On Jan. 1, 2024, Illinois House Bill 2789 will go into effect, preventing the removal of material from state-funded libraries due to religious or partisan disapproval.
The state law is the first of its kind in the country, making Illinois the only state so far to pass legislation against the rising trend of book banning across the country.
According to Pen America, there were 3,362 instances of book bans in the U.S. over the 2022-23 school year from public school libraries, a 33% increase from the year prior.
The banning stems from parent groups who aim to remove what they deem inappropriate material for children in school. However, the bans have been found to disproportionately target female, minority and LGBTQ+ authors.
Data collected by Pen America shows that the most frequently banned titles are “largely young adult novels featuring female, queer, and/or nonbinary protagonists.”
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“All Illinoisans deserve to see themselves reflected in the books that they read, the art that they see (and) the history they learn,” said Gov. JB Pritzker at the signing of the bill back in June.
Libraries that do not adhere to the new law will not be eligible for state funding.
