CLARK COUNTY, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — To start 2024, Illinois put 320 new laws and bans in place.
One of these was the book ban prohibition. This means that libraries that indiscriminately ban books will not be eligible for state funds.
Alyson Thompson is the library director at the Marshall Public Library, and she discusses one of the key principles this ban adopted.
“One of the things they required is the adoption of The American Library Association’s Freedom to Read policy. We have actually had that policy adopted for over 20 years, so we believe in the freedom of reading,” said Thompson.
This ban came into effect after the American Library Association reported that attempts to censor books reached an all-time high in 2022. Officials said that they are aware that information is more readily available now than it ever has been.
They said that they want to promote parents and guardians to take precautions before putting their kids in situations where they could see something they would not approve of. Ceili Boylan is the director of the Paris Carnegie Public Library, and she says despite that, it is hard to compare the power of reading.
“They have had troubles relating to people in face-to-face encounters, but they have found reading to be a great way at connecting to other people. That is really a big part of reading, connecting with others,” said Boylan.
Officials said, no matter how the landscape of libraries change, the freedom to read should never be taken for granted.
“We believe that the freedom to read is probably one of American’s greatest freedoms,” added Thompson.
This also protects the freedom of libraries to acquire materials without external limitations. Before this, Illinois did not provide these limitations.
