The UA Bateman Team hosted the “Save Our Stories” exhibit in Reese Phifer Hall Wednesday to raise awareness about ongoing book restrictions in Alabama libraries.
Legislators in multiple states, including Alabama, have passed bills that require libraries to remove or relocate books that receive complaints. Under the bills, anyone could file a complaint about any book being inappropriate for the library to have for any reason they see fit. The exhibit displayed information on the impact of these bans and how students can make a difference.
Read Freely Alabama, a volunteer group dedicated to opposing censorship in local libraries, was also present at the event. The group’s co-founders, Angie Hayden and Amber Frey, tabled at the exhibit to advocate for their cause by distributing information, pins and stickers.
Hayden brought up House Bill 4, which would allow parents or guardians of K-12 public school children to “provide written notice by certified mail” for the removal of books they claim as obscene. If the material isn’t removed within 25 days of the initial notice, law enforcement would be allowed to become involved.
Frey said she implores students to attain a library card, as it may be their only chance to check out certain books before they are banned from local libraries.
“The whole point of a public library is that everyone can walk in and find their place in a book that the library has,” said Counts Shanks, a junior majoring in public relations and political science and member of the UA Bateman public relations team. “And we want to make sure that libraries stay that way, instead of being destroyed by all these book bans and censorship.”
Maren Kirkpatrick, a senior majoring in public health, said, “the value of freedom of speech is really important,” saying there should be equal representation in books and the ability to choose what media one consumes.
Hayden said it “is critical” for those against the bill to act. She said if people do not want to see their “local librarian being threatened with jail, and do not want books about LGBTQ people or Black and brown experiences being stripped from library shelves,” to reach out to their representatives in the state House in opposition of the bill.
