New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law Monday to prohibit public and school libraries from banning books in the state and to enshrine protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who comply with the law.

New Jersey becomes the latest Democrat-led state to enact a ban on book bans, joining Illinois and Minnesota. Murphy signed the bill at Princeton’s public library, a short walk from Princeton University’s ivy-draped campus and cast the legislation in the context of Republican-leaning states that have prohibited certain books in recent years.

“It’s the antithesis of all these book banning states that you see,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud to have signed it, but also acknowledge that America — and this is yet another good example — is becoming a patchwork quilt country. It really matters where you live.”

Under the law, public and school libraries are barred from excluding books because of the origin, background, or views of the material or of its authors. Censoring books will also be prohibited solely because a person finds them offensive. The bill permits restriction in the case of “developmentally inappropriate material” for certain age groups. The measure also 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.

According to the American Library Association, over 4,200 works in school and public libraries were targeted in 2023, a jump from the old record of nearly 2,600 books in 2022. Many challenged books 2023 had LGBTQ+ and racial themes.

Restrictions in some states have increased so much that librarians and administrators worry about lawsuits, hefty fines and even imprisonment if they provide books that others regard as inappropriate. Lawmakers in more than 15 states have introduced bills to impose harsh penalties on libraries or librarians in 2024.

Conservative parents and activists argue that the books are too sexually explicit or otherwise controversial, and are inappropriate, especially for younger readers. National groups such as Moms for Liberty say parents are entitled to more control over books available to their children.

Librarians hailed the measure’s enactment. Karen Grant, president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, said the bill recognizes librarians’ professionalism and promotes libraries as a source of information.

“The bill will protect the intellectual freedom of students as well as acknowledge that school libraries are centers for voluntary inquiry, fostering students’ growth and development,” Grant said.

Martha Hickson, a retired librarian, spoke Monday alongside Murphy about how parents first suggested her book collections contained pedophilia and pornography during a school board meeting in 2021. She watched the livestream in horror as they objected that the novel “Lawn Boy” and illustrated memoir “Gender Queer” were available to students and suggested she could be criminally liable.

She said shortly before receiving a pen Murphy used to sign the bill that it was time to celebrate after three years of harassment.

“I’m thrilled,” she said. “After more than three years of harassment, this legislation is a relief to readers and librarians.”

The measure is set to take effect in a year, but the state education commissioner and state librarian are authorized to begin taking steps to implement the law.