Will County Gazette

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 13 officially signed off on legislation that makes Illinois the first state in the nation to ban libraries from banning books.

"Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts. Regimes ban books, not democracies," Pritzker said.

Pen America reported the 2022-2023 academic year saw significant book bans; however, it added 70% of parents oppose book banning.

Backed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who also serves as the state's top librarian, the measure would cut off funding to libraries that remove books from the shelf. The law is viewed as being in direct response to school districts across the country moving to ban controversial books, especially those exploring LBGTQ themes.

The American Library association reports there were 67 attempts to ban books across the state in 2022, up by nearly 70% from 2021's overall total of just 41.

House Bill 2789 establishes that it is the state's policy to "encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other material," along with requiring that as a condition for being eligible for state grants, libraries and library systems must adopt either the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights or some other written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or other materials.

NBC News reported six Florida students, their parents and two authors are suing a central Florida school district over a ban on a book that showed two male penguins raising a baby penguin.

With the measure slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, supporters of the new law argue the bans at times have also stretched to target classic tomes like "To Kill A Mockingbird," stressing that restricting access is wrong if it's driven by ideologies. 

"Those pushing book banning say they are doing it to protect people. Well that's just not true," said State rep. Anne Stava Murray (D-Downers Grove). "Book banning is most frequently used to silence the voices of the LGBTQ+ community as well as people of color."

To learn more about book bans, visit Unite Against Book Bans.

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