Princeton, NJ – On Monday, April 8, the first day of National Library Week and Right to Read Day, Princeton Council passed a resolution declaring Princeton a Book Sanctuary.
Council’s action took a firm stance against the banning of books, an issue that has seen significant increase in New Jersey and the United States over the last several years, with books being challenged and removed from libraries and schools. Councilmember Eve Niedergang introduced the resolution:
“This week is National Library Week and today, April 8, is Right to Read Day. It is, therefore, particularly appropriate that Princeton marks this day by becoming a Book Sanctuary, taking a stand against book banning and censorship and firmly in favor of everyone’s right to determine WHAT they – and their minor children –read.
“Although we are by no means the first in New Jersey to take such a step – thank you Hoboken for leading the way in New Jersey and to Chicago for taking the lead nationwide – we feel compelled to act because of the vast increase in attempts, many successful, to control what titles are in public libraries and public schools. Last year, 4,240 unique book titles were challenged nationwide, a 92 percent increase over 2022, according to the American Library Association. A very high percentage of attempted book bans are targeted at books written by and about LGBTQ+ persons, people of color, and people from marginalized backgrounds, and seek to impose restrictions based not on the quality or value of the books but rather on the political, ideological, or cultural preferences of those advocating for the bans.
“The freedom to read is a fundamental American right, the First Amendment put into practice. Our Library’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution to declare the library a book sanctuary last month and Council is proud to support and echo this commitment. A book sanctuary upholds the First Amendment Rights of all citizens and supports institutions in which book challenges must follow a specific, formalized procedure, as is done in our library. And this is as it should be — the librarians at the Princeton Public Library are the best people to consider and make decisions about whether a book should be on the library’s shelves. We can all acknowledge that not every published book deserves a place in every library, but acquisition decisions should continue to be made by professionals in this field.”
State Senator Andrew Zwicker, one of the sponsors of the Freedom to Read Act (S2421/A3446) aimed at protecting the First Amendment rights of all New Jerseyans, also attended the April 8 Council meeting. Zwicker said he was inspired to take action when a high school librarian working in his district said “no” to bullies demanding that they have control over books in the collection and challenged her professionalism.
To paraphrase Zwicker’s description of the bill, the Freedom to Read Act protects school library media specialists and librarians from harassment. The bill would generally prohibit censorship, especially if it’s rooted in objections to the author’s origin, background, or views.
But under the new legislation, libraries statewide would have uniform guidelines to evaluate book challenges, and only people with a vested interest in the school or community library, such as a parent, student, or resident, would be allowed to request a book’s removal. An out-of-state complainant would not have the same standing.
The bill also would protect librarians from criminal and civil liability and allow them to sue people who harass them for emotional distress and defamation.
Under the bill, school boards would be allowed to limit access to certain library materials rather than removing them altogether, such as restricting books with more mature themes to later grades. And when district officials reject a book challenge, new challenges would have to wait at least one year to be considered.
Zwicker said that it “boggles his mind” that in 2024 people are still debating the censoring of books. “The abuse has been unfathomable.”