HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) — There’s a movement happening in New Jersey, to prevent the banning of books, and it’s thanks to one woman who created the first book sanctuary in the state.
Hoboken Public Library Director Jennie Pu is that visionary, starting the library’s book sanctuary a year ago, which has now sparked more than 30 other public libraries that have followed her lead.
The controversial books sit prominently on the second-floor shelves of the Hoboken Public Library, but in other parts of the country, titles like these are being banned.
“We have had some pressure, but I can tell you with certainty almost all of it has originated outside our community,” Pu said.
The mission of the book sanctuary is to offer a place where titles that have been criticized because of their content are all welcome.
“What this means, it tells me that our communities here in New Jersey believe in the freedom to read. They believe that only you should be able to decide what you want to read for yourself and family,” Pu said.
The library was the first in the state to create such a safe place for books that have been targeted because they deal with issues of race, gender, and cultural identity. The safe space for books is spreading in the state.
“To date we have 39 book sanctuary libraries throughout New Jersey,” Pu said.
Earlier this week, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Freedom to Read Act. It will prevent book bans in the state.
“Our children deserve the chance to see different examples of love, faith and cultural expression in the books they read,” the governor said. “And more than anything, our children deserve every opportunity to cultivate their intellectual curiosity and discover what they are passionate about. This legislation will help every family get what they need out of our libraries, and it will help us be kinder and more civil in doing so.”
As the number of banned books grows in other state’s, New Jersey is part of the book sanctuary movement.
“We’ve had so much interest from people coming in and asking, ‘why is this book being banned?’ And then we can have a discussion, people can learn about that it’s really an education,” Pu said.
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