The New Jersey Senate passed the Freedom to Read Act, which seeks to prohibit books from being banned in libraries and offers immunity to librarians and library staff performing their jobs in relation to book ban challenges.
The bill, A3446, passed 25–15 on Oct. 28, largely along party lines, with Democrats voting yes. It now awaits Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature.
The bill’s purpose is to “protect the freedom of New Jersey’s residents to read, for school libraries and public libraries to acquire and maintain materials without external limitations, to recognize that school library staff members and librarians are trained to curate and develop collections, and to ensure school library staff members and librarians are able to perform their duties.”…