September 2024 | Volume XLII, Issue 3 »

How Illinois is Helping to Stop Book Banning, One State at a Time

September 3, 2024
Holly Eberle, ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee & Algonquin Area Public Library & Emily Hampston, Palos Park Public Library

The position of Illinois State Librarian and Secretary of State was held by Jesse White for twenty-four years. The election of Alexi Giannoulias in 2023 was a significant change to that status quo for the position of Illinois State Librarian. It has been said that this period of challenges to intellectual freedom is different from those in the past. Giannoulias represents new leadership in this new era of book bans.

PUBLIC ACT 103

Giannoulias wasted no time introducing House Bill 2789, which is currently known as Public Act 103. This is the famous law that “bans book bans” in the state of Illinois. But what does Public Act 103 actually do? Beginning in 2024, libraries “must adopt the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights that indicates materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval or, in the alternative, develop a written statement declaring the inherent authority of the library or library system to provide an adequate collection of books and other materials sufficient in size and varied in kind and subject matter to satisfy the library needs of the people of this state.” It also prohibits the practice of banning specific books or resources.

This bill was signed by Governor Pritzker in Chicago at the Harold Washington Memorial Library on June 12, 2023 just before ALA’s Annual Conference came to town. Secretary of State Giannoulias was a keynote speaker at the Conference, gracing the very same stage as Judy Blume. He spoke to library workers from around the whole country about his new law for the state of Illinois. During a time when other states are actively trying to criminalize our profession, he was a beacon of real hope for colleagues in more hostile states. Honestly, the moment was profound enough to bring tears to the corners of my eyes. Clearly, I was not alone in this feeling. After the conference, this idea spread across the nation.

LEGISLATION IN OTHER STATES

The news on this changes rapidly, since all of these pieces of legislation are in the bill phase, working themselves through the legislative process, at the time of writing. The wording differs slightly from state to state but they all include the same theme of supporting the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which stems from Illinois Public Act 103.

California: Assembly Bill 1078
Kansas: Senate Bill 358
Maryland: House Bill 0785 & Senate Bill 0738
Massachusetts: House Bill 4229 & Senate Bill 2528
New Mexico: House Bill 123
Minnesota: House File 3782
New Jersey: Senate Bill 2421
New York: Assembly Bill A7843
Pennsylvania: Senate Bill 926 & House Bill 1506
Utah: House Bill 583
Vermont: Senate Bill 220

MILLBURN SCHOOL DISTRICT 24

So does banning book bans mean the fight is over? Unfortunately, no. In March 2024, Millburn K-8 School District 24’s Board of Education voted to remove the Illinois Young Readers’ Choice Awards. It was not an explicit book ban but the removal of three “Battle of the Books” type of book lists — Rebecca Caudill, Bluestem, and Monarch — that students across the state of Illinois vote for annually. After much discussion on the pros and cons of replacing the current opt-out system with an opt-in system, Board Member Skeppstrom put forth a motion to put things back to how they were on March 1, 2024 before all the drama began. Board President Lorentzen changed his original vote, which re-instated the Illinois Young Readers’ Choice Awards and was met with thunderous applause from students, parents, teachers, and librarians.

This is a very brief summary of the events and if you would like to keep abreast of intellectual freedom happenings in your area, consider signing up for the Unite Against Book Bans Illinois Regional Response Team. Send a message to  RTeam@ila.org.

LIBRARIES AND THE ALA

Outside of Illinois, libraries in other states are facing pressure to remove titles from their collections and even withdraw their membership from ALA. The American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world, is a nonprofit organization that furthers libraries and library education. In Georgia, several senate bills that concern library workers or library’s relationships with ALA are being brought to discussion.

Here is a list of Senate Bills proposed in Georgia.

S.B. 390: A proposal to outlaw ALA, making it illegal for Georgia’s public schools and libraries to accept ALA funding.

S.B. 365: A proposal to require schools to send an email whenever a child borrows school library material if a parent chooses.

S.B. 154: A proposal to allow school librarians to be criminally prosecuted for distributing materials deemed harmful to minors.

Senate Bill 390 (S.B. 390) has raised the biggest concern as MLIS, or Master’s in Information and Library Science, programs and schools are accredited by the ALA. What will happen to MLIS programs or accreditation in Georgia? In addition to accreditation, ALA publishes the journals American Libraries, Booklist, and Choice. As a result of the ban, public libraries and schools may not be able to use these journals as resources.

In Louisiana, House Bill 777 (HB 777) was introduced by Representative Kellee Dickerson in March 2024. Instead of simply challenging libraries’ relationships with ALA, this bill proposes criminalizing libraries and library workers that join ALA.

HB 777 reads:

      A. No public official or employee shall appropriate, allocate, reimburse, or otherwise or in any way expend public funds to or with the American Library Association or its successor.

      B. No public employee shall request or receive reimbursement or remuneration in any form for continuing education or for attending a conference if the continuing education or conference was sponsored or conducted, in whole or in part, by the American Library Association or its successor.

      C. Whoever violates this Section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or both.

Again, this bill pressures public libraries and library staff to terminate ALA membership. Libraries would be prohibited from sending staff to any continuing education or conferences associated with ALA, the biggest nonprofit organization that promotes libraries and library education in the nation. The threat of a substantial fine or imprisonment faces those who dare violate this bill.

Although the future of these bills is yet to be determined at the time of this writing, their entrance into proposed state house and senate bills is noteworthy. Legislation, such as Giannoulias’s HB 2789, is instrumental in building preventative laws that protect libraries, library workers, and library users.

FINAL REMARKS

The fact that ideas from ILA members, advocates, and our State Librarian are spreading is heartening news during harrowing times. We have had our share of issues here from Niles to Elmwood Park to Old Mill Creek, so I think it is important to take a moment to recognize the hard work done to achieve success stories.

The reality is that Illinois Public Act 103 was a reaction to extreme book ban news coming from states like Texas and Florida. While many states do have similar bills working through their state governments, it does not always end in victory. This is why it is important to show up to board meetings in your community and adjacent communities. The sheer number of people at Millburn Board meetings was a persuasive force on its own and their students have their summer reading program back, which speaks volumes to the power of good people.

REFERENCES:

iREAD Summer Reading Programs

Since 1981, iREAD provides high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read.

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