Basically, the library board changed policies to be more protective of children. That right there set off alarm bells with the people who have worked for over half a century to s3xualize and indoctrinate children, namely, ALA from Chicago, IL. The library director, who carries out those policies, refused to carry out the library board's new policies because he believed the Chicago ALA's policies were far superior to Prattville's policies. So the library board fired the library director. Librarians, trained in ALA ideology and methods of wielding collective power as ALA's president bragged, reacted by locking the library doors so the public could not access the library. Some of those librarians were fired too.
ALA swung into action immediately to pressure the local community. The next day it published, "Statement from the EveryLibrary Institute on the Firing of Autauga-Prattville Alabama Public Library Staff" (https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/prattvillestatement). Recall from above EveryLibrary is the American Library Association, only a separate entity was set up to give ALA the cover it needs to bring political pressure to bear on communities. Notice ALA itself rarely makes a statement about what's going on since it's got its EveryLibrary doing the work. The "statement from the EveryLibrary Institute" is one lie after the next, a constant feature of ALA/EveryLibrary publications.
Then come the demands:
EveryLibrary, along with Read Freely Alabama and the Prattville First Amendment Defense Group, urgently call on the Prattville City Council, Mayor, and the Autauga County Commission to:
- Immediately rescind the firing of Library Director Andrew Foster and the four staff members.
- End the discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ citizens, ensuring the library remains accessible for all.
- Adhere to the First Amendment and anti-discrimination laws, guaranteeing that the library can continue to serve as a true community institution.
EveryLibrary is ALA. ALA wants Prattville to keep the ALA policies in place, and it's big and bullying is a regular feature, so it's making demands.
Read Freely Alabama is EveryLibrary which is ALA, and is named after the ALA trademark for "Free People Read Freely." This group started making a bit of a paper trail when Alabama Governor Ivey and the state legislature started talking about divorcing from ALA, and when Prattville went off the rails and took its library board back. Also, Read Freely Alabama is way too organized to be a normal, authentic grassroots group that just so happens to have a chapter in multiple areas where there's a library already formed. And then you get into their "who we are" and it's mobilized just like anything else ALA does. Someone is advising them, and it's probably library folk connected to the associations.
This was a link to send comments by letter to an Alabama Public Library Service Board for what they are viewing as an attack on the right to read. If you click the link, it mentions the Alabama Library Association is working WITH Read Freely Alabama. Alabama Library Association wrote the talking points, and where do they get those from? ALA most likely. Read Freely Alabama prepared the fact sheet, but is using Alabama Library Association's amendments to the proposed rules. Item 3 is the most significant one that ties to ALA. As soon as Alabama made a move to cut the ALA ties, in walked EveryLibrary, and Read Freely Alabama was ALREADY in place and ready to mobilize.
Read Freely Alabama was also used to promote an ALA/EveryLibrary campaign effort to influence legislative efforts to keep their progressive library board members in place. It looks like they use these efforts so regularly it either has a typo on the opt-in, or it's also asking out-of-staters to stay informed on those efforts too. ALA librarians wouldn't stuff these campaigns with fake constituent letters, would they? GASP?!😱 I know. Shocked. See: "SEND AN EMAIL: Say NO to SB10 in Alabama" (https://action.everylibrary.org/sb10)
SB 10 has passed the House with 2 amendments. While this improves the bill, it is not good enough. Use this link to email your representatives. #readfreelyalabama #readfreelyALhttps://t.co/PivbMCBS0y
— Read Freely Alabama (@readfreelyAL) February 22, 2024
There's another post that links to an ALA/EveryLibrary post that mentions Read Freely Alabama, PEN America, and the National Coalition on Censorship. They are petitioning the people to appeal to the board to reverse their decision on book buying. "Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Book Buying Policy in Prattville" (https://www.everylibrary.org/prattville_statement_feb24)
Then now, they just have EveryLibrary running the GoFundMe to raise funds directly for their fired library staff. Why would they be doing that at all? ALA/EveryLibrary is awfully busy to be in the business of fired employee donations. Doesn't that seem odd?
Then there's this that makes the ALA/EveryLibrary/Read Freely Alabama connection super clear, from Kelly Jensen at Book Riot who calls parents "christofascists" and who works directly with ALA/EveryLibrary: "Editor’s Note: EveryLibrary is working with Read Freely Alabama to support the library. You can sign the petition or donate to help cover staff living costs during this time of uncertainty."
But parent-hating Kelly does sum things up nicely, in that here is the policy the Library Board of Trustees passed that the American Library Association opposes, since the new policies turn The Chicago Way on its head and restore local control:
Among the new policies in the recent guide, which was not developed nor approved by the director are that:
- Children under the age of 18 shall receive library cards that are especially designated for minors. These cards will not permit the checkout of material with content containing, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance. Age-appropriate materials concerning biology, human anatomy, or religion are exempt from this rule.
