Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
new jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a bill Monday to ban public libraries and school libraries from banning the books in the state.
The law will also implement protections for law-abiding librarians against civil and criminal charges, according to the report The Associated Press.
This makes New Jersey the latest state to enact a law banning book bans, joining other Democratic-led states including Illinois and Minnesota.
Murphy signed the bill at the Princeton Public Library, located near Princeton University. The legislation responds to Republican-leaning states that have tried in recent years to remove books from school curricula and school libraries that they deem inappropriate for young children, such as books that contain sexually explicit material or that focus on LGBTQ+ or critical theory of race.
SUPREME COURT REJECTS BOSTON PARENTS’ APPEAL ALLOWING RACIAL PARTICIPATION IN ADMISSIONS POLICY
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs legislation aimed at prohibiting public libraries and schools from banning books at the Princeton Public Library, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP)
“It’s the antithesis of all these book-banning states you see,” the governor said. “I’m incredibly proud to have signed it, but I also recognize that America, and this is another good example, is becoming a country of patchwork quilts. It really does matter where you live.”
According to the law, public libraries and school libraries cannot exclude books due to the origin, background or views of the material or its authors. Libraries will also be prohibited from censoring books just because a person finds them offensive.
The bill allows books to be restricted for “developmentally inappropriate material” for certain age groups. The law also requires local school boards and public library governing bodies to establish policies for the care of books and the disposal of library materials, including a way to address concerns about certain titles.
Lawmakers in more than 15 states have done so proposed bills this year to impose harsh penalties on libraries or librarians.
SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH TRANS ATHLETE CONTROVERSY GENERAL TELLS CRITICS CA AND DC LEGISLATORS TO BLAME
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks at the Princeton Public Library before signing legislation aimed at banning school and public libraries from banning books in the state on Monday, December 9, 2024. (AP)
Parents and conservative activists argue that the books are too sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate, especially for younger children. National groups like Moms for Liberty have said that parents should have more of a say in what books should be available to their children.
Librarians praised the enactment of the New Jersey law, and Karen Grant, president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, said the bill recognizes the professionalism of librarians and promotes libraries as a source of information
“The bill will protect students’ intellectual freedom and recognize that school libraries are centers of voluntary inquiry, fostering student growth and development,” Grant said.
Retired librarian Martha Hickson spoke alongside the governor Monday about how parents first suggested their book collections contained pedophilia and pornography during a school board meeting in 2021. She watched the live stream in shock as objected to the availability of Jonathan Evison’s novel Lawn Boy, which contains graphic descriptions of sex between men and boys, and the illustrated memoir Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe.
Retired librarian Martha Hickson speaks at the Princeton Public Library on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, where Gov. Phil Murphy was scheduled to sign a bill aimed at banning books from public schools and libraries. (AP)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Hickson, who said parents suggested he should be held criminally responsible for the availability of the books, said Monday it was time to celebrate after three years of harassment.
“I’m excited,” she said. “After more than three years of harassment, this legislation is a relief for readers and librarians.”
The law will go into effect in a year, though the state commissioner of education and the state librarian can begin taking steps to implement the law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
