For a month, Ozark Public Library staff reviewed approximately 8,000 children’s and young adult books to ensure they met new guidelines from the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS). The library was closed to the public during this time, except for one room used as a cooling station. The review was prompted by a broader controversy in Alabama, where Governor Kay Ivey required libraries to remove “inappropriate content” to avoid losing state funding. This mandate followed a local push to remove LGBTQ books and other titles deemed unsuitable by some community members. The library staff reported feeling exhausted from the intensive review process but are now preparing to reopen.
