New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a bill Monday to prohibit public libraries and school libraries from banning books in the state.
The law would also serve to protect law-abiding librarians from civil and criminal lawsuits, according to the Associated Press.
This makes New Jersey the latest state to enact a law banning the books, joining other Democratic-led states, including Illinois and Minnesota.
Murphy signed the bill at the Princeton Public Library, which is located near Princeton University. This law comes in response to Republican-leaning districts that have sought to remove books in recent years from the school curriculum and school libraries that they deem inappropriate for young children, such as books that contain sexually graphic material or that LGBTQ+ center or Critical Race Theory.
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at the Princeton Public Library on Monday, December 9, 2024, signs a law aimed at preventing public libraries and schools from banning books. (AP)
“It’s against all these book ban districts that you see,” the governor said. “I’m incredibly proud to sign it, but I also agree that America – and this is another good example – is becoming a patchwork country. It really matters where you live.”
Under the law, public libraries and school libraries may not withdraw books because of the origin, background or opinions of the materials or their authors. Libraries will also be prevented from checking out books only because someone finds them offensive.
The bill allows books to be restricted to “developmentally inappropriate” status for certain age groups. The law also requires local school boards and governing bodies of public libraries to establish policies for the selection and removal of library materials, including how to address concerns about specific titles.
Lawmakers in more than 15 states have proposed bills this year to impose stiffer penalties on libraries or library employees.
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks at the Princeton Public Library before signing a law aimed at preventing school and public libraries from banning books in the state on Monday, December 9, 2024. (AP)
Conservative parents and activists argue that the books are sexually graphic or inappropriate, especially for young children. National groups like Moms for Liberty have said parents should have more of a say in what books should be available to their children.
Librarians applauded the New Jersey law, said Karen Grant, president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, saying the bill recognizes the expertise of librarians and promotes libraries as a source of information.
“This bill will protect the intellectual freedom of students as well as acknowledge that school libraries are centers of voluntary inquiry, which encourages the growth and development of students,” said Grant.
Retired librarian Martha Hickson spoke Monday with the governor about how parents began to suggest that her book collections contained pedophilia and pornography during the 2021 school board meeting. He watched the live broadcast in shock as they protested the discovery of the novel “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison, which contains explicit descriptions of sex between men and children, and the graphic memoir “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe.
Retired librarian Martha Hickson speaks at the Princeton Public Library on Monday, December 9, 2024, where Gov. Phil Murphy was set to sign a bill aimed at banning books from schools and public libraries. (AP)
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Hickson, who said the parents suggested that he should be charged for the discovery of the letters, said on Monday it was time to celebrate after three years of abuse.
“I’m happy,” he said. “After more than three years of harassment, this law is a relief to students and librarians.”
The law is expected to go into effect within a year, although the state education commissioner and the state librarian may begin taking steps to implement the law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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