An Alabama public library has lost state funding after refusing to move several books, including The Handmaid’s Tale, out of its teen section. The Republican-run Alabama Public Library Service Board voted to withhold roughly $22,000 in state funding from the Fairhope Public Library, citing the library’s failure to comply with the board’s rules requiring books deemed “sexually explicit” be relocated to the adult section. Titles flagged by the board include The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin. Fairhope Library Board Chair Randal Wright argued that parents—not the state—should decide what their children read, saying it is “not your job to make that decision.” Board member Jay Snider added that it is unrealistic to suggest teenagers have not already been exposed to the language in question. Since the dispute began in late 2024, the library has raised more than $100,000 in community donations. The Handmaid’s Tale has been a particular focus of anger from supporters of President Donald Trump, partly because the Hulu adaptation.
Read it at Alabama Media Group
