HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — In 2023, concerns raised by certain groups about books sitting in the children's section of many Alabama public libraries amplified as part of a larger conversation happening about books across the country. Some of those groups, including Moms for Liberty and Clean Up Alabama are pushing for the removal of what they deem "inappropriate materials" accessible to minors.
Clean Up Alabama says they are "dedicated to protecting the innocence of Alabama's children by advocating for the removal of pornography and obscenity from our libraries' children's sections."
Many of the books called into question deal with LGBTQ+ content. Clean Up Alabama's list of targeted books include titles like the modern Heartstopper graphic novel series, as well as titles that have been available at libraries for decades, like Go Ask Alice. Many of the titles questioned include content involving "alternate gender ideologies," but some, including The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas and Dean Atta's The Black Flamingo are cited for containing "inflammatory racial commentary" and/or "references to racism."
Alabama governor Kay Ivey has also expressed concern about the content of books available at public libraries. In a letter to the Director of the Alabama Public Library Service, Dr. Nancy Pack, Ivey asked Pack to "seek answers about the environment our Alabama libraries are providing to families and children."
Gov. Ivey has since requested changes to the APLS's administrative code.
A group called Read Freely Alabama is dedicating itself toward "pushing back against library censorship." Dr. Marisa Allison is co-organizer of the Madison County chapter.
"A healthy democracy requires our ability to be able to read freely" Allison said. "We want people to have access to materials and [that is] the slippery slope that we're going down. Everyone should be concerned, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum."
RFA released a petition Friday opposing what they call Moms for Liberty and Clean Up Alabama's "attempt to censor libraries."
"The vast majority of citizens of this state do not want Moms for Liberty or Clean Up Alabama ... to push for these decisions that will change the way our libraries are funded, change the content of them. It will change the way that they operate," Allison said.
Krysti Shallenberger, a co-organizer for RFA's Cullman chapter, says libraries are places that should be considered nonpartisan. "I do not think a child running around a library, if they pick up a Republican book or a Democrat book, is going to be either party," she said.
Ultimately, Shallenberger said, it is up to the parent to supervise what their own children have access to.
"At the end of the day, parents have to parent. Kids deserve a measure of access to information and seeing themselves represented in the appropriate sections in the library," she said.
RFA's organizers say the community should be aware of when the APLS administrative code draft changes become public.
"There'll be a 90-day public comment period after that, and we encourage anyone who does not agree with censorship in our libraries to come on board," said Allison.