Librarians stand firm as book bans stack up and concerns swirl post-election

Amber Frey was at a City Council meeting in Prattville, Alabama, a suburb of Montgomery with about 40,000 people, listening as parents expressed concerns over books at their public library.

Something fellow Prattville resident Angie Hayden said struck a chord with Frey, who, like Hayden, has a child she described as "part of the LGBTQ+ community."

"There is more than one kind of 'concerned parent,'" Frey recalled Hayden saying.

"That inspired me," Frey said, and after the meeting, the mother of four approached Hayden. The two women would be among the co-founders of Read Freely Alabama, an all-volunteer group working to combat efforts to ban books in public libraries in the state.

Book bans have been an ongoing battle in Alabama and throughout pockets of the U.S. in recent years. And after an election cycle in which cultural issues played a large role in voters' minds, concerns have mounted − so much so that the American Library Association has doubled down on a vow to preserve the freedom to read.

“We know that many of our members are concerned that the election results portend attacks on libraries, library workers and readers,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said in a statement. “Whatever happens, ALA will stand up for all Americans’ freedom to read – and we will need everyone who loves libraries to stand with us.”

Book bans sought in several states

Legislators in several states, including Nebraska, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Dakota, Idaho, Arkansas, Iowa and West Virginia, have introduced a flurry of book ban bills in recent years, according to EveryLibrary, a think tank and professional network focused on library funding and support.

PEN America, a free speech advocacy group, found 5,894 instances of book bans in the U.S. from 2021-2023 across 41 states and 247 public school districts.

The group Moms for Liberty has been active throughout the U.S., garnering national attention for its efforts to restrict books about race, gender identity and sexuality in school libraries. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the group, told USA TODAY in 2023 that “every parent has the fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their child."

In Alabama, book ban proposals left librarians in the state "terrified and discouraged," said Jessica Hayes, an academic librarian and a Read Freely Alabama co-founder.

Librarians have always been the subject of stereotypes, said Hayes, who's also an advocacy coordinator for the Alabama Library Association. "But we have never been misunderstood to the extent that we're seen as enemies."

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Alabama's public libraries in the crosshairs

Read Freely Alabama was a reaction to Clean Up Prattville and later, Clean Up Alabama, groups who say their mission is to "clean up Alabama's public libraries" by removing books they deem "pornographic, obscene (or) indecent" and changing leadership and policies in the state's public libraries.

Clean Up Alabama says the state's libraries should withdraw from the American Library Association, which it says "uses its influence to push leftist progressive values in otherwise traditional communities" and "believes children should be able to view pornography in the name of freedom of expression."

Alabama's Legislature has also weighed bills that might result in the arrest of librarians who allow children access to books that are deemed "harmful to minors," Alabama Political Reporter noted earlier this year.

The efforts, said EveryLibrary executive director John Chrastka, are "part of a broader social movement," and the idea that removing books from library shelves will protect children is "a wolf in sheep’s clothing" way to squelch marginalized voices: first, those of racial and ethic minorities and now transgender, gay, queer and gender nonconforming people.

"It was not initially about kids, it was about removing titles universally from libraries with the argument that the books were harmful or obscene," Chrastka said.

The titles in question were "often about the history of race in this country, but the First Amendment very clearly protects access for adults. I think they weren’t conversant in (First Amendment cases) at first. So they’ve moved to 'protecting kids,' and they’ve lost a lot of fights around race," so the focus has turned to books with themes dealing with gender and sexuality, he said.

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Libraries as 'places of voluntary inquiry'

Becky Calzada is the president of the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association, and district library coordinator for Leander (Texas) Independent School District. She's also a co-founder of Texas #FReadom Fighters, a group of librarians in the state who support other librarians, students and authors and advocate against book bans.

"Libraries are places of voluntary inquiry," she said. "No one is forced to read or check out a particular book. We have books for a variety of people, books with information, books with stories for all kinds of students. And we follow guidelines set in place by school boards and library boards."

Still, she said, "we defend the right of any reader to have access to any book. When it's one person or a few people trying to say what's best for everyone, that's where we draw a line."

Librarians, whether in schools or in public libraries, "have to be transparent so people have an understanding of the systems in place. We want to be partners with our patrons and parents. Come talk to us; tell us what you as a parent want for your student."

Hayes, the Read Freely Alabama co-founder and academic librarian, pointed to their professionalism, training and years of experience in dealing with the public, of all ages.

Many of the books people have objected to based on their appropriateness for children are shelved in adult sections, she said. Kids generally aren't actively seeking out adult-oriented books, and parents can always talk with librarians if there are titles, subjects or authors they have concerns about.

"People have to engage with their libraries, and keep supporting them," Hayes said, and resist efforts to undermine people's trust in public institutions. "Get a library card, attend local government meetings, hear what's going on and speak up."

'An 8% problem'

Chrastka pointed to a joint survey on parents' views of public libraries that was conducted by EveryLibrary, which provides "fiscal sponsorship support" to Read Freely Alabama, and Book Riot, a website dedicated to books and reading. The survey found that 67% of parents found book bans to be "a waste of time."

Nearly three-quarters (74%) thought book bans actually infringe on parents' rights to make decisions about their children's reading, and 92% said they feel their children are safe at a public library.

"This is an 8% problem," Chrastka said, "coming from a special interest group that wants to advance their own social and political agenda."

American Library Association President Cindy Hohl told USA TODAY it's important to recognize libraries' role as public assets and as places where all people should feel seen, heard and welcomed. She also encouraged people to get to know their local library and the people who work there.

"We are here to provide a public service," said Hohl, an Iowa native who's been with the Kansas City (Missouri) Library for seven years and is its director of policy analysis and operational support.

"Every library serves the community it surrounds, and the people who use it come in every day with their questions, their needs, to access the internet, to connect with services," she said. "We can ascertain what we need in our community and as we see those needs evolve, we want to make sure we're as flexible as possible."

She wants librarians to know "there is hope for our profession."

"Every American should want to live in a strong community with a strong library," Hohl said. "Not everyone can afford access to books, to the internet, to literacy. It's amazing when you think about the impact of libraries. We are a safety net in our communities."

Reach Phaedra Trethan at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on Bluesky @byphaedra or on Threads @by_phaedra.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Concerned, but resolved: Librarians facing criticism and book bans