PRINCETON, N.J. (PIX11) — New Jersey looks to turn the page on book bans as Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the Freedom to Read Act on Monday.
The legislation , signed at the Princeton Public Library, limits public libraries’ or school boards’ ability to remove books from library shelves based on someone’s disagreement with the book’s content. It also protects librarians from criminal or civil liability. Its passage follows efforts over the years to remove books some claimed to have obscene material.
More Local News
Now that the bill has become law, local school boards and public libraries must come up with a policy for the curation and removal of books, including coming up with a system to address requests people may have to remove any titles.
“This law will strengthen -not diminish- the rights of parents to choose what reading materials their children should and should not have access to,” said Murphy (D-NJ), “by ensuring every family can make their own determination about what books are appropriate for a child.”…