Alabama has made
changes to the state guidelines for funding public libraries. These changes affect
the Decatur Public Library in two main ways: our collection development and library
card policies.
The biggest change
for the collection development policy impacts our Young Adult section. Some of
you may have noticed that the YA section has been shrinking. This genre designation will disappear from
our catalog effective October 1st
and the books will be assigned to the Adult fiction shelves. If you are over 18 and usually browse this
section to find your next book, please try the adult section. If you need help
finding the books you are used to reading from this area, please ask at the Public
Service desk. Any staff member will be happy to assist you.
The impact for the
library card policy will change how we issue cards to juveniles (a designation that
now applies to birth to 17 years old). The following is a letter we will be handing
out to patrons to explain the changes and the parent’s ability to decide the
level of access their juvenile will have to DPL materials.
Dear Parent/Legal Guardian:
On October 1, 2024, Decatur Public Library (DPL) will implement required changes to our library cards so that we may comply with new state guidelines regarding what materials are available to those patrons under 18 years old.
Library
cards for ages 17 and under will be designated as “juvenile” and may only
checkout materials from the library’s Youth Services department. Juvenile designated cards will no longer have
access to the hoopla and Libby platforms.
Parents or guardians who wish to grant their child permission to access all sections of the library’s collection, may do so by signing the Parental Agreement Form.
Visit our Public Services Desk on October 1st or later to sign the Parental Agreement Form. Please have your Decatur Public Library Card and a government issued I.D. Once you sign the Parental Agreement Form, your child will have access to all material in DPL’s collection.
Thank
you for being a patron of Decatur Public Library. We look forward to continuing to serve you
and appreciate your patience and flexibility.
Decatur Public Library Staff
We ask the public
be patient and understanding as we all navigate these changes. We are working
to make this as easy as possible for our patrons, while also making all of the
changes as quickly as possible in order to be in compliance with the state
guidelines.
If you have
questions or concerns, we are happy to speak with you and try to make these
changes as easy as we can for you, our patrons.
Banned Book week this
year is September 22nd-28th . The September task for the Adult Reading Challenge is to read a banned
book. Celebrate your intellectual
freedom by reading a banned or challenged book. Some of the best and most loved
books have been banned or challenged, from To
Kill a Mockingbird, to Harry Potter, The Bluest Eye, and even
the Bible. We bet there is a book on
your To Be Read list that is on a banned or challenged book list, if you are
taking part in the Adult Reading Challenge, read it for the September task. If
you are not taking the Adult Reading Challenge, but are 18 or older, read it
because you can. Then decide for yourself if it is or isn’t a book you enjoyed,
but either way, leave it for the next person to decide for themselves.
Happy Reading!
