have the right to find the information they choose,” so libraries must not “discriminate” based on “age.” Even more startling, the Library Bill of Rights further provides that all people, regardless of age, “possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use”—a statement that appears to directly contravene Alabama’s law giving parents access to their children’s library records.” “Considering the foregoing facts, it is not surprising that Alabama parents are raising concerns about both the content on display in some Alabama libraries as well as the general approach of Alabama libraries towards parental involvement,” said Ivey. “I share these concerns and believe that the responsible thing to do is seem more information that may be useful in considering whether reform is necessary—and if so, what reforms to make.” This issue came up at a city council meeting in Prattville – where a number of inappropriate books were recently found in the children’s section. Their concerned citizens asked the city council to enact reforms and oversight over the library. Wahl, who raises and sells butterflies, is also the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gov. Kay Ivey sends letter expressing concern over ‘inappropriate’ books in Alabama libraries
The growing controversy over the content in Alabama libraries was unforeseen by almost everyone but is an increasingly real feud between the librarians and certain conservative groups. On Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey sent a letter to Alabama Public Library Service Director Dr. Nancy Pack expressing the Governor’s concern that Alabama’s libraries have not been a suitably friendly environment for Alabama’s children and families. “I am writing to express concern—and to seek answers—about the environment our Alabama libraries are providing to families and children,” Ivey wrote. “Public libraries play a vital role in our communities. They facilitate research and learning. They provide recreation. And they promote literacy by fostering a love of reading that will improve our citizens’ lives and uplift our State’s communities. Regardless of background or income, Alabama libraries are or should be—a safe place for all individuals in a community. including families and children, to read, learn, and explore.” “Especially given libraries’ importance to society, I have grown increasingly concerned due to recent reports calling into question whether our own libraries here in Alabama are most effectively fulfilling this important mission,” the Governor continued. “The heart of the issue seems to be the exposure of children and youth to inappropriate, sexually suggestive materials without adequate means or parental supervision.” The Governor cited several books related to exploring one’s gender identity and gender transition being found in the children’s sections of several Alabama libraries targeting children as young as eight as well as books with gratuitous sexual content targeting 12- and 13-year-olds. “This list could go on, but the important point. as I understand it. is that each of these books has been made freely available in the very part of the library where children and youth are most likely to browse,” Ivey stated. “As several parents have eloquently put it, their concern is not about removing these books. The concern is about ensuring that these books are placed in an appropriate location. In other words, the parents are saying, if our children and youth are going to encounter these books at all, it should be because of a considered family decision, not the whims of a local library.” “Rather than supporting Alabama families, out-of-state library groups like the American Library Association appear to be making the situation worse,” Ivey states. “The ALA’s “Library Bill of Rights”—which the Alabama Public Library Service has adopted as its own—says that a person’s library use should not be abridged because of “age.” Not to be misunderstood, the ALA’s website regarding youth access to library resources clarifies that “like adults, children and teens have the right to find the information they choose,” so libraries must not “discriminate” based on “age.” Even more startling, the Library Bill of Rights further provides that all people, regardless of age, “possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use”—a statement that appears to directly contravene Alabama’s law giving parents access to their children’s library records.” “Considering the foregoing facts, it is not surprising that Alabama parents are raising concerns about both the content on display in some Alabama libraries as well as the general approach of Alabama libraries towards parental involvement,” said Ivey. “I share these concerns and believe that the responsible thing to do is seem more information that may be useful in considering whether reform is necessary—and if so, what reforms to make.” Ivey made a number of demands of Dr. Pack in the letter, including demanding “An itemized account of how much money the Library Service has paid to the American Library Association over the past five years.” The libraries could diffuse this situation and lessen the increasing amount of criticism they are receiving simply by removing the LGBTQ+ content targeting children and teens from the shelves, but they have resisted that to this point. They claim, however, that this is a free speech issue and are resisting the political pressure from certain conservative groups that have recently focused on exposing inappropriate books on library shelves. “When you’ve been in this business this long, you see what goes around comes around,” Pack said in June. “Censorship has been around for a long time. Sometimes it has been worse, sometimes, it has been less. It’s nothing we haven’t weathered before.” “A librarian’s role, in my opinion, is to provide accurate information, to curate what the community needs are, and to make sure they know what materials are needed in their community,” Pack said. “You have to tell the parents it is our role to have access to materials. It is their role to decide whether they want to come to the library and monitor what their children are looking at.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
