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 the council she supported the APLS's move to tighten definitions and urged enforcement to move material the APLS deems inappropriate out of children's sections. Other speakers, including Harriet Huggins and Sarah Collins, defended the library as a public mirror of a diverse community and warned that book banning is discriminatory and harms free inquiry.

Cynthia Ledbetter, the Auburn Public Library director, told council members the state-level definitions apply to libraries that receive state aid and that the library is conducting a collection audit of children's and young-adult materials to identify items that fall within the new definitions. Ledbetter said the city's library staff are vetting items with the city's legal team and that many responses will involve relocating items within the library rather than outright removal. She said the library had received written confirmation from APLS that the library's policies were in compliance.

City Manager Ms. Crouch and council members clarified roles: the library board and staff oversee collection development and placement decisions; the council does not directly ban books. Council members acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and the need to comply with state funding requirements while balancing community input.

Ledbetter said the audit is ongoing, staff will continue to consult legal counsel, and no books have been discarded as part of the review; relocation within the building is the most likely outcome for materials meeting the new state definitions.