Starting January 1, 2024, Illinois public libraries will be required to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom or risk losing state funding. This groundbreaking law, signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker, makes Illinois the first state in the nation to ban book bans.

The legislation mandates that libraries either formally adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or establish a comparable policy ensuring that materials are not excluded due to the viewpoints or backgrounds of their creators. This move comes as a direct response to the increasing trend of book challenges and censorship across the country.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a key advocate for the bill, emphasized that the law is not about dictating which books should be in every library. Rather, it aims to empower librarians, with their professional expertise and training, to curate collections that serve the diverse needs of their communities.

This legislation addresses a critical issue highlighted by the American Library Association, which reported a 20-year high in book censorship attempts in 2022, double the previous year's record. These challenges disproportionately target books with LGBTQ+ themes or those written by authors of color.

The impetus for this legislation arose from local incidents of censorship, including pressure on a school board in Representative Anne Stava-Murray's district to ban certain materials from school libraries. Stava-Murray, a Democrat from Downers Grove, championed the bill in the Illinois House, arguing against the weaponization of local government to impose narrow viewpoints on entire communities.

Despite being framed as a non-partisan issue, the bill faced opposition from Republican lawmakers who expressed concerns about local control. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, while stating his opposition to book bans, emphasized the importance of considering content when determining the placement of books within libraries. This difference in opinion highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the balance between intellectual freedom and community standards in public library collections.