Alabama governor confronts state library service over ‘sexually suggestive’ books for youth

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is demanding answers by next week about reports that her state’s public libraries are stocking “sexually suggestive” books in the children’s sections, a probe that includes a hard look at the left-tilting American Library Association.

Ms. Ivey said she was spurred by recent community challenges to materials such as “The Pronoun Book,” a reader for 3-year-olds about “preferred pronouns,” and “If You’re a Kid Like Gavin,” a book about a child’s gender transition, written for kids ages 4-8.

Other books raising hackles include “The Mirror Season” and “Only Mostly Devastated,” billed for ages 13-18, which “feature graphic sex scenes,” the governor said.

“The heart of the issue seems to be the exposure of children and youth to inappropriate, sexually suggestive materials without adequate means of parental supervision,” Ms. Ivey wrote in the letter to Nancy Pack, Alabama Public Library Service director.

The Republican governor’s concerns come against the backdrop of a national debate on age-appropriateness versus censorship as books on sexual orientation and gender identity make their way into classrooms, school libraries and public libraries.

Ms. Ivey did not suggest removing any books, but noted that some parents have sought to have sexually themed materials “placed inappropriate location.”

“In other words, parents are saying, if our children and youth are going to encounter these books at all, it should be because of a considered family decision, not the whims of a local library,” Ms. Ivey said.

She also raised concerns about the influence of the American Library Association, which has faced a backlash over seeking to thwart a book-reading event hosted by Christian actor Kirk Cameron and electing Emily Drabinski, a self-described “Marxist lesbian,” as president.

The ALA’s Library Bill of Rights, which has been adopted by the Alabama Public Library Service, says that all people, regardless of attributes including age, “possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use.”

Ms. Ivey said the statement “appears to directly contravene Alabama’s law giving parents access to their children’s library records.”

She asked Ms. Pack to explain what steps are being taken by Alabama libraries to screen age-inappropriate materials and provide details on the state system’s relationship with the ALA, including how much the service has paid to the ALA and its role in influencing policies and operations.

“I am deeply grateful for the work Alabama libraries do, day in and day out, to engage our children and promote a lifelong love of learning — including by providing information that may be unavailable elsewhere in a community,” Ms. Ivey said. “At the same time, however, I respect parents who want their young children and teens to be able to freely explore a library without fear of what those children will find there.”

The Montana State Library Commission voted in July to withdraw from the ALA over Ms. Drabinski’s election. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has also decided to cut ties, according to Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican.

Last week, Alabama state Rep. Susan DuBose, a Republican, called for the state to sever its relationship with the “toxic” ALA in an op-ed for the 1819 News.

The ALA says that challenging books to protect children from inappropriate content is “commendable,” but that only parents have the right to restrict access to their children’s reading — not libraries — citing the Access to Library Resources and Services to Minors, an interpretation of the ALA Bill of Rights.

“Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment,” said the ALA on its website.

Ms. Ivey asked Ms. Pack to provide answers to her queries by Sept. 13, or before the next meeting of the service’s executive board.