Alabama: State Library Board Head Seeks Help From GOP Backers. Opponents Say ‘Conflict of Interest’
UPDATES
- Alabama Public Library Service Holds Public Hearing on Proposed Gender Ideology Amendment (via WSFA)
The Alabama Public Library Service heard from the public about a proposed amendment during a meeting in Montgomery Tuesday morning.
The amendment would deem any content that ‘promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders’ as ‘inappropriate for children and youth.’
The three-hour hearing marked the end of the public comment period about the proposed rule change.
About 34 people spoke in favor of the rule, and about 25 spoke against it.
The seven-member APLS Board of Directors is expected to vote on the change at its meeting in November, Board Chairman John Wahl said.
Wahl, who is also chairman of the state Republican Party, said he expects it to pass, although he said it might be amended.
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Report From AL.com:
The head of the state library board and GOP party solicited Republicans for letters of support to remove books with positive transgender themes and characters from children’s bookshelves.
John Wahl is chair of both the Alabama Public Library Service and the Alabama Republican Party. AL.com obtained an email newsletter to Republican Party members asking for help with “Chairman Wahl’s ongoing efforts to protect Alabama’s children and ensure our public libraries remain age-appropriate areas.”
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Library advocacy group Read Freely Alabama complained in 2023 that Wahl serving on both organizations presented a conflict of interest. The library board disagreed and Wahl was later elected board chair.
Read Freely told AL.com in a statement they are “unsurprised to see Wahl once again demonstrate the clear conflict of interest as he abuses his position as ALGOP Chair to influence the APLS. Alabama libraries and library patrons deserve better.”
Read the Complete Article (about 500 words)
Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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