Overview
- The Alabama Public Library Service voted to deny roughly $22,000 to Fairhope Public Library for keeping a list of contested books in its teen section.
- Flagged titles include The Handmaid's Tale, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Hate U Give, which board members described as inappropriate for teens.
- Fairhope library leaders argue moving the books would be censorship and say the titles are suitable for teens, noting existing parental controls on access.
- Board member John Wahl, who also chairs the Alabama GOP, read excerpts at the meeting and cited vulgarity and sexual content in explaining his vote.
- This is the first denial tied to book placement since a 2024 code update; the board is discussing further changes, including limits on positive transgender portrayals, with an effective date estimated as Feb. 14 by the library director and the next meeting set for March 26.