Fairhope Library Loses State Funding
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
January 26, 2026
FAIRHOPE, Ala. The Alabama Public Library Service board has voted to withhold state funding from the Fairhope Public Library because the library leaders refuse to remove certain inappropriate books.
APLS stated they have tried working with management, but they refuse to abide by the requirements and after months of controversy surrounding these books which some parents and state officials say are inappropriate for teenagers, funding has been suspended.
A formal letter had been sent to the Fairhope Public Library by the Chairman of the Alabama Public Library Service declaring the library ineligible for state aid unless the books are relocated.
The decision follows Fairhope library leaders’ refusal to move 10 books from the teen section to the adult section, as requested by the state. One of the challenged titles is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
But Fairhope Library officials said that these books have been reviewed and that they meet state policy and are determined to be appropriate for teens when shelved in a designated teen section.
Advocates opposing the funding cut argue the issue goes beyond book placement.
Others have previously stated that the is a freedom of speech issue.
Supporters also say the funding decision places a financial burden on local taxpayers.
“Our tax dollars are going to the state to be allocated for library services here in Baldwin County, and now Fairhope taxpayers are being asked to pay twice — out of their own pockets — after they’ve already paid their taxes,” Williams said.
Fairhope Public Library Director Robert Gourlay said parents should guide what their children read, not the state.
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