Banning Book Banning: Illinois Public Act 103-0100 and how this groundbreaking amendment to the Illinois Library System Act came to be
Headline, March 8, 2023: Giannoulias to Libraries: We’re United Against Banning Books. State’s Librarian vows to protect free speech, access to books
“Amid coordinated efforts throughout the nation to ban books from library shelves, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has drafted first-in-the-nation legislation designed to support public and school libraries and librarians as they face unprecedented censorship of books and resources in Illinois.” https://www.ilsos.gov/news/2023/march/230308d1.pdf
Did you know that Illinois is the first—and, at the moment, only–state to legally preclude a library from obtaining state grants if it censors its materials? That legislation, passed into law last June and effective as of January 1, 2024, amends the Illinois Library System Act to prohibit the practice of banning specific books or resources.
Do you want to find out HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN? Join us at noon on Wednesday, January 24 for a panel featuring the movers-and-shakers behind House Bill 2789: the two legislators who became the original co-sponsors of the bill and the librarians who helped draft the legislation. The focus of our conversation will be on the origin, development, and ultimate passage of this historic and important enactment.
Presenters:
The Legislators:
Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) represents Illinois’s 28th Senate District and was the Chief Senate Sponsor of HB2789. Senator Murphy has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Illinois State University and has over two decades of experience in health care and social services management.
Representative Anne Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove), serving Illinois’s 81st District, sponsored HB2789 in the Illinois House of Representatives after a school board in her district was subject to pressure to ban certain content from school libraries. Rep. Stava-Murray graduated from Dartmouth College and was the former commissioner on the Naperville Board of Fire and Police.
The Librarians:
Cyndi Robinson is the Executive Director of the Illinois Library Association. As well as her work with Illinois libraries, Cyndi is also involved on the national level, particularly on intellectual freedom advocacy. Cyndi has a BA in History from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Library and Information Science from Dominican University.
Carolyn Kinsella is the Executive Secretary for the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) and a retired high school librarian. Carolyn worked closely with the Illinois Secretary of State’s staff to draft HB2789, and, with AISLE, collaborates with other organizations to support libraries facing book bans.
When: Wednesday, January 24th, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: At your desk via Zoom. Registrants will receive webinar details prior to the program.
Video Recording: Video is available here.
