Clay City Council Approves Library Withdrawal from APLS Amid Ongoing Controversies

Library Advisory Board Brought Into Spotlight Amidst Debates Over Book Purchasing and City Management

CLAY, Ala.—In a decision that has caused uproar in the local community, the Clay City Council voted Tuesday night to withdraw its local library from the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS). This decision followed a heated library advisory board meeting earlier the same day. At this meeting, board members confronted Mayor Charles Webster and City Manager Ronnie Dixon over a number of controversies surrounding library operations and management policies.

The Crux of the Matter

Central to the dispute was an alleged new book purchasing and review policy. City officials were accused of withholding power from the library board, in direct contradiction of the existing Code of Alabama.

Earlier this year, a citizen raised concerns after the library purchased a book titled “Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes” by Dave and Neta Jackson. The resident highlighted that watchdog groups might target the library, accusing it of favoring books on Christianity over other religions. Dixon subsequently stated that the library must be prepared to purchase books on multiple religions if it were to buy Christian-themed books.

Requests for Clarification

Following Dixon’s comments regarding the library’s book purchases, Library Board Secretary Sarah Grafman sought clarification in a series of emails. Dixon reassured that there were no restrictions on the library purchasing religious materials, but that it must be willing to purchase books from other religions as well.

Grafman further expressed her fears that the city might expose itself to religious discrimination liability, leading to Dixon stating that he would now ‘review’ local book purchases.

Resignation Amidst Uncertainty

In light of these ongoing disputes, Library Director Tara Gearhart tendered her resignation, highlighting “consistent challenges related to management’s decisions and communication” as her primary reasons.

City Council Decision

Though the specifics of the book review policy remained unclear, the city council took a decisive step by voting to pull the library out of the APLS on Tuesday, July 23. This decision would mean forgoing about $10,000 annually in state aid while retaining control of the library. This key vote was carried out without soliciting input from library board members or library staff.

Implications of the Resolution

Despite severing ties with the APLS, Mayor Webster assured that the library would remain a part of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. Many library board members, however, are skeptical about the future role of the library board, given that management decisions appear to lie primarily with City Manager Ronnie Dixon.

Ultimately, this heated dispute has thrust the Clay library and its board into the spotlight. Moving forward, it remains to be seen how these changes will impact the broader framework of the Clay city libraries.