Fairhope Public Library Receives Donations to Cover Withheld State Funding
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
December 2nd, 2025
FAIRHOPE, Ala. A battle of sorts continues to brew in Fairhope between the city and the state.
More specifically, at the library where some residents say that state government is interfering with free speech and violating other state laws when funding because of certain books that the state wants restricted to children under the age of 18.
The funding was held after concerns from parents approached the board with sexually explicit material found in the teen section of the library.
A library spokesperson said that half of the state funding for the fiscal year 2025 was withheld, totaling approximately $22,000.
Since the battle continues to rage, the Fairhope Public Library started a fundraising to augment funds that the state has paused.
On Monday, the library received over $42,000 in donations from EveryLibrary during its regular meeting. During another fundraising event earlier this year, the group raised more than $46,000.
The Board of Trustees chairman said that accepting the donations means the library board will not make cuts as previously discussed.
The funds raised on the EveryLibrary platform will go to Friends of the Fairhope Library and will then be transferred to the library for operations.
The Fairhope board refused to review challenged books in accordance with the new guidelines. However, the library has since reviewed over a dozen of those materials.
Out of the 17 books reviewed, the board decided to keep 10 in the teen section. The others were either removed from circulation due to lack of engagement or moved to the adult section. Parents or guardians may now opt to allow their children to have access to the adult sections of the library.
Fairhope is hopeful that the issue is now resolved and that the funding will be made available during the January budget.
Chicago-based EveryLibrary is a crowdfunding source that provides petitions and emails for people to send to local leaders. The group’s founder, John Chrastka, calls groups such as Moms for Liberty “pro-censorship groups” that do not represent the majority of parents. The group has joined Read Freely Alabama, opposing new guidelines passed by APLS to restrict youth access to books containing gender ideology.
“This is an extraordinary and unlawful intrusion by state officials into the constitutionally protected rights of readers,” Chrastka stated. “Its intent and effect are blatantly discriminatory, singling out transgender and broader LGBTQ+ identities for exclusion. Public libraries exist to serve all readers without fear or favor. This rule betrays that basic purpose.”
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