On the Ozarkdale County Public Library Board, a member can currently only be removed if four other members vote in favor of the individual's removal. Procedures for removing a library board member vary by state.
A pre-filed bill by state Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Decatur) seeks to change that by giving city councils and county commissions the power to remove library commissioners at will.
Amending the current state code is very easy. This provision provides that members of the Library Board serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and may be removed by a majority vote of the appointing authority.
Elizabeth Delaney, chairwoman of the Ozarkdale Library Commission, said Tuesday that the bill erases a layer of political segregation for public libraries.
“They should We just have to appoint them ourselves. If we don’t have decision-making authority, we don’t need a board,” Delaney said.
Delaney expressed concern that the changes would curtail the ability of library board members to act in the best interests of libraries for fear of conflict with local governments.
Elliott did not respond to a message left by APR seeking comment on this story.
But this is not the first time Mr. Elliott has advanced legislation that would increase political control over boards. Elliott also dismissed the board of the Alabama Department of Archives and History from state officials and lawmakers following a spat between the agency and some lawmakers after a lunchtime program on LGBTQ history in Alabama. suggested direct management.
The bill is in response to a spate of challenges to books in public libraries across the state, alleging that librarians are providing inappropriate and even pornographic content to children. Of course.
A group called Clean Up Alabama has gone so far as to refer to librarians and library board members as “groomers,” and groups have accused library boards of failing to respond to their challenges to Alabama's public libraries. I filed a complaint with the service.
The Ozarkdale Library Commission is one of the boards facing challenges, and the biggest challenge isn't coming from citizens, but from Mayor Mark Blankenship. Blankenship threatened to defund the library unless it moved LGBTQ books out of the young adult department.
Delaney said local governments have also begun ignoring libraries' recommendations for new library commissioner candidates, even though this has been a typical process in past years.
Notably, the Autauga County Commission also made appointments without nomination from the board, which led to the four remaining board members resigning en masse.
Another change made to the bill removes language that staggers the initial appointments at the creation of the library board, meaning all appointments will be made at once every four years. It is unclear whether this change will affect the staggered terms and conditions of the currently established Library Board.
This is the first bill introduced in apparent response to the ongoing debate over libraries, but it could be just the beginning, as several legislators, as well as Gov. Kay Ivey, have expressed concerns. There is sex.
