New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a groundbreaking law on Monday that prohibits public and school libraries in the state from banning books. The law also provides protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who adhere to this legislation. This move makes New Jersey the latest Democrat-led state to enact a ban on book bans, following in the footsteps of Illinois and Minnesota.
The bill, signed at Princeton's public library, aims to prevent the exclusion of books based on their origin, background, or views, as well as protecting them from censorship simply because someone finds them offensive. The only exception is for 'developmentally inappropriate material' for specific age groups. The law mandates that local school boards and library governing bodies establish policies for book curation and removal, including addressing concerns over certain materials.
