HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Changes may be coming to Alabama libraries and materials they provide to children. As the Huntsville Madison County Public Library looked ahead, some controversy arose over a misunderstanding of their process. Executive Director Cindy Hewitt spoke about the matter, and these are her words:
"Read Me a Story, Stella, which seems to be what everybody's focused on, was a book that was just on a keyword search list. it has never been banned, moved or touched in the library and is still sitting where it's supposed to. So, I want to clear up that misconception. we're not banning any books. The whole process that was started a couple of weeks ago was to look at books that were potentially going to be challenged based on some of the things that were coming down from the state public library service.
"So, we were examining our collection to see if our materials were in age-appropriate categories, what might be challenged, what needed to be addressed, if there were anything. so, it was a process of looking at the collection and using our library professionals to make any kinds of decisions instead of relying on an outside list or input. So we wanted to do our due diligence to do the right thing.
"We were in the middle of this process looking, and the communication was done at the managerial level, and was passed down through staff. and in that conversation, from managers to staff is where communication broke down and the intent and they were misrepresented, basically. And when we realized that that was what was happening, we stopped everything, talked to the community, invited community in to talk about what they perceived as being what was happening, stop what we were doing and just paused, and I've been in that state ever since. so, nothing's changed from that."
Before we wrapped, I asked how the library is still maintaining its commitment to being a safe space. "You know, we have apologized for anybody feeling like they were targeted. You know, that was not ever our intent at all," Hewitt shares. "I would say the library's still a safe place. It's still wide open for anybody to use and materials are still here."
Previously, the library released this statement:
Libraries are dynamic spaces where we constantly evaluate and adjust our collections to better serve the diverse needs and interests of our community. Moving books can sometimes be part of this process. Huntsville Madison County Public Library staff have been reviewing materials that could be included in the list of books of concern generated by the Alabama Public Library Service.
It is our intention to maintain and retain our collection without compromising its service to the diverse community that we serve. We will not move specific titles because individuals or groups may find them objectionable. We recently asked our staff to examine the collections at our ten branches to determine what books might need to be moved. We feel it is important that librarians, who are trained in collection development, should be the ones who make decisions about book placement.
As library professionals, we are always willing to evaluate our collection in light of community concerns. While a news report states that we have been specifically targeting LGBTQ+ books, that is not true. While some groups have expressed concern about books dealing with this subject matter, the specific review related to ensuring that books containing sexually explicit content of any kind were located in an age-appropriate category.
Considering staff and community feedback, the library has paused making any changes to the location of any books. Library staff and board members will continue to discuss any book challenges and keep the collection intact. As we move forward in dealing with this issue, we will do our best to listen to all concerns and remain true to the ultimate purpose of the public library to serve all of our community.
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Much of the confusion and concern over what's happening in Alabama Public Libraries stems from recent events in Autauga-Prattville, where disagreements over what books should be in the library, how they should be categorized, and who should be allowed access to them led to the removal of one library director and the future of library contracts, and letters sent from Governor Kay Ivey to the Director of the Alabama Public Library System, including the most recent one, which lists a set of policy amendments the governor is recommending. The list of amendments (scroll down) starts by saying: "To qualify for state aid, public libraries (whether or not they are members of systems) and public library systems must comply with the appropriate requirements as follows."