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California law beginning Jan. 1, 2025 prohibits libraries from banning books

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Published  December 15, 2024 5:34pm PST
California
FOX 11

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The Brief

    • California public libraries will have a harder time banning books beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
    • Illinois and Maryland passed similar laws this year. 
    • The American Library Association reports that 4,240 book titles were targeted for censorship nationwide in 2023.

LOS ANGELES - Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, public libraries in California are prohibited from banning books that deal with topics such as race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

AB 1825, also known as the Freedom To Read Act, also requires libraries to develop and make public a policy governing how library staff select, acquire and manage library materials. The policy must include a process for the public to challenge library materials.

Additionally, the new law will protect library staff from being fired or disciplined if they are following the policy when they make programming decisions or refuse to remove a book.

SUGGESTED: New California laws going into effect in 2025

Introduced by state Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) amid a series of high-profile battles across the U.S. over the right for children to access materials some parents questioned as inappropriate at public libraries, the bill will "ensure that Californians have access to books that offer diverse perspectives.

"Our freedom to read is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we need to defend the right of Californians to have access to books that offer diverse perspectives," said Muratsuchi in a statement following the bill's approval by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. "Unfortunately, there is a growing movement to ban books nationwide, including in California."

"Those diverse perspectives include books containing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQ and communities of color," Muratsuchi continued.

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According to the American Library Association (ALA), the number of reported book challenges in the United States increased 65 percent from 2022 to 2023, reaching the highest level documented by the ALA. 

The number of book titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, while school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers, the ALA reports.

The Source: This story was reported with information from the office of Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance).

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