New NJ Bill Would Protect Librarians Amid U.S. Book Ban Push

NEW JERSEY - A new bill spearheaded by New Jersey Democratic lawmakers seeks to protect librarians from harassment and establish a standard for library materials in public schools and libraries amid a push to ban books in the state.

Dubbed the “Freedom to Read Act,” S2421 was introduced last month by primary sponsors Sens. Andrew Swicker (NJ-16) and Teresa Ruiz (NJ-29). The bill would require school and public library boards to create policies regarding which books should be in school libraries and how books may be removed, as well as prohibit dissenters from suing librarians over the reading options made available in accordance with those policies.

The guidelines will be based upon a model policy drafted by the State Librarian, Commissioner of the Department of Education and the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, according to the bill.

Age and grade-appropriate “diverse and inclusive” materials protected under New Jersey’s discrimination laws must be provided, and material “that contains the author's points of view concerning contemporary problems and issues, whether international, national, or local” must be protected, according to the text of the bill.

You can read the full text here.

“The freedom to read does not require a person to agree with topics or themes within a material, but instead allows a reader to explore and engage with differing perspectives to form and inform their own views,” the bill reads.

“It is necessary and proper for the Legislature to protect the freedom of New Jersey’s residents to read, for school libraries and public libraries to acquire and maintain materials without external limitations, to recognize that school library media specialists and librarians are trained to curate and develop collections, and to protect school library media specialists and librarians from unnecessary and unwarranted harassment and defamation for performance of their duties,” the bill adds.

The bill will have its first hearing in March before the Senate Education Committee.

Zwicker and Ruiz introduced a similar bill last year which would deter school boards from banning or restricting access to books from libraries and authorize state officials to withhold funding from any public school or library that fails to comply. That bill, introduced last June, died in the same committee.

Last year, the American Library Association (ALA) reported a sharp uptick in efforts to ban and censor books. While book challenges have a long history in the U.S., "evidence suggests that recent efforts are organized, coordinated, well-funded and targeted in large part at books that consider racial justice and LGTBQ identity," Maplewood Library officials said in a statement.

In New Jersey, at least six books were considered being taken off the shelves last year at the Glen Ridge Public Library, though the effort was later defeated.

Those books included “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, “Here and Queer” by Rowan Ellis and Jacky Sheridan, “It’s Not the Stork” by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley, “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley, “This Book is Gay” by James Dawson, and “You Know, Sex” by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth. Read more: Proposed Book Ban Shot Down In Glen Ridge; LGBTQ Advocates Cheer

Other public boards have reinforced efforts to protect books from being "banned," including the Essex County School Boards Association, which voted last September to "protect the freedom to read.” The Hoboken City Council unanimously approved a resolution the same month to declare Hoboken the first New Jersey Book Sanctuary City.

Last year, a high school librarian from Morris County even sued several township residents, alleging that the residents referred to her as a "child predator" and accused her of "luring children with pornography." She claimed in the lawsuit that a public campaign against her began after a book with LGBTQ+ themes was challenged by community members. Read more: Debate Over LGBTQ+ Books Takes Over Morris Co. High School

News of Zwicker and Ruiz's bill comes amid the results of a new poll conducted by the Rutgers Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling showing New Jersey residents are more concerned over book banning than age-inappropriate materials.

58 percent of Garden State residents said they are more concerned that some schools may ban books that are educationally important, while another 35 percent said they are more concerned that some schools may teach books and topics that some students or their parents feel are inappropriate or offensive, according to the poll.

More than half of respondents said recent legislation banning books or making it illegal for teachers to speak on LGBTQ+ or racial issues are driven by politicians to advance their careers; 31 percent of respondents said the laws are driven by parents' concerns.