A public hearing April 30 offered Alabamians the chance to talk about the potential impact of state-mandated changes to public libraries.

And people showed up: About 100 people filled the room in Montgomery, some in favor of increasing restrictions on library content, and many against the proposed changes.

Gov. Kay Ivey has threatened to withhold state funding from libraries that don’t move “inappropriate” books for minors. The Alabama Public Library Service, which distributes funding, is figuring out how to make those changes. Simultaneously, legislators may rewrite the state’s obscenity law and prosecute librarians that give “obscene” books to children.

“You cannot unsee what you have seen. Neither can our kids,” said Lori Herring, who is part of the conservative group Eagle Forum and who also recently became an employee of the Autauga-Prattville Public Library. “Let’s protect the kids. Let’s get rid of the porn in the library.”

Sheila Wright of Trussville claimed library books have “sexual grooming” in them.

Other speakers, like Holley Midgley in Mentone, said the idea that librarians are trying to groom children to become LGBTQ is “absurd.”

“Libraries groom children to be readers, to gather knowledge and ideas, and to be educated, well-rounded, informed citizens,” Midgley said.

Former Autauga-Prattville Public Library employees Andrew Foster, Lacie Sutherland and Kaitlin Wilson all spoke in opposition of the changes. These staff members were fired or left after local policies banned LGBTQ books for minors.

“I need to tell you as a parent that these policies undermine my ability and choice as my son’s parent to let my child explore reading as he grows,” Sutherland said. “To find books he loves and enjoys that represent him, expand his world views, and not feel confined and restricted and told the books are dangerous. To feel that the library is a refuge where he need not feel limited or judged.”

Sutherland also said she worries that disaffiliating from the American Library Association and the state chapter, the Alabama Library Association, will threaten accreditation at the University of Alabama’s library science program.

The proposed administrative changes come after almost a year of dozens of book challenges in libraries statewide among fears of “inappropriate content” for children in public libraries.

APLS director Nancy Pack told AL.com the agency has received 4,000 letters in response to these code changes.

Several public library service board members were in attendance at the meeting but did not speak. The board will decide on adoption of the code changes at the May 17 executive board meeting.