After Public Comments, Hoboken Council Approves 'Book Sanctuary City' Declaration

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken City Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday night to declare Hoboken the first New Jersey municipality to become a Book Sanctuary City, an initiative that started in Chicago in response to "increasing censorship and return of book bans."

The resolution was approved by the Library Board of Trustees last month, then sponsored at the council level by Council President Emily Jabbour and Councilman Phil Cohen.

Book banning has made news across the country for the last few years. Last year, one Florida county banned five books from its high schools, saying they didn't meet state standards. They included "Push," the basis for the movie "Precious," about an abused teen.

At the meeting, Hoboken Library Director Jennie Pu said the resolution was meant to show solidarity with libraries across the country, amid an increase in book banning.

Several members of the public and council members spoke about the resolution, some saying that it's often books about marginalized groups that are under fire.

3rd Ward Council candidate Ed Reep said he supported the resolution but thought there should be several amendments.

He noted that the resolution was