Legislation requiring school districts to ensure their libraries provide students access to an array of age-appropriate reading materials has been introduced in the state senate.
State Senator Rachel May’s Freedom to Read Act aims to keep books available to students that may be viewed as having contentious subject matter, such as works with LGBTQ themes or discussions on slavery and race relations.
Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell will introduce companion legislation in the assembly.
“With our rich diversity and our commitment to free expression in New York State, we must ensure students have access to a broad range of materials to let them pursue a love of learning and reading. My bill, the Freedom to Read Act, ensures that students have access to many perspectives that can enrich their minds and broaden their perspectives. Whether they embrace or reject those perspectives, the opportunity to explore challenging ideas is valuable to students’ development as learners and as active participants in our society,” said Senator Rachel May.
Assembly Member O’Donnell said, “I am proud to carry the Freedom to Read act in the Assembly and support a diversity of reading materials for all students in New York. It is important for all New York students to have access to a broad range of stories in their school libraries. We should not shy away from historically important reading material just because a topic requires thought and discussion, and students from different backgrounds should not be prohibited from reading historical materials that reflect their own families. As other states across the country try and silence stories about LGBTQ people, civil rights leaders, and more, New York State should make it clear that we welcome stories that reflect the true diversity of our world.”
