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N.J. law now prohibits book bans in libraries, so issues can be raised ‘without resorting to bullying’

New Jersey passed the Freedom to Read Act, joining at least eight other states in passing laws to prohibit book bans in public and school libraries.

The sanctuary shelf of books that are among those often banned elsewhere, on display at the Moorestown Library Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, which became one of the first book sanctuaries in South Jersey under a growing movement in the state to protect book freedom.
The sanctuary shelf of books that are among those often banned elsewhere, on display at the Moorestown Library Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, which became one of the first book sanctuaries in South Jersey under a growing movement in the state to protect book freedom.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

New Jersey has joined several states in prohibiting book bans in public and school libraries and protecting librarians from attacks by critics who demand some materials removed.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed the Freedom to Read Act at a ceremony at the Princeton Public Library on Monday. He was joined by lawmakers and library officials who believed the measure was necessary to guard against arbitrary book bannings.

“Across the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others,” Murphy said, adding that “There is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely.”

Other states that have taken similar action include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Vermont and Washington.

» READ MORE: Gov. Phil Murphy signs a law to make N.J. first state to require media literacy for K-12

For and against

The legislation is in response to a growing movement that has targeted books across the country, most frequently those about race, racism, gender, or sexuality. Proponents say the law will make it harder to have a book removed solely based on the objection by one person.

“If you don’t like something, you don’t have to read it,” said Jennie Pu, director of the Hoboken Public Library, which last year became the first book sanctuary in New Jersey. “It doesn’t give you the right to remove it for everyone else.”

The law now requires local school boards and the governing bodies of public libraries to set up policies for book curation and the removal of library materials, including a way to address concerns over certain items.

“Our children deserve the chance to see different examples of love, faith, and cultural expression in the books they read,” Murphy said.

Not everyone agrees, and some lawmakers and conservative parent-rights groups like Moms for Liberty have sought to ban or limit access to certain books. Some school boards have responded to the pressure and removed books such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from their curriculum.

» READ MORE: A South Jersey school district has pulled Toni Morrison’s ‘Bluest Eye’ from its curriculum

In a statement, Republican lawmakers state Sen. Parker Space and Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort denounced the law, saying it permits sexually explicit books and materials in school libraries.

“Our school libraries are meant to be a peaceful place for learning, not littered with lewd or inappropriate materials that distract from a child’s education,” the statement read. “Enabling the distribution of obscene material is reprehensible, but absolving accountability for its distribution is heinous and inexcusable.”

In 2023, there were 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources nationwide, up 65% from the year before, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

A number of public libraries have adopted a designation as a book sanctuary as a statement about the values of their communities and opposition to book bans.

So far, at least 39 libraries have joined the movement started in Hoboken. Pu hopes New Jersey’s more than 300 public libraries will take a similar action.

In South Jersey, public libraries in Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Pennsauken, Linwood, and the Gloucester County Library System are book sanctuaries, according to Pu.

Preventing harassment

Pu hailed the Freedom to Read Act because it provides protections for librarians who book banners have targeted. The law shields them from criminal and civil charges for complying with the law.

Martha Hickson, a retired librarian at North Hunterdon High School, said she was harassed for three years by parents and others who wanted five books removed. The books were ultimately retained by the school board.

“The harassment that librarians have experienced over the last three years is really an attempt at censorship through intimidation,” Hickson said in a statement “When concerns about books arise, parents now have a clear process for raising issues without resorting to bullying.”

Under the law, only those with a vested interest in the school library have the opportunity to submit a book for review. A review committee that may include students must be established to review the submitted library material for removal.

The challenged library material will remain available for students to access until there is a final decision. Any book reviewed will not be eligible for a subsequent challenge for at least one year.

Olga Polites, a leader of the New Jersey chapter of Media Literacy Now, which pushed the state to adopt a requirement for media literacy for K-12, was overjoyed at the passage of the book ban law.

“On the one hand, it’s sad that we have to codify this into law,” Polites said Tuesday. But, “I’m glad that the legislature saw this was important enough.”

» READ MORE: A N.J. bill would strip funding from public schools or libraries for banning books

The Associated Press contributed to this article.