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Moms for Liberty Baldwin County put out a call on Monday morning as the group tries to force change at the Fairhope Library: “Warriors, we need you to attend today’s Library Board meeting…”
But when the board met Monday afternoon, supporters of the library and board chair Anne Johnson heavily outnumbered any critics present.
“While I understand and share the desire to protect children from the horrors of the world—such as sexual assault and child abuse—we must recognize that removing books does not achieve this goal,” said Cheryl Corvo, a local swim instructor. “History has shown us that book banning often does more harm than good, leaving children less informed and more vulnerable.”
Corvo was one of about 10 speakers to share support for the library or oppose censorship, while only three speakers came forward with criticisms.
One individual complained about a book in the juvenile nonfiction that details how transgender people go about changing their bodily appearance to match how they feel. Though the speaker could not name the book in question and admitted she had not read it in its entirety, her description matched “Parts & Hearts,” one of the books that has been singled out by Baldwin’s Moms for Liberty Chapter in its campaign to force Johnson’s resignation.
The book is one of two highlighted by Moms for Liberty and Clean Up Alabama as “sexually explicit” and therefore out of step with the state aid requirements recently updated by the Alabama Public Library Service.
The two groups have also called for the Johnson’s resignation over the board’s support of the library’s decision to keep “Parts and Hearts” and “Grown” in the youth sections despite challenges to the books.
“I also want to emphasize that trying to have someone fired or removed because you don’t get your individual way is not the answer,” Corvo said. “Our librarians and library leaders are trained professionals who have dedicated their time and energy to serving our entire community. The process for adding or removing books is thorough, thoughtful, and designed to balance diverse perspectives.”
Randal Wright, president of the Friends of the Fairhope Public Library, said in a letter before the meeting that she worries “that we could become the next Prattville where the director was fired first and then all the library employees were fired and the library closed.”
“The library recently implemented changes to policy, approved by the Alabama Public Library Service board, for parents to choose the level of access their kids have to the library collections,” Wright said. “Therefore, the demands made by groups like Clean Up Alabama and Moms for Liberty are irrelevant and seem intended to stir up drama in our community, fueled by misinformation and fear.”
The board meeting did not directly address the scenario, although the board voted to form a subcommittee to add another layer to its process of reviewing challenges.
Elizabeth Williams, organizer for the Baldwin County chapter of Read Freely Alabama, said the vibe in the room was “tense and uncertain,” packed with probably 100 people, until Corvo got up to speak.
“Once people began to speak, it was clear that most of the people in attendance were there to support the library,” Williams said.
