OZARK, Ala. — The Ozark Dale County Library board of trustees approved new policies that will require more parental supervision of children in libraries but did not explicitly remove or ban any books.
The approval came in a Wednesday meeting that was far less tense — and far less crowded — than a meeting in August that followed challenges to books with LGBTQ+ content by local officials. The new policies will require more children to be accompanied by adults and limit children’s access to certain parts of the library.
The changes will reaffirm the role of the parent and protect staff from potential legal liability, members of the board said Wednesday.
The board Wednesday voted on changes that were discussed at the August meeting about the potential accessibility of some books to minors. The initial informal complaint to the library focused on rainbow stickers on books with LGBTQ+ content, but the library board had mainly focused on potentially age-inappropriate sexual content.
The young adult section of the Ozark-Dale County Library is seen Aug. 30 in Ozark, Ala. / Alabama Reflector Photo by Stew MilneThe changes include: