‘These issues are not going away’: Alabama anti-censorship group urges action in library culture war

Opponents of Alabama's efforts to censor books at public libraries, criminalize librarians or remove library board members need to get organized and be unafraid of attending library board and city council meetings and speaking out to lawmakers, according to speakers at a town hall meeting Tuesday aimed at pushing back at policies curtailing operations at public libraries.

The urgent plea comes as the culture wars over libraries and book bans continue to animate in Alabama during a year in which book censors and Republican leaders have taken prominent roles overseeing the state's library service , and where a showdown is expected next year over legislation that could lead to criminalizing librarians.

It also comes at a time of a stark divide between groups like Clean Up Alabama, which alleges that libraries are filled with inappropriate content for children; and Read Freely Alabama, which argues that the entire objection over family-friendly libraries is a ruse aimed at eliminating content they find disagreeable.

"These issues are not going away," said Anne Johnson, chair of the Fairhope Library Board. "They may accelerate in the next few years."

Criminalizing librarians The urgent call comes as the anti-censorship non-profit group, Read Freely Alabama, is preparing strategies to combat legislation in the spring that could equate libraries with adult bookstores when it comes to enforcing obscenity laws.

Under HB4 , the same obscenity laws that apply to stores that sell XXX-rated content would extend to public and K-12 libraries and would require librarians to remove material if it's challenged by anyone who views a book to be obscene or harmful to minors.

The legislation also applies to activities within the library that exposes a minor to someone who is "dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes," or who is stripping and engaged in lewd dancing. The bill, if adopted, would criminalize Drag Queen Story Hour events that have taken placed before in Alabama.

Angie Hayden, co-founder of Read Freely Alabama and a Prattville woman where the culture war over libraries is now part of a federal lawsuit, called HB4 a "terrifying bill" that is pushed by "extremists" who are not being pushed back against by the public.

"Most people are not plugged in and don't see It happening," Hayden said during the one-hour town hall meeting at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship. Approximately 75 people were in attendance.

"That's why gatherings like this are important," she said. "Most people are not aware of what is happening. These extremists, if we don't show up, we are handing everything over to them. The thing about extremists is they are dedicated whereas the more reasonable majority is falling short as we are not as dedicated, loud, and consistent. That is where we need to be better."

She added, "I think we are afraid to be loud. If you're in room with one of (the pro-book censors), you won't look like one of the irrational ones."

Alabama is one of 17 states attempting to change obscenity laws to include librarians, educators and museums, according to the EveryLibrary Institute. Only one state – Arkansas – has approved legislation that could lead to the criminalization of librarians. That law led to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 18 plaintiffs challenging the new law as a violation to the First and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution because it consisted as "a content-based restriction on speech that is not narrowly tailored, is overly broad, and is vaguely worded."

Hayden said she believes the lawsuit, or others, will likely lead to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"It's probably inevitable," she said. "I don't think they will stop. We are stubborn ladies here as well. We are not going to stop."

The sponsor of HB4 in Alabama, state Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, did not return a call for comment. Similar legislation died during the waning days of the legislative session last spring .

None of the Baldwin County legislative delegation – all of whom are Republicans - attended the town hall in which they were invited.

Local regulations State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, said he would prefer the regulation of libraries be handled on the local level and not enforced through the state.

Elliot is the sponsor of SB6, a bill he pre-filed this summer which would give city councils and county commissions more flexibility in removing library board members. The legislation says that a board member could be removed by a two-thirds vote of their respective appointing authority.

"I like Arnold Mooney and appreciate where he is coming from, I just like the idea of setting those types of policies in the state Capitol," Elliott said about HB4 in an interview with AL.com . He was not at the town hall meeting.

"It should be determined by local officials," Elliott said. "I'm more of a small government guy and we don't need to be making rules in Montgomery about what is in your local library. Let's make each locality decide what is OK in them or what is not."

Regarding SB6 , Elliott said it's about placing "guardrails" and alerting library officials about what is appropriate content within the public venues. He also said that unlike other government boards in Alabama, there is no ability for a local elected board to remove a library board member in Alabama.

"If there is a lack of accountability in government, that is always a bad thing," Elliott said. "All we're trying to do is provide a path to accountability with some guardrails to it. I think it's the most reasonable approach to the legitimate concerns (about library content)."

Content questions Elizabeth Williams, the Baldwin County chapter organizer with Read Freely Alabama, questions whether the content that organizations like Moms for Liberty and Clean Up Alabama find objectionable are problematic at all.

Books that have been challenged or removed from libraries throughout Alabama were on display at the town hall meeting. They included LGBTQ-themed books, but also books from famed authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Judy Blume.

Williams said none of the books contain pornographic material. She said that in some cases, books in the adult sections were challenged.

One of the books that has been challenged is entitled, "The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance," by journalists Cynthia Tuckman and Frye Galliard, which isn't about LGBTQ issues, but is described as a "powerful series of essays on the role of the South in America's long descent into Trumpism."

"It's not about the books on the shelf or protecting the children, it's about walking back the progress marginalized people have made and defining narrowly who should be seen as an acceptable person in public space," Hayden said. "That's what it is about. Full stop."

Representatives with Moms for Liberty did not respond to requests for comment. Clean Up Alabama was also not immediately available for comment.