Author’s name gets picture book flagged in Alabama library
- An Alabama library marked a picture book as potentially inappropriate
- The author's last name "Gay" landed it among other flagged books
- The library says it was a mistake, but the publisher disagrees
A preschooler picks a book at the library. (Getty Images)
ovp test
Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment
Class to create biodiverse backyard
Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting
(NewsNation) — An Alabama library flagged a picture book as potentially sexually explicit because the author’s last name is Gay, according to a local news report.
Marie-Louise Gay’s book “Read Me a Story, Stella” was mistakenly placed on a list of 233 potentially inappropriate books based on the Canadian author’s last name, Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Executive Director Cindy Hewitt told AL.com.
“We wanted to be proactive and allow our library staff to look at our collection and make decisions about moving material to an older age group and not have someone from outside dictating that for us,” Hewitt told the local outlet.
Al.com’s review of the full list of the potentially inappropriate books found that 91% contained the words lesbian, gay, transgender, gender identity, or gender non-conforming in the subject header. Hewitt told the outlet she asked the library system’s branch managers to use the keywords “sexuality, gender, sex, and dating.”
She went on to tell AL.com there was miscommunication and confusion about the process.
Karen Li, publisher at Groundwood Books where Gay’s title was published, said the “ridiculousness” of the situation “should not detract from the seriousness.”
