‘Freedom to Read Act’ aims to protect New Jersey public school librarians
This bill comes as results of a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll that showed that 58% of adults surveyed were more worried about book censorship than schools teaching about sensitive topics and materials.
A new bill in New Jersey will aim to protect public school librarians and their libraries from harassment as some districts push to ban or remove books from their shelves in the state.
The “Freedom to Read Act” act proposes that school boards come up with a plan for curating library selections. In the bill, it states several school library media specialists and librarians have been targeted, harassed and defamed for providing reading material.
There would be some rules to oppose undue censorship, including:
Library collections would have to present diverse points of view.
Provide access to students to materials they need for research.
Promote the free expression and access to ideas by prohibiting the censorship of library materials.
"I think books impact people in ways that are hard to measure. They open your eyes to different worlds, they teach you about your self and other people. Sometimes they allow you to escape in a safe way. Books are incredible," said Beth Fitzgerald, of Hoboken.
This bill comes as results of a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll that showed that 58% of adults surveyed were more worried about book censorship than schools teaching about sensitive topics and materials.