- The library shall not purchase or otherwise acquire any material advertised for consumers ages 17 and under which contain content including, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance. Age-appropriate materials concerning biology, human anatomy, or religion are exempt from this rule.
- Library staff shall affix a red warning label prominently on the binding of any book or other material in the library’s collection containing content including, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance and advertised for consumers 18 and older. Materials concerning biology, human anatomy, or religion are exempt from this rule.
- The Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to exercise discretion over all library material, including but not limited to books, movies, artwork, displays, and programming.
- Removes the requirement that patrons read an entire work before lodging a formal challenge.
Prattsville First Amendment Defense is another local group. It is EveryLibrary which is ALA. They have web sites on fightforthefirst.org and fundlibraries.org which are EveryLibrary which is ALA.
In summary, ALA, ALA, and ALA is demanding ALA policies be followed instead of common sense, community standards, and the law that requires the library board run the library, not Chicago's ALA.
So these various supposedly local groups are actually ALA groups, including more not in the ALA/EveryLibrary demand letter:
- "STOP Book Bans at Autauga-Prattville Public Library!" (https://www.fightforthefirst.org/petitions/stop-book-bans-at-autauga-prattville-public-library)
- "Stand with the Autauga-Prattville Public Library" (https://www.fightforthefirst.org/petitions/stand-with-the-library)
- "Read Freely Alabama" (https://www.fundlibraries.org/read-freely-alabama)
- "Prattville First Amendment Defense Group" (https://www.fightforthefirst.org/groups/example-prattville-first-amendment-defense-group)
- "Protect Prattville Library Staff and Patrons" (https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-prattville-library-staff-and-patrons)
- "SEND A MESSAGE: Amend the Rules to Keep Alabama Reading Freely!" (https://action.everylibrary.org/alabamareadfreely) This is about where the libraries have to get approval to spend money with the ALA, as pictured above. Read Freely Alabama says they wrote the form letter, though. Where there is a state library association, the ALA is not far behind. ALA/EveryLibrary has a 1,000 letter goal by 4/29/2024, and they only accept letters.
So we have four locals groups in support of the fired employees and opposed to what the library board has done to protect children from harm, and every single one of them is created by, funded by, and maintained by ALA from Chicago, IL.
Well no wonder ALA is making a full court astroturf press on the library board: "Bill to Change Independence of Alabama Public Library Boards Moving Through State Legislature" (https://www.apr.org/news/2024-02-20/bill-to-change-independence-of-alabama-public-library-boards-moving-through-state-legislature). ALA has to maintain its control, by any means necessary.
This proposed bill gives local municipalities the explicit power to fire and replace any library board member. This power is not currently prohibited at a state level, but it is not explicitly stated either. The bill also removes staggered terms for library board members, which would put them in line with the elected officials in the municipalities over them. Republicans are also seeking to amend an anti-obscenity law in order to incarcerate dissenting librarians.
Hear from Dr. James Lindsay how what ALA is doing is praxis, or putting policies into action, to commit a putsch in Prattville, in an attempt to overthrow the library board members or its policies (https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx7K1Po5rtcmpKo1eGdq02A6ZIviyaYrgF?feature=shared):
Hear from the Fired Librarian on how ALA will say and do anything to force its way (https://youtu.be/x5R1Jbp8rMU):
So that's what we have in Prattville. A library board acting on behalf of the community, and ALA directly pushing The Chicago Way, even to the point of funding four local groups to appear local to try to force the board to do what ALA itself cannot, except if ALA can fool the library board and the community generally, and that's the main purpose for the four local groups and EveryLibrary and the demands they make.
And is Read Freely Alabama admitting to tax fraud or negative tax implications? Hmmm, two GoFundMes were set up, so they rolled the one Read Freely Alabama started into the ALA/EveryLibrary one. Not a chance this isn't astroturfed by ALA:
Look at the graphic top right from Read Freely Alabama and linking to ALA/EveryLibrary. It says, "Don't Politicize Alabama Libraries!" Well isn't that the biggest piece of projection you've ever seen?
