GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS FREEDOM TO READ ACT

The Governor signed the bill at the Princeton Public Library, joined by advocates for intellectual freedom and the bill’s legislative sponsors.

“The Freedom to Read Act cements New Jersey’s role on the forefront of preventing book bans and protecting the intellectual freedom of our educators and students. Across the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others. I’m proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as there is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely,” said Governor Murphy.

This legislation requires local school boards and governing bodies of public libraries to establish policies for curation and removal of library materials, including a system of review to address concerns over library materials. The Department of Education, the State Librarian, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, and the New Jersey School Boards Association will support establishing these policies.

The Freedom to Read Act also provides protections for library staff members against civil and criminal lawsuits related to complying with this law.

Under the law, boards of education and governing boards of public libraries are barred from excluding books because of the origin, background, or views of the material or of its authors. Further, boards of education and governing boards of public libraries are prevented from censoring library material based on a disagreement with a viewpoint, idea, or concept, or solely because an individual finds certain content offensive, unless they are restricting access to developmentally inappropriate material for certain age groups.