Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law Monday designed to discourage libraries from banning books.
“Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people and marginalizing ideas,” Pritzker said, surrounded by librarians and educators at Chicago's Harold Washington Public Library.
The first-in-the-nation law is a defense against a nationwide trend demanding that books be removed from library shelves. From July to December 2022, PEN America found 1,477 instances of individual books banned, affecting 874 unique titles.
Under the bill, Illinois would not authorize state grants to libraries that do not endorse the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or otherwise promise not to take from the shelves books already in their collections.
“I think it’s going to impact the community of libraries in Illinois,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown. “In Chicago, we are extremely proud of our book sanctuary initiative. … We are safe spaces for all voices and materials."
Chicago’s libraries have a long history of supporting intellectual freedom, signing the first statement pledging to do so back in 1936. Behind the bill-signing ceremony in the children’s library section was a display of books banned or challenged in other states.
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Many of the challenged books are written by or describe the experiences of people of color or who are part of the LGBTQ community.
Brian Johnson, the CEO of Equality Illinois said it is a significant symbol that the bill was signed during Pride Month. “If reading materials are denied to us, we are denied an opportunity to learn about ourselves,” he said.
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The executive director of the Chicago-based American Library Association called the legislation “historic.” Tracy Hall said her group has always insisted that “free people must always read freely."
According to the ALA, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri have passed laws that could hold librarians criminally responsible for keeping banned books on the shelves.
Mothers for Liberty, the Florida-based group leading many of the book banning efforts at schools, declined to comment for this story.
The Illinois law, which applies to school and public libraries, will go into effect in 2024.
