Right-wing activists have asserted that librarians following the ALA’s lead have been captured by a “woke” ideology, have labeled the organization “radical” and accused it of pushing a sexual agenda on children. Marxism is a political theory developed by German philosopher Karl Marx in the 19th century that critiques capitalism and analyzes class relations, and influenced many communist regimes. And though it has attracted backlash, Drabinski said she’s not going to hide her political opinions.

“I was excited to highlight and celebrate two aspects of my identity that are really important to me, and are often under a lot of scrutiny,” Drabinksi said in her first interview since taking office last month. 

She said she wanted to show a sense of pride to peers who share those identities with her, some of who voted for her because of it, she said. “I didn’t anticipate these kinds of targeted attacks being used as a bludgeon against library workers across the country. I really think that is regrettable, and I wish that wasn’t happening right now.”

Drabinski, 48, stepped into her year-long term as ALA president at a crucial time for libraries, which have become magnets for protests by right-wing activists and are fighting legislation that aims to restrict the books on their shelves, which frequently centers on objections to titles with LGBTQ-themes.

The ALA documented the highest number of attempted book bans in 2022 since it began tracking such efforts in 2001. People in Pennsylvania, Florida and West Virginia have filed criminal complaints attempting to have librarians arrested and charged with obscenity, though none have succeeded, while several GOP governors signed bills that would make it easier to arrest librarians for letting children check out books they deem “harmful to minors.” 

Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Mike Braun of Indiana demanded last week that federal funds for the ALA be halted, and that the government investigate the organization for allegedly advising librarians to discriminate against a Christian book publisher. Mike Flynn, the retired Army general and former Trump adviser who has become a conspiracy theorist and a local Republican leader in Florida, attacked the ALA recently for being led by “Marxist thugs.”

Drabinski, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, and is a librarian at the City University of New York, sees these critiques as “organized pro-censorship efforts” by people who “want to erode support for public institutions that enable access to information for everyone.”

The ALA has plans to beef up its support for libraries facing political challenges, including raising funds to hire lawyers and providing crisis communications support. The ALA will launch a “campaign school” to support and encourage “people who believe in intellectual freedom” to run for school and library boards, Tracie Hall, the group’s executive director, said at the group’s national conference in June.