A group of women who said they would challenge books at the Mobile Public Library have since officially rescinded their initial recommendations, according to an official with the library system.

Robert Hyde, comptroller with the Mobile Public Library System, said the women emailed him last week indicating they were withdrawing four official recommendations for reconsideration. According to Hyde, the women had not “yet seen nor read the books” they were challenging.

He said other challenges may come in the future.

Gail Walton, a retired schoolteacher who was helping to lead the challenges, did not respond to a request for comment.

Walton told AL.com last week that a group of residents were concerned “not just about books, but all materials offered to the children in the children’s section.” She said up to 30 books could be under review for reconsideration.

She added, ““We want more parental control over what the children see. We ask the books we object to are moved to the adult section so parents can decide what’s appropriate for their child. A lot of parents do not have a clue.”

The four books that were officially filed for reconsideration included:

Walton said the effort in Mobile is inspired by a similar approach in Prattville this spring when a group of concerned parents led by Hannah Rees, called for the Autauga-Prattville Public Library and the Prattville City Council to begin removing books with LGBTQ+ content.

Cuts to library budgets are also occurring around the state. The latest is in Ozark, where the mayor says he and his wife are attempting to remove LGBTQ content from the children’s section at its public library.

Walton also said there were concerns with the Mobile Public Library’s continued affiliation with the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world. Officials in states, such as Montana and Missouri, have left the association this year after its president described herself as a “Marxist lesbian.” Other states have like Arizona, Louisiana and South Carolina are also considering dropping from the association.

State Rep. Susan Dubose, R-Hoover, in an Op-ed piece, called on local libraries throughout Alabama to consider dropping its affiliation from the ALA.

The efforts to remove books from libraries or from children sections of libraries has increase over the last few years as parents and conservative advocacy groups have started asking for certain books to be removed completely from schools and public libraries.

The ALA noted that book ban requests were at an all-time high last year at schools and public libraries. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the record from 2021 and the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago, according to reports.