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Public debate over library collections prompts audit; director says APLS definitions lead to internal review, not wholesale removals
Summary
Public commenters clashed over library materials and a recent Alabama Public Library Service directive. Library Director Cynthia Ledbetter said staff are auditing youth and young-adult collections to ensure compliance with state definitions; the library board and staff retain authority over acquisitions and placement rather than the council.
Several residents used the July 22 Auburn City Council meeting to press the city on library collections after the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) adopted clarified definitions under recent state code changes aimed at content for minors. The council and library leadership responded that staff are auditing collections and relocating materials where required by the new guidance rather than removing books from the collection.
Public speakers expressed sharply different viewpoints. Martha Schamp told…
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