The Democratic governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, signed a measure on Monday that forbids libraries and public schools from imposing book bans and safeguards librarians who follow the law.
Murphy’s signing of the Freedom to Read Act comes as conservative activists and lawmakers across continue to push back against books they believe are unsuitable for young readers, especially those that deal with racism and LGBTQ issues. According to an NBC News count, lawmakers have sponsored legislation this year in at least 13 states to restrict library resources or interfere with library services.
Murphy stated in a statement that attempts to restrict and silence other people’s experiences and voices have been made all around the country. Since free reading is the best way to prepare our kids for the future, I’m honored to elevate the voices of our history and present.
The nonprofit organization PEN America, which works to support free expression, said in September that the number of books taken off school shelves in the 2023–24 academic year had risen to over 10,000 from the year before.
That same month, the American Library Association and PEN America published reports detailing how often disputed books are about or authored by people of color or LGBTQ individuals.
Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, a book about a young Black girl who grew up after the Great Depression; Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer: A Memoir, a graphic memoir about the author’s exploration of gender identity from adolescence to young adulthood; and George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue, a coming-of-age memoir about a queer Black man, were among the ten most challenged books in the country in 2023, according to the American Library Association.
After Minnesota and Illinois, New Jersey is the third state to enact legislation that forbids the banning of books in public libraries and schools.
One year after the governor signs it, the new law will go into effect. The law does, however, allow the state education commissioner and the state librarian of New Jersey to begin putting it into effect right away, if needed.
In a statement, acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer of New Jersey said, “With this legislation, we are safeguarding the integrity of our libraries, which are curated by committed professionals, and making those resources available to help every student grow as a critical thinker.”
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