MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama public libraries are approaching an Oct. 1 deadline to comply with new state requirements governing books and other materials that address transgender people, gender identity and related topics, intensifying a debate that critics describe as a statewide book-banning campaign.
The Alabama Public Library Service has directed libraries to revise their policies and demonstrate compliance with changes to the state administrative code. Libraries that fail to comply could risk losing state aid.
The rules require materials dealing with “transgender procedures,” “gender ideology” or the concept of more than two biological genders to be removed from sections designated for children and teenagers and placed in adult areas. The changes also call for minors’ library cards to be placed in a restricted status unless parents provide written permission for access to adult materials.
APLS recently released sample policies intended to help local libraries meet the requirements. The policies have drawn criticism from librarians and free-speech advocates who say the rules are overly broad and could affect books that are not sexually explicit but include transgender characters, gender identity or positive portrayals of transgender people.
“Read Freely Alabama,” a group organized to oppose restrictions on library materials, is among the most vocal critics of the changes. The organization says it supports the right to read and opposes efforts to remove or restrict books based on political or ideological objections. Its website describes the group as supporting access to library books across Alabama.
The group has criticized APLS Chairman John Wahl and board member Amy Dozier Minton, arguing that the board is moving beyond age-appropriate access policies and toward government-directed censorship. Read Freely Alabama also has questioned a proposed APLS position that would assist libraries with compliance and identify materials that could place their state funding at risk.
The proposed compliance position became a point of controversy during an Aug. 21 APLS board meeting. APLS staff advised the board against filling the position, while board members said additional oversight could be necessary to ensure that libraries follow the new requirements.
Minton has said the position would help identify books that libraries would be required to address under the new rules. Read Freely Alabama criticized that approach, saying the job would effectively create a mechanism for screening individual titles across the state.
The dispute reflects a broader national conflict over the role of public libraries, the authority of state officials and the removal of books involving LGBTQ+ identities. PEN America has reported that books dealing with gender identity and sexuality have been disproportionately targeted in challenges and bans across the country.
Alabama’s state library board voted in November 2025 to restrict books that discuss being transgender from children’s and teen sections. The board’s action followed months of public debate over whether some materials were inappropriate for minors.
The new requirements do not necessarily order libraries to destroy or permanently discard every affected book. In many cases, the rules call for moving materials out of children’s and teen sections and into adult collections. Critics, however, say relocation can function as a ban for young readers, particularly when minors cannot access adult materials without parental permission.
Supporters of the changes say the rules are intended to protect children from material they consider inappropriate and to preserve parents’ control over what minors can access in public libraries. A Sept. 1 report by 1819 News said supporters were urging libraries to remove books with transgender themes before the funding deadline, while noting that numerous titles remained in Alabama libraries.
The Oct. 1 deadline now gives local library systems little time to finalize policies, review their collections and determine where affected books will be placed. It also puts pressure on library boards, directors and local officials who must decide how to interpret broad language while maintaining access for adult patrons.
The Alabama Public Library Service board is appointed by the governor. Minton, a former pharmaceutical manager and Etowah County Republican Party official, was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2024.
For Alabama libraries, the immediate question is no longer whether the rules will affect their collections. It is how each system will comply by Oct. 1 — and whether books about transgender people will remain available to young readers, require parental permission or disappear from public access altogether.