[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6062694,"mediaKeyId","3275924-ee99b080d3aab0f4f2bb4547b1279752","parentId",3275924,"title","APLS reports partial IMLS award and highlights $3 million contingency safety net for libraries","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7986000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275924-ee99b080d3aab0f4f2bb4547b1279752&start=7986&end=7986","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275924-ee99b080d3aab0f4f2bb4547b1279752/thumbnail_7986000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6062694/Alabama/APLS-reports-partial-IMLS-award-and-highlights-3-million-contingency-safety-net-for-libraries","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6062694-b1c209f76918ae9206a493614325395a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770781195&Signature=TqjfHafcEBO1C7HFcB8GF1Hc1zQmzi03qw4v9O3fwxdDY~B8JHfHOIGvQRnuA9U6iQDZvyH7NpF2Gc32JL0vevncVj8xkfKZ8CHNA4MnUtxWYr8-Vqm4q6x-s4jwOp5e0DhXrWTqWpd9KSzayEF~j7ZTNak3IUhZ00SCgygyR-iHAmtNjnVcatO~HeQW5d3T04nWbfwnZxeDa89HaTJI3WLuqKXMnzX5JyK-GLkyXpS7cTMHL9RD2swjVBrTVBjwaYSePsxLcp2-wMbANxy0RxLl~pRdkABoIsOPyafvxk97YXD44nm-~ZgOD0VZHsnJmrhGb36902peT4LQH7MV-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama Public Library Service Board","date","2025-05-09T09:04:09Z","article","APLS staff reported that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) issued a partial award for 2025, which the agency said will fund grants through Sept. 30, 2026. The board also emphasized work that secured a $3 million contingency in state funding to protect local libraries if future federal funding is reduced or delayed.

An APLS staff member told the board: \"IMLS did issue our partial award for '25, which gets us to September 30 for '26.\" Board members said the partial award allowed staff to authorize grantees to begin projects and to seek reimbursements once contracts are finalized. Directors at several public systems told the board they had been waiting for clarity so they could proceed with summer programming and grant-funded purchases.

Chair John Wall and other board members highlighted the contingent state appropriation as a safety net. In the meeting record several participants thanked board leadership and staff for securing contingency funding and for continuing to pursue federal grant support. One speaker noted the state guarantee made Alabama the only state in the country, at that moment, to have such a contingency mechanism in place for library grants.

The board also discussed practical steps: staff said they had informed libraries that the partial award exists and encouraged grantees to begin eligible spending, while explaining that signed contracts and the usual reimbursement paperwork would follow. APLS staff said they would continue to work with local directors to process reimbursements and finalize contracts.

In other business the board approved personnel and administrative items related to operations: the meeting record shows the board authorized moving forward to fill a vacant IT help-desk technician position (to restore two-person coverage in the help desk) and approved two waiver requests included in the packet. Those motions were seconded and approved by the board during the same session.

Ending: The partial IMLS award and the state contingency reduced immediate uncertainty for libraries awaiting grant money; APLS staff will circulate contract and reimbursement information and follow up with local directors who request help with grant paperwork.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Public Library Service Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","APLS staff said the agency received a partial 2025 IMLS award that funds operations through Sept. 30, 2026, and board members highlighted a $3 million contingent state funding safety net to backstop federal grants if needed.","taxTitle","House, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",62182,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6062699,"APLS board adopts formal definition of “sexually explicit,” prompting heated public comment",6752,848000,7600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275924-ee99b080d3aab0f4f2bb4547b1279752&start=848&end=7600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275924-ee99b080d3aab0f4f2bb4547b1279752/thumbnail_848000.jpg","/articles/6062699/Alabama/APLS-board-adopts-formal-definition-of-sexually-explicit-prompting-heated-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6062699-1f9daa2d5fe4ba5e407829b66a98faa3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770781195&Signature=VXwKBpM5-Wm8WIKInJ7tAYxDTXWayixVEcuCDAGTQ5Q0pIhvlVCE8UbmKpM5MT9Uq7F~9AePfmhONBx38pUXsDahpNi7mNtH-8fWiJ86ad8FpxV7HuAyOt0avqQcMRyhizUoDFz1Su120qRwj-rYyMF~4kqJNgVtZfYnJT9rZh8mrK~UD-iX1eHfP9-5G5jm38PX-vX6AiXhIsvLBvpEY1HWEZ3zPXlv33lzfHvh8XGroD69hiJLBnsJNUfV5fQ2nfvBYv17EOvesZkO5gUjleDwkVIZ8z45hjPnWMhqxJTKI5xhC6gpGt-I4UHcSFpAeNWLE0kTqAUCOReZ-Aijeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a public meeting, the Alabama Public Library Service board voted to adopt and publish a formal definition of “sexually explicit” material intended to give local libraries clearer guidance on whether titles belong in adult or minor sections.

