Fairhope Library faces continued funding freeze over book relocation dispute

The Fairhope Public Library remains at odds with state officials over the placement of certain books in its teen section. The dispute has resulted in a suspension of state funding and an uncertain path toward reinstatement for the library. Yellowhammer News reported that the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) board voted in March to freeze approximately $42,000 in annual funding for the library, citing concerns that several titles available to teens contained material deemed “sexually explicit.” The APLS maintains that to qualify for state aid, public libraries must relocate any such conten