Latest news with #FairhopePublicLibrary
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama city bemoans ‘rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Residents of a city in Alabama are pushing back against what they deem sexually explicit books being shelved in areas reserved for children and teens. In a vote on April 21, 2025, reported that Fairhope Public Library will keep two books in the teen section, including "Sold," which covers sexual slavery in India, and "Grown," which is about sexual said they were concerned about the placement of the books, and want them to be moved from the children's and teens' areas to the adults' section. 'Woke' Hospital Could Be In Crosshairs Of Trump Admin After Scathing Complaint Alleges Dei Discrimination On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funds to agencies that promote "gender ideology." "You are not on board with the Trump agenda," Brian Dasinger, a Fairhope attorney, said Tuesday during a meeting with the Fairhope City Council. According to reports from Dasinger said the city council was "worthless." The local coverage also reported that "The library board critics also called the board 'rogue' and the city council 'woke,' while city officials defended board members as unpaid volunteers who do not have a political agenda." "The six of you should not be called 'worthless' and not be threatened," Emyle Mann, a Fairhope resident, said, speaking of the five council members and Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan. "It's unfair and unprofessional." Read On The Fox News App "There are two books they are leaving (in the teen section)," Sullivan said. "There are some people not happy about that decision. They feel there is sexually explicit content in them. But our library board has reviewed that and didn't feel that way." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Sullivan also reportedly said that the library is reviewing an additional 12–14 books, and has transferred six other books from the teen section to the adult area. Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone thanked the residents who waited until the meeting had concluded before leaving. "After listening to both sides of this discussion, I'm not real big [on] people coming up giving their one side and walking out the door and not listening to what anyone else has to say," Boone said. "We need to be here listening to both sides." Fairhope resident and library supporter Jeanine Normand said, "The world is watching." Another supporter, William Henry of Fairhope, said, "Please don't be bullied by these people to do their agenda. They have shown their true colors and it's political." Wendy Pickering of Orange Beach said that "We are not asking books to be burned or banned. We are asking them to be properly shelved." Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairhope City Council, Fairhope Public Library, as well as Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan for comment. Corey Martin, who is serving his first term on the city council, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "The council listened to both sides of this argument. The process to identify books that are concerning to any parent is in place. This process has been in place from the beginning. What was added was a tiered identification card for each adolescent that has to be signed off by the parent." Martin added that "There has been at least six books that have been placed in the adult section that our librarians and board decided on. There are two books that the librarians and board, after review, decided that these books were not inordinate to the law. We as a council and the Mayor will follow up with the state to try and create alternate review board/ committee on books that are opinionated on both sides as to whether these books have artistic or literary value. All sides are in agreement that no one wants any child to be exposed to something that is not appropriate for their cognitive aptitude or maturity level."Original article source: Alabama city bemoans 'rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Alabama city bemoans ‘rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Residents of a city in Alabama are pushing back against what they deem sexually explicit books being shelved in areas reserved for children and teens. In a vote on April 21, 2025, reported that Fairhope Public Library will keep two books in the teen section, including "Sold," which covers sexual slavery in India, and "Grown," which is about sexual said they were concerned about the placement of the books, and want them to be moved from the children's and teens' areas to the adults' section. 'WOKE' HOSPITAL COULD BE IN CROSSHAIRS OF TRUMP ADMIN AFTER SCATHING COMPLAINT ALLEGES DEI DISCRIMINATION On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funds to agencies that promote "gender ideology." "You are not on board with the Trump agenda," Brian Dasinger, a Fairhope attorney, said Tuesday during a meeting with the Fairhope City Council. According to reports from Dasinger said the city council was "worthless." The local coverage also reported that "The library board critics also called the board 'rogue' and the city council 'woke,' while city officials defended board members as unpaid volunteers who do not have a political agenda." "The six of you should not be called 'worthless' and not be threatened," Emyle Mann, a Fairhope resident, said, speaking of the five council members and Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan. "It's unfair and unprofessional." "There are two books they are leaving (in the teen section)," Sullivan said. "There are some people not happy about that decision. They feel there is sexually explicit content in them. But our library board has reviewed that and didn't feel that way." Sullivan also reportedly said that the library is reviewing an additional 12–14 books, and has transferred six other books from the teen section to the adult area. Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone thanked the residents who waited until the meeting had concluded before leaving. "After listening to both sides of this discussion, I'm not real big [on] people coming up giving their one side and walking out the door and not listening to what anyone else has to say," Boone said. "We need to be here listening to both sides." Fairhope resident and library supporter Jeanine Normand said, "The world is watching." Another supporter, William Henry of Fairhope, said, "Please don't be bullied by these people to do their agenda. They have shown their true colors and it's political." Wendy Pickering of Orange Beach said that "We are not asking books to be burned or banned. We are asking them to be properly shelved." Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairhope City Council, Fairhope Public Library, as well as Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan for comment. Corey Martin, who is serving his first term on the city council, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "The council listened to both sides of this argument. The process to identify books that are concerning to any parent is in place. This process has been in place from the beginning. What was added was a tiered identification card for each adolescent that has to be signed off by the parent." Martin added that "There has been at least six books that have been placed in the adult section that our librarians and board decided on. There are two books that the librarians and board, after review, decided that these books were not inordinate to the law. We as a council and the Mayor will follow up with the state to try and create alternate review board/ committee on books that are opinionated on both sides as to whether these books have artistic or literary value. All sides are in agreement that no one wants any child to be exposed to something that is not appropriate for their cognitive aptitude or maturity level."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fairhope residents voice concerns over library's book review process, ‘explicit' content
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — On Tuesday night, people for and against the Fairhope Public Library's book review process showed up to the Fairhope City Council meeting to voice their concerns. United States Sports University hosts inaugural awards banquet 14 books are under review by the Fairhope Public Library after the Alabama Public Library Service decided to for the library due to findings of 'explicit content' in the teen section. 'We are not demanding censorship. We are simply demanding that sexually explicit books, material describing sexual acts, rapes, trafficking and graphic language be moved out of the children's and teen sections and placed into the adult sections where they belong,' said one Fairhope resident who is against funding for the library. Another resident, who is in support of the library, also spoke up at the meeting, saying, 'They are important, literary books. And I ask you not to re-shelve them so the students that need them can't find them.' Director of the Fairhope Public Library, Robert Gourley, said that the board of trustees has started the review process. 'I think that public libraries should be known for serving our entire community,' said Gourley. 'We look at what we read, the whole work, and try to judge it on the whole work of literature. And then we look at reviews and professional publications, what the recommended target audience is, as well as what the original publisher of the book is saying that the target audience is, and what other libraries may be doing with it.' Last week, the board voted to keep a book titled 'Sold' in the teen section of the library. The book is about a girl who has been trafficked throughout India — a book that many parents and local coalitions wanted relocated. 'We have volunteered our time to try to keep the family-oriented values and conservative values in Fairhope,' said Brian Dasinger with the Faith, Family, Freedom Coalition in Baldwin County. We reached out to the Director of APLS, John Wahl, who provided us with the following statement on the Fairhope library: 'We have been clear that there are no exceptions or loopholes in the new code changes. Libraries must remove all sexually explicit books from children's sections in order to receive state funding.' 'Grease' is the word along Mobile Bay as Fairhope brings a classic to The Bluff Once all the books are reviewed, APLS members will determine whether the library's choices comply with the state's code. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cutting library funding means cutting lifelines for communities
A row of library books. (Getty) Every Friday night, my 5-year-old walks through the door beaming, arms overflowing with books. He's just spent the afternoon in a safe, vibrant place where he could play, learn, and grow, at no cost to our family: the library. Libraries are much more than buildings full of books. As a social work educator, I helped launch a social work internship at a local branch in 2024. The social work intern quickly became, and has remained, an integral part of the library, helping patrons navigate everything from housing challenges to emotional crises. It was a natural fit, because libraries today are true community hubs. That's why recent waves of budget cuts, closures, and censorship should concern all of us. These aren't just policy decisions. They're attacks on one of the last truly accessible, inclusive, and free public spaces we have left. Libraries are often the quiet heroes, filling gaps in underfunded schools, overwhelmed health systems, and stretched social services. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX For children especially, libraries offer so much more than just stories; they offer belonging. Kids can find books that reflect their hopes, dreams, and identities. And for those young people facing great hardship or lacking support, a library can be a place of comfort and vital self-discovery. In the stacks, they can find themselves and the tools to navigate a world that doesn't always feel safe or welcoming. That kind of access isn't a luxury, it's a lifeline, and it should be protected. Yet across the country, libraries are being targeted for carrying books that include LGBT+ characters, confront the realities of racism, or that make some people uncomfortable. This effort to silence needed and varied voices is not some harmless 'culture war.' It erases history and identity. It also sends a chilling message to those still figuring out who they are: 'You don't belong.' One group being particularly targeted by this type of behavior is trans youth. This fight over books may seem symbolic to some, but the related issues are painfully real. As Spencer Cox, the Republican governor of Utah, recently shared, 86% of trans youth report feeling suicidal and 56% have attempted suicide. Whatever your politics are, we should all agree on this: No child should be made to feel unsafe, unloved, or unworthy. Removing books that reflect people's lives or offer them hope is not protecting anyone. It is needlessly cruel and deeply isolating for people who may need the support most. Fairhope