With book-banning attempts on the rise nationwide, Massachusetts legislators are working to strengthen protections for school and public libraries with “An Act Regarding Free Expression.”
In November, the state Senate voted 35-3 to advance the bill (S.2726), which will now be discussed by the House Committee on Ways and Means. State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which brought the legislation forward, said the bill would provide clear guidelines on how, when and why materials can be removed from libraries.
“This has been an issue I have heard about from constituents since President Trump took office,” Comerford said. “I heard from librarians, I heard from educators and I heard from authors that they wanted protection for freedom of expression. … ‘An Act Regarding Free Expression’ is that protection.”
The bill states that no material can be removed for “personal, political or doctrinal views or bias.” At schools, library collections must be developed by a licensed librarian guided by a policy in accordance with American Library Association standards. Students, parents, guardians and other community members can still express concern or challenge materials they feel are “devoid of any educational, literary, artistic, personal or social value” or that are “not age-appropriate for any child who attends the school.” Those materials will then be reviewed at a public hearing by a committee of school personnel.
Similarly, at public libraries, collections must be developed with the guidance of a policy. Challenges to materials in these libraries can be submitted by residents of the city or town where the library is located through a petition to the superior court, which would be reviewed by the board of trustees for the library.
North Quabbin
In Athol, Public Library Director Jean Shaughnessy said the library has not dealt with book bannings and described the community as generally accepting.
“We’ve had some materials questioned over the last 50 years,” Shaughnessy said, “but we managed to give a valid reason, and that was accepted.”
Shaughnessy said she views the legislation as a positive step and described the library as having been fortunate in its experience so far.
At the Phinehas S. Newton Library in Royalston, Director Kathy Morris said the library has not faced any formal complaints, though community members have occasionally commented on materials.
“We’ve had people surprised, but pleasantly surprised, by things in the library,” Morris said.
She recalled one minor instance in which a community member raised concerns about a book cover they found “objectionable,” but said the individual did not pursue further action and simply wanted the concern noted.
Morris said the library has procedures in place for handling concerns. Community members can file a formal complaint, which would be reviewed by the library’s trustees. She said the library also follows a collection development policy that guides how materials are selected.
“Because this has been going on for quite some time, there’s been a lot of discussion amongst libraries about how to handle situations like this,” Morris said.
Beals Memorial Library Director Manuel King said Winchendon has similarly not dealt with any book banning and expressed support for the law’s intent.
“The Beals is in full support of any kind of legislation that restricts censorship,” King said.
Franklin County
Anna Bognolo, director of the Greenfield Public Library, said libraries already have policies for collection development and removal of materials, guided by data and the expertise of credentialed librarians.
“It’s pretty standard across libraries, and one of the important things about going to library school or taking some sort of library training is you learn about collection development policies,” Bognolo said. “Almost every library has a collection development policy, and we’ve all borrowed each other’s and adapted it to our own unique need, and the American Library Association has templates that we can use. It’s pretty standard.”
The materials that libraries select for their shelves are guided by borrowing data and what is being put out by the publishing industry. If borrowers are taking home a lot of mysteries, the library will grow its mystery collection, and if the publishing industry is releasing a lot more romance books, libraries will fill their “new release” shelves with romance.
“Our data really drives the decisions we make in terms of what we get for our purchases for our collection, but it’s also depending on what the publishing industry is putting out,” Bognolo said. “We really think long and hard and look at the data so we can respond to the needs of our community. … We’re not in the business of censoring.”
In a joint statement, the librarians of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District said they also look at borrowing data and what books are being published, and consider the district’s curriculum and what materials are appropriate for different age levels, when selecting material for their libraries.
“Our job as librarians is to make available a breadth and depth of content that will enhance the growth of our students,” the statement reads. “The MTRSD community is incredibly supportive of our school libraries. Very rarely do we have someone come forward with concerns, and we have not received a formal complaint in over 20 years. With that being said, we have had families come forward with concerns about particular content and have shared informal conversations on why the content is a part of the collection.”
“Any time we rely on the decisions of fully credentialed librarians, we are on the right track,” added Patricia Kinsella, superintendent of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District. “Our librarians are weeding constantly to ensure our collection is up to date with the curriculum.”
She noted that in the five years she has been with the school district, no library materials have been challenged.
Bognolo said the Greenfield Public Library also rarely sees formal challenges to materials. Residents will occasionally reach out with a concern, but library staff members are usually able to address those concerns and explain why a certain item is available. For example, she said people will occasionally reach out to say they do not like that there are computers in the Children’s Room. But after hearing that the library is committed to providing access to technology, and that for some children, the library is the only place they can access the internet, they tend to understand, Bognolo said.
While Massachusetts libraries generally have collection policies and rarely see materials challenged, Bognolo said the bill is a legislative statement supporting the idea that libraries should be run by librarians.
“This bill is saying that we are the experts, we are the professionals in our field, and we hope that our community trusts us to make decisions that are carefully thought through, but also equitable and fair,” Bognolo said.
According to a report from PEN America, there were 6,870 book bans recorded during the 2024-2025 school year across 23 states and 87 public school districts, and since 2021, there have been a total of 22,810 recorded book bans.
“In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country,” the PEN report states.
The Mohawk Trail librarians noted that they support provisions of the bill that protect librarians from facing disciplinary action when books they select are challenged.
“Having universal school library and public library policies creates equity across the commonwealth. At the very least, this legislation makes it so that educators are less vulnerable to ‘adverse employment action,'” they wrote.
The bill also includes provisions that materials must be reviewed “as a whole,” so challengers cannot nitpick certain words included in the material. The provision, brought forth by Comerford, aims to protect authors and their works.
“This is a statement that goes to free speech and free expression at large,” Comerford said. “We’re pushing back against those looking to undermine free expression. … We’re keeping our people safe and their rights intact with real guardrails.”
“Libraries are a resource for everyone. They offer an opportunity for people to see themselves represented, to expand their knowledge about the world and to gain compassion for the lives of others,” Colrain Central School Librarian Talia Miller said. “Libraries also are an amazing place to learn and grow. We’re all professionals who take our jobs seriously, and it feels good to know that our work is valued and supported at the state level.”
