Massachusetts bill targets book bans

BOSTON — A bill making its way through the Massachusetts legislature would block efforts to ban books from school and public libraries.

Lawmakers of the Joint Committee on Education heard testimony from advocates and opponents of “An Act regarding free expression,” which would prevent the removal of books from school libraries except after review by a “committee of school personnel and the superintendent.” The book could then be removed only if the committee finds that “the material is devoid of any educational, literary, artistic or social value or is not age appropriate for any children who attend the school.”

The effort to effectively ban book banning in Bay State schools comes as several states grapple with efforts by parents and activists to control which literary materials are available at school libraries and in classrooms. According to the American Library Association, thousands of complaints against hundreds of different titles were lodged in 2023.

Those working to stop books from being removed from libraries say the majority of challenged books are those written by or concerning particular segments of the population, demonstrating a political motive behind the challenges.

Those in favor of allowing challenges to the reading material available to children say they are simply working to protect them from exposure to pornographic literature and images, and that it’s the right of parents to control what their children read and see.

James Edgerly, of Burlington, told the committee the bill would exacerbate a problem of parents abandoning the state’s public school systems due to an “atmosphere of hostility to parental authority and pro-family values within the school system.”