Maryland’s ‘Freedom to Read’ act bans book censorship in libraries, bolsters rights amid national debate

ANNAPOLIS – A new Maryland law puts an end to book bans within library systems that receive money from the state.

Governor Wes Moore just put pen to paper on the “Freedom to Read” act on Thursday.

“What we’re seeing in the state of Maryland but also nationwide is an unprecedented attempt to censor materials,” Baltimore County Public Library Chief Executive Officer Sonia Alcantara-Antoine said.

The law states material may not be excluded or removed from a school library because of the origin, background or views of the author and not for partisan, ideological or religious disapproval either. 

It also calls for school systems to create a procedure to review titles that may be challenged but must remain available on the shelves during the process. 

The legislation adds protections against retaliation for library staff who follow the law. 

A violation of the law could lead to loss of state funding. 

The law comes to light as Maryland libraries report seeing a 130 percent increase in formal challenges in their collections since 2019, according to the Maryland State Library Agency. 

“I love reading and I would hope that many others who do love reading would not want to ban any books,” a local teacher said. 

Some boards of education across the state already put policies in place to restrict student access to certain books. 

Earlier this year, Carroll County’s Board of Education unanimously made a decision to define what “sexually explicit content” will not be allowed within instructional material.

The decision to change the book selection process follows a push from some parents to remove certain titles last year.

The bulk of the challenges came from members of the “parental rights” organization, Moms for Liberty.

The school district and the group have yet to respond with a statement about the new law. 

“Libraries don’t tell people how to think. Instead, libraries provide access to a marketplace of ideas and information so that people can think for themselves,” Alcantara-Antoine said.

You can read the full act here.