Notice what someone on X named @EV_Trapper says (in response to That Librarian Amanda Jones supporting the library workers fired by the library board) and he does a really good job of encapsulating the situation, like "The Director messed up by not following what the Board told her to do," while @libraries4win illustrates the excuse making, like "The director refused to break the law by discriminating against a protected class, LGBTQ+ people" when that is not what was ordered by the board:
@EV_TrapperI disagree Amanda, but hear me out.Nobody at the Library should be making any of these decisions for the public, nobody is an elected representative that can legislate. I also think it's unfair to force Librarians or the workers to make these decisions.The Director messed up by not following what the Board told her to do. The Library workers though should never work in another library or public anything ever again, I can't think of anything more selfish. I use the library every week & to think that they would stoop so low to lock the library & prevent it's use by people who have nothing to do with their issue is outrageous.9:19 AM · Mar 17, 2024@libraries4win(1) The library board wrote a policy without director input. They can do that, but it's not advisable, as the director is aware of any legal pitfalls. They ignored him, but lied and said he signed onto the policy. (2) The director refused to break the law by discriminating...2:44 PM · Mar 17, 2024@libraries4win...against a protected class, LGBTQ+ people. (3) While the staff can't make the decision to close (and it was their decision), can you imagine them trying to carry on after the unjust dismissal of their director? I'd give them grace on that one, as did the people who applauded.3:01 PM · Mar 17, 2024@EV_TrapperThe Director is not responsible for being aware of "legal pitfalls". This is what lawyers are for. Again, the Director has a mistaken belief that they understand the law, or that they are the the upholders of all things legal. That portion is not on the Director or the staff & never should be.There are obvious exceptions here, but no Library staff anywhere should ever inject themselves into the center of this. Raise concerns, write down things that make you uncomfortable because of x,y or z, but dont try to assume the role of a Representative or Senator.Just put the shoe on the other foot. If the library Director could solely make all the decisions on this issue, what might a hardcore Republican do? This is the slippery slope that must be avoided or else we will go into a never ending peril of book bans by both sides. My personal opinion is that this issue rests solely on the people or their elected representatives. Its the only way to do it that prevents an unworkable situation. We govern by majority, not minority & while we do what we can for the minority the feelings & wants of the majority must be respected.3:18 PM · Mar 17, 2024
What is happening in the Prattville community now is a direct result of community organizing and the wielding of power planned by ALA and based in Chicago, Illinois. Solidarity!
Just to make this all super crystal, Emily Drabinski @edrabinski, President of ALA, retweeted a post by American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) @ABFEBooksellers detailing Angie Hayden of Read Freely Alabama @readfreelyAL and linking to "Free Expression Friday: Read Freely Alabama (Angie Hayden)" https://bookweb.org/news/free-expression-friday-read-freely-alabama-angie-hayden-1630390. Therein appear multiple incidents of the direct connection to American Library Association resources, hyperlinks in original, both on or made with ALA resources, and even the statement that the "assistance fund" is "created by EveryLibrary Institute NFP," which is a de facto ALA resource as explained above:
If you are a Prattville or Autauga resident, we urge you to voice concerns and frustration through this online “Save our Library” petition [https://action.everylibrary.org/save_prattville_protect_staff?fbclid=IwAR383g_KHWcYM-InOk1bT8x9o4jy15mk678viP7NaRV6aeJNdG_r9Wy8FLk]. If you would like to join us in supporting all these amazing individuals, you can donate to an assistance fund [https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-prattville-library-staff-and-patrons] created by EveryLibrary Institute NFP.’
Angie Hayden herself chimes in to add the icing on the cake, stating Read Freely Alabama is fundraising using another ALA-sourced website, fundlibraries.org: "We are also fundraising": https://www.fundlibraries.org/read-freely-alabama.
And she calls that "our little grassroots effort." There are three websites right there all directly tied to the American Library Association but she's got a "little grassroots effort." It's a 100% complete deception.
And she refers to the parents seeking to have local law apply in the library instead of The Chicago Way as "extremists," the very same word used by ALA itself: "But this library issue is something that spans all political beliefs, all faith backgrounds, except for the extremists." And now you know why the ALA President retweeted that ABFE post with the multiple ALA resources backing Read Freely Alabama's "little grassroots effort."
When local groups created by ALA are called out for being Chicago-sourced astroturf, they deny it then mock me for saying so, as @TXFreedomRead has just done on X with a ton of laughing emojis, with none other than ALA's EveryLibrary and their benefactor piling on, calling me a willful idiot for standing in opposition to ALA deceptively pushing its way into communities and thereby onto children nationwide—so I'm clearly over the target:
Meanwhile the ALA's astroturfed organization in Texas explicitly thanks ALA's EveryLibrary that's "proud to support the Texas Freedom to Read Project," even says it "can't happen without support from friends like @EveryLibrary." Exactly. Bingo:
These are the games played by "local" groups astroturfed by ALA. Read Freely Alabama is one such group with its "little grassroots effort" claim. It's just a local version of ALA, right down to the ALA resources needed, and it "can't happen without support from friends like @EveryLibrary."
The library board and the local government should stick together and don't let The Chicago Way win. That's the Prattville Putsch: ALA's Praxis of its Policies. Don't let local citizens be drowned out by multiple ALA paid and astroturfed players, one even named after an ALA trademark, who have zero interest in the community's children but are trained to nearly instantly stand up opposition to common sense, community standards, and the law. Don't let ALA's Prattville Putsch be successful.
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