MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Policy changes went into effect immediately at the Fairhope Public Library, allowing parents to restrict their children’s access to certain materials.

“It gives parents the chance to decide which collections their children will have access to. Now, that has always been true, but now it needs to be documented,” said Fairhope Public Library Director Tamara Dean.

She said that in order to continue receiving state funding, the library changed its policies to comply with the Alabama Public Library Service’s new management code.

“If you have a six-year-old, five-year-old, whatever… you can decide if they get preschool, minor, teen or all, including adult,” she explained.

Dean said parents must choose between three levels of access for their minors, and after signing a consent form, that minor will have the appropriate permissions on their library card.

Dean said the Fairhope Public Library sent out a newsletter on Oct. 22 explaining the new policy changes, and they went into effect immediately.

The library’s assistant director, Rob Gourlay, told us how parents are reacting.

“The vast majority of responses have been positive. Parents were only too willing to sign the new forms. There was quite a variety of levels that parents were choosing for their children,” he said. “Our library has always been well used and I think throughout this change that has continued.”

Dana Sample said she regularly chooses to go to the Fairhope Public Library because of its family-oriented atmosphere.

“I think it’s important, first of all, to have reading materials and materials that justify what they’re actually trying to learn and be in the order of things that aren’t inappropriate, so I think this is a good place for that.” , Sample said.

Dean shared one last reminder for parents and guardians.

“Library staff, we don’t pretend that we’re trying to direct kids or say ‘yeah, you can check this out, no’, that’s totally the parents’ responsibility – it always has been and our policy is and still is,” she said.

Dean said these consent forms can be picked up at the Fairhope Public Library and kids don’t have to worry about getting new library cards because the settings will be changed in the library system.

We were told that the policy changes are not the same for every library in Baldwin County and will vary depending on the library’s decisions.

Copyright 2024 WALA. All rights reserved.