Over 200 people gathered at the Alabama Public Library Service Board of Directors meeting on Monday in Montgomery, Alabama, to comment on a proposed amendment to the organization’s rules regarding materials in children’s sections of libraries.
The APLS’ current rules say children’s library sections must not have any material considered inappropriate for children, and the code change clarifies this, saying “any material that promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology or the concept of more than two biological genders.”
The decision to accept or reject the code change, which was first proposed by District 3 board member Amy Minton, will be made at a board meeting in November.
“We want parents to know that the library is a safe space for children,” John Wahl, chairman of the APLS board and chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said, adding he doesn’t want parents “to worry what they’re gonna accidentally subject them to.”
Lori Herring, a member of Eagle Forum of Alabama, an organization that supports the amendment, said the change is not censorship, but “curation of the library collection to protect vulnerable users without silencing adults.”
Tracy Gaywood, a resident of Auburn, Alabama, said that her home library has not followed past code changes from the board.
“When children are exposed to material that is sexually charged or so unnatural it makes them question who or what they are, they are unable to properly process it,” she said.
Elizabeth Williams, a resident of Fairhope, Alabama, opposed the amendment, saying she believes the APLS board has not heard the concerns of her city’s library.
“It doesn’t matter how many letters you may have gotten from those who think viewpoint discrimination by the government is perfectly acceptable,” Williams said. “Those people don’t get to waive the first amendment on behalf of all Alabamians.”
The Fairhope Public Library System had its state funding revoked by the APLS in March 2025, with the APLS stating a violation of its rules regarding explicit material for minors.
According to Wahl, the board received almost 8,500 letters during the public comment period, with 80% of them supporting the code change. Read Freely Alabama, a volunteer organization that works against censorship in public libraries in the state, encouraged citizens to send the letters on its website.
“This amendment is unconstitutional, gross government overreach, blatantly discriminatory and unnecessary,” said Angie Hayden, co-founder and personal relations director for Read Freely Alabama, a volunteer organization that works against censorship in public libraries in the state.
Daniel Vanek, a pastor at Tuscaloosa United Church of Christ, said that the change does not “make the child less likely to be trans. It only makes them feel alone.”
“By removing books that show positive portrayals of trans people, it would not be protecting children, but denying them the beauty of God’s full creation,” he said.
Amanda Melcher, a librarian at Montevallo University and past president of the Alabama Library Association, said that past changes have been extremely expensive and time-consuming for libraries.
“They require an exorbitant number of staff hours to comply, and the majority of parents don’t even like them,” Melcher said.
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