Illinois turned the primary state within the United States to move laws to finish e-book bans. Signed by Governor JB Pritzker June 12, House Bill 2789 takes impact January 1, 2024.
Introduced by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who serves on the State Librarian, the invoice acquired important help each within the House and Senate. The signing by Pritzker is not any shock, however it’s a welcome one and makes Illinois a frontrunner in addressing the continued rise of e-book bans.
“Here in Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth, we embrace it,” stated Governor JB Pritzker in a press launch. “Young people shouldn’t be kept from learning about the realities of our world; I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome, and thoughtful about what comes next. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in the books they read, the art they see, the history they learn. In Illinois, we are showing the nation what it really looks like to stand up for liberty.”
HB 2789 is exclusive in that it ties state funding for libraries to a written library invoice of rights. This may come within the type of ALA’s already-established tips or come by way of what could also be developed in a collaboration between State Librarian and State Library.
“I initiated this legislation to stand up and fight for libraries, librarians, and the freedom of speech – especially at this perilous time for our democracy,” stated Giannoulias. “The concept of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for. It also defies what education is all about: teaching our children to think for themselves. This landmark legislation is a triumph for our democracy, a win for First Amendment Rights, and a great victory for future generations.”
This isn’t the one pro-education, pro-library, and pro-literacy invoice signed by Pritzker this yr. In addition to making sure equal entry to books at public libraries, he despatched a letter to the College Board’s CEO demanding that the choice to take away sure elements of the Advanced Placement in African American Studies be returned to the textual content. The letter got here in response to the group selecting to take away passages deemed inappropriate by Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis and his state’s slate of censorship legal guidelines. Just this week, Pritzker joined a number of different state governors in demanding that textbook publishers not censor supplies within the wake of Republican stress to take action. Among the publishers who acquired the letter are Association of American Publishers, Cengage Learning, Goodheart-Willcox, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw Hill Education, Pearson, Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, Savvas Learning Co., Scholastic, and Teachers Curriculum Institute.
Pritzker’s funds for fiscal yr 2024 additionally consists of $1.6 million {dollars} to construct Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as a state-wide program. This would guarantee all kids from beginning to five would obtain high-quality books mailed to them for free of charge, irrespective of their revenue. Research has proven that books in a baby’s residence will increase their vocabulary, educational achievement, and extra.
“This announcement today is important for our democracy because it protects access, and as a former educator, I have seen firsthand what the lack of access means for our communities – access to voting rights, access to gender rights, access to health care, and access to fully funded schools,” stated Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We cannot continue turning the clock back on children who have already experienced decades of disinvestment, so I applaud this legislation, and stand in full support of this movement to continue providing access to the rich and dynamic cultures that our students and educators represent.”
Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, who was current at Chicago’s Herold Washington Library alongside Pritzker, Giannoulias, lawmakers, activists, educators, and extra, emphasised that such a signature indicators the state’s dedication to accepting, embracing, and inspiring all folks to be who they’re.
“I’m proud that our administration is standing in the gap for literary justice and equity by becoming the first state in the nation to prevent book banning, so that our children and communities can be represented, and have access to reading material that celebrates our diversity and uniqueness. Now more than ever, efforts to censor educational and social reading materials are on the rise, and we cannot let extreme views harm LGBTQ+ communities or BIPOC authors and readers, simply because of who they are or who they love.”
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