The Warren County Library Commission will take a vote at their November meeting to assure the county’s compliance with the New Jersey Freedom to Read Act.
The act was passed by the state legislature in December of 2024 and signed into law by former Gov. Phil Murphy. It takes effect at the beginning of 2027.
According to the state legislature website, the bill “ensures the rights of students, parents and communities to have free access to age-appropriate books and learning materials at schools and public libraries.” In addition, “Boards of education and governing boards of public libraries are prohibited from removing books or censoring materials based on viewpoint, idea, concept or offensive content unless the removal is to restrict developmentally inappropriate materials from certain age groups.”
The commission needs to create a committee to review any possible book challenges. Bell said the committee must include one member of the commission, one librarian, one non-librarian employee, one representative selected by the commission and one resident served by the library. There must be a minimum of five members, Bell added. He said he would recommend the category of library patron include more than one person.
Sandy Roberts of Blairstown, a founder of Warren County Freedom to Read and administrator of its Facebook page, told the commission she compared the county’s current policies and feels there is real work to do. She believes the collection development policy needs updating.
Roberts is concerned that there is only one more library commission meeting scheduled for this year. She said: “A policy this important deserves careful drafting and real public review.”
In a prepared statement, Roberts asked the commission to do three things: share its plan and timeline for these revisions as soon as possible, publish the draft policies before any vote and set aside time for public comment on those drafts.
Commission Chair Deborah Pasquarelli said action on the measure was not purposefully delayed and she feels they will have adequate time to implement policies. She also said she looks forward to Roberts’ helping the commission.
Over the past couple of years, members of the public, including Warren County Freedom to Read, were at odds with the Library Commission over a list of books supplied by a right-leaning group, Moms for Liberty, that listed “inappropriate” books, including some relating to the Holocaust that are required reading in this state. The list was not used by the county library.
On Policies
Clarification of insurance requirements is still being discussed.
The commission has discussed the insurance requirements in the past, but hasn’t cleared up every nuance.
Library Director Jill Butcher explained there are different requirements for the large meeting rooms in each of the four branches than for the small conference areas.
“We want all people who use the library to have access to the rooms,” she said. “We have good spaces in good locations and would like to see the public come back.” A meeting room policy was set in 2022 when some stipulations for use were removed. County departments still use the rooms for subcommittee meetings and training, among other uses.
Each of the four rooms has a different capacity, with the Southwest Branch being the largest. Small group meetings in the conference rooms don’t necessarily require the group using them to carry insurance. She cited the example of a professor giving a talk.
Bell said the insurance question came up after a senior citizens event. He will continue to research past policies for updates.
Commissioner Tammy Koop reported that the circulation policy is in compliance with the Pillar system which was formerly called MAIN. She said the commission could adopt it at the next meeting.
Pasquarelli and Commissioner Terrie McColl formed a subcommittee to research meeting room policy. Butcher drafts a proposal and submits it to the subcommittee.
Budget Matters
Pasquarelli and Commissioner Tammy Koop will serve as the subcommittee to prepare the next library budget, which will be presented to the County Commissioners in January.
The library is now working with Follett library software. After years of the county using Baker and Taylor, that company went out of business. The county had another vendor lined up, but they pulled out.
Follett primarily served school libraries, but is getting more into public libraries.
Assistant Library Director Matthew Rothfuss said the Baker and Taylor representative who worked with Warren County is now employed by Follett.
Bell reported to the commission that the large unused space at the rear of the Southwest Branch which the Friends of the Library group was hoping to use for storage is not appropriate for book storage. There is not a fire suppression system, and the county has other plans for the space.
Pasquarelli said the Friends should email Butcher with details of their needs. Commissioner Lisa Thomas suggested the space in the lower level of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Hope, which was used by the library in the past.
The next library commission meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Jane Primerano is a veteran journalist covering Warren County municipalities, agriculture, and historic preservation. Her work has appeared in New Jersey Monthly, New Jersey Farmer, and more. A past president of NJ Press Women and SPJ NJPro, she lives in Hope Village and enjoys music, singing with the Warren County Community Singers, reading, and the Jersey Shore.
- Jane Primerano, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/jane-primerano-contributing-writer/
- Jane Primerano, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/jane-primerano-contributing-writer/
- Jane Primerano, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/jane-primerano-contributing-writer/
- Jane Primerano, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/jane-primerano-contributing-writer/
