New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy signed a law prohibiting public and school libraries from banning books in the state on Monday, Dec. 9. The law ensures protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who comply, joining states like Illinois and Minnesota.
The measure requires policies for book curation and addresses concerns over library materials, ensuring no censorship based on personal offense. According to the American Library Association, over 4,200 works in school and public libraries were targeted in 2023, a jump from the old record of nearly 2,600 books in 2022. Many of the challenged books in 2023 had LGBTQ+ and racial themes.