Board members said the clarification is designed to reduce confusion for local directors and trustees while preserving local control. The vote followed roughly two hours of public comment in which librarians, parents and activists argued sharply about access to books, local authority and the role of the state service.

Supporters of keeping contested titles available in young-adult sections said moving or removing books erases access for teens who need them and undermines professional judgment. Craig Scott, director of the Gaston Public Library and immediate past president of the Alabama Library Association, argued that \"libraries are not political playgrounds. They are not here to serve an agenda.\" Several librarians and library directors urged the board to trust local collection policies and reconsideration procedures.

Opponents said the new definition will help parents and local boards prevent minors from encountering material they consider inappropriate. At the meeting, one resident, Sheryl Corbeau of Fairhope, told the board she viewed the board’s actions as punitive and said, \"That is not leadership. That is retaliation.\" Chair John Wall framed the board’s intent as balancing parental rights and access: \"I believe strongly in parental rights that every parent should be able to decide what their children have access to.\" The chair and other board members repeatedly said the policy seeks to protect children while still permitting adults and families access to materials.

After discussion the board adopted a motion to publish the definition on the APLS website and distribute it to libraries. The motion as stated on the record was: \"That we pass these definitions for 'sexually explicit' and that it is posted on our website and sent out to every library today.\" The motion passed by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Board members emphasized the distinction between discussion, local direction and formal action. Several speakers — including local directors — described following local reconsideration processes and moving certain titles. Fairfield Public Library director Robert Borlais told the board his system had moved six titles from juvenile or teen to adult sections during local review and said the library had received many more reconsideration forms from a small number of individuals. He asked the board to give local processes time to conclude before taking further enforcement steps.

The board also noted exemptions described in state code (for example, some medical or religious works) and said those exemptions would be respected when applying the definition. The meeting record shows the board intends to circulate the text it adopted to libraries and to provide follow-up guidance when local directors request clarification.

The public comment period highlighted wide disagreement. Carrie Hill, an academic librarian who spoke about personal experience with trauma, told the board: \"When a book is on the shelf, anyone who would choose to walk past it or tell their child no. But if it isn't there, the kids who need it can't find it.\" Others, including local residents who supported restriction, described material they considered explicit and urged stricter placement rules.

The board’s recorded action is procedural: pass and publish the adopted definition and send it to libraries. Local libraries retain responsibility for applying reconsideration policies and for decisions about placement, the board said. The transcript shows the meeting adjourned after further routine business.

The APLS board’s vote is likely to change how local libraries evaluate specific titles and how patrons and parents use reconsideration procedures. The board indicated it will provide more guidance on request and urged local directors to follow the updated guidance and to consult the board if they need additional clarity.

Ending: The board passed the definition and directed staff to circulate it; local libraries now face applying the new language in reconsideration and cataloging decisions and may continue to seek guidance from APLS staff and the board as that process plays out.","At a public APLS meeting, board members voted to adopt and publish a formal definition of “sexually explicit” material to guide libraries on restricting access for minors. The decision followed hours of public comment from librarians, parents and advocacy groups on both sides of the issue.","actionData","errors"]

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APLS reports partial IMLS award and highlights $3 million contingency safety net for libraries

APLS board adopts formal definition of “sexually explicit,” prompting heated public comment