The Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) released a submission form for “parents concerned about the appropriateness of some resources available to children and teenagers in the state’s public libraries” on Thursday.

APLS announced the form via Facebook. APLS board member and state Republican party chair John Wahl proposed this form at the September board meeting. The board finalized the specifics of the form at the November board meeting.

“This informational list is designed to help guide public librarians in decisions regarding the addition of books to their collections,” the APLS said in the post. “This list is considered a tool for library professionals and will not be available for viewing by the general public.”

When asked why this list won’t be made available to the public, communications and public relations manager Ryan Godfrey said in an email that the list is “strictly intended to be a tool for public librarians around the state to take into advisement when building their collections.”

“It is not intended to be a list of books that are to be banned, or even a list of books that should be moved,” Godfrey said. “The list exists solely to alert librarians of books (or particular passages from books) that some people may find objectionable for children. It’s merely a collection development tool exclusively for public librarians to use as they see fit.”

Godfrey added that the list’s confidentiality also protects librarians’ safety. Librarians will ultimately decide how to handle the submissions, and the public should not be privy to that information.

“This is a tool for libraries to use if they want to use it,” said APLS director Dr. Nancy Pack in an email.

The form includes basic information such as the book’s title, author, and page numbers. The submitter must include a street address and whether or not the submission is on behalf of an organization.

Other vital parts of the form include asking the submitter the book’s location and if the person has read the entire book. The final question is, “Where do you feel this book should be located within the library?”