Rhode Island has joined at least eight other blue states that have taken steps against library censorship after Gov. Dan McKee signed the Freedom to Read Act into law Wednesday.
The legislation introduced by Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, and Rep. David Morales, a Providence Democrat, protects libraries and their patrons from book-banning efforts and affirms the free speech rights of authors, publishers and readers in the state.
“We can decide what books we want to check out from the library, and we can decide what our own children read or don’t read. But what we can’t do is decide what everyone else gets to read or what other people’s children get to read or not read,” McKenney said in a statement. “Reading is a gift, and it is so important that we stay protective of the gift of reading and that when someone wants to take it away, whether by banning books directly or by launching lawsuits attempting to intimidate libraries, schools and librarians because of a book they have on their shelves, we fight.”
Connecticut, Oregon, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington have all passed laws in the past two years protecting access to reading materials on racial and sexual themes, including the LGBTQ+ issues. The push has come in response to efforts by conservative groups to ban books in school libraries across the country, as well as laws enacted in some red states that threaten criminal penalties against librarians.
“The passage of the Freedom to Read Act is a powerful victory for democracy, education, and the fundamental right to access knowledge,” Morales said. “After years of advocacy from librarians, educators, parents, students and community leaders, we’ve made it clear that no one should be able to censor books or intimidate those who share them. This law protects the freedom to explore, learn and grow. Most of all, this ensures our libraries remain inclusive spaces for all.”
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom in 2024 recorded 821 attempts across the country to censor library books and materials, down from 1,247 attempts reported in 2023, but still the third-highest number of book challenges.
Under Rhode Island’s new law, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, in collaboration with the chief of library services, is responsible for developing policies for public and school libraries on standards for the selection and curation of library material, criteria for removing school library materials and protections against attempts to censor library material.
Policies should support the freedom to read as a human right, encourage and protect the freedom of public libraries to acquire books and other materials without external limitations and ensure materials won’t be banned, removed, censored or have access to them restricted due to doctrinal or partisan disapproval.
The law allows any librarian subjected to discipline, termination or threats of discipline or termination for refusing to censor library materials in violation of policies established according to this legislation, to seek injunctive relief in court.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