Public Library supporters raise money to replace funds state plans to withhold Libraries are also a lifeline for low-income families and individuals. They provide free Wi-Fi for job seekers and many locations offer other types of assistance like mental health referrals, literacy programs, self-care workshops, and voter registration assistance. So, when we cut library funding, we're not just changing a budget, we're gutting a key part of our nation's social safety net. When a library closes because of those budget cuts, communities lose a lot more than books. Individuals and families lose essential services and safe spaces, and children lose a place which encourages their growth and curiosity. And when we censor what children can read, we don't just limit their access to information, we limit their ability to cope and dream, as well as who they can become. We talk a lot as a society about wanting the best future possible for our children. But building that future requires more than words. It requires investing in places that feed their mind, nurture their interests, and help them feel seen. That place, for so many, is the library. When we invest in libraries, we invest in our neighbors, our children, and a more informed and compassionate society. During National Library Week — as a parent, a social worker, and lifelong lover of books — I am reflecting on the important role libraries play. They are sources of information, imagination, and connection. Cutting library budgets doesn't just close doors, it silences stories, limits dreams, and deepens divides. And censoring books isn't protection. It's restriction. Every child deserves a place where their imagination can run wild and every adult deserves a space where they can access tools to grow, thrive, or just be. During this National Library Week, libraries deserve more than just our gratitude; they deserve our protection. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fairhope Public Library supporters raise money to replace funds state plans to withhold
A row of library books. Supporters of the Fairhope Public Library raised almost $40,000 to offset the funding that APLS has withheld. (Getty) A nonprofit says it has raised enough money for Fairhope Public Library to cover state funds that the Alabama Public Library Service Board cut off last week. Read Freely Alabama, a grassroots free speech advocacy organization that has fought restrictions on library content, said it had collected almost $39,000 from about 550 donors through Tuesday morning. Read Freely is organizing the campaign with EveryLibrary, an Illinois-based organization that promotes library funding and fights restrictions. 'We were trying to figure out what was the amount that they were pausing,' said Cheryl Corvo, a member of Read Freely Alabama and Fairhope resident. 'Then, we found out it was $42,000 that they were pausing, and how it would affect our library.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Fairhope Public Library said it will have access to funding without interference from the state or any outside groups. 'We had a meeting with EveryLibrary, which is the group that has control of this particular fundraiser, and they take 10% and 90% of it comes to us,' said Randal Wright, a board member of the Fairhope Public Library. The amount was not enough to severely debilitate the library's operations, Corvo said. But it is enough to affect 'some very vital resources that the library provided.' Corvo said the campaign should also make APLS aware of the magnitude of local support for the library. Wright said that if the state continues to withhold money, the funds will go toward computers, books for the collection and paying for guest speakers. If APLS releases the funding, the money can be returned to donors if they choose. Otherwise, the library may keep the money raised for other uses. 'If the money is extra money, if we continue to be funded, then the money will go towards the federal government grants that we were supposed to get that were put on hold and we don't think we are going to get them,' Wright said. It appears the largest donation was from a couple who offered $1,000. According to its campaign website, fundraising began Thursday evening, several hours after APLS voted almost unanimously to withhold state aid after parents complained to the board that there were inappropriate books in the teen section of the Fairhope Public Library. Fairhope library officials said last week they had removed some books from the section, following an APLS-approved process, but determined that the remaining ones — which the parents complained about — were appropriate for their age level. The APLS board also voted on Thursday to terminate former director Nancy Pack after Chair John Wahl, who also serves as chair of the Alabama Republican Party, announced that Pack submitted her resignation effective in September. 'My commitment the whole time has been to work with the leadership of Fairhope, and get their state funding restored as soon as possible,' Wahl said. 'APLS priority has always been supporting our libraries but also making sure they put common sense policies in place to protect our children from potentially inappropriate materials.' Wahl said he wants parents around the state to feel they can alert APLS to material they consider inappropriate in a library. Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan told members of the public during a city council meeting Monday that she had spoken with Wahl about the APLS decision. 'The funding was not cut, it is only paused,' Sullivan said at the meeting. 'When they met, the Fairhope Public Library was not on their agenda, but the (Clean Up Alabama Fairhope chapter) president spoke under public participation, a resident of Fairhope spoke, and brought to light some issues they felt the library was facing in how they categorized books.' Sullivan said that the library had already received two quarterly payments from APLS, but the third disbursement was halted until the matter regarding the situation with the library materials could be resolved. Sullivan said that some of the conflicts dealt with the definition of minors, which applies to anyone younger than 18 years old, including teens, which is the section of the library that generated much of the controversy. She added she and Wahl promised to keep open lines of communication, and that APLS and the Fairhope Public Library board will work together to resolve the issue. The two parties plan to meet Wednesday to discuss the changes to the APLS administrative code. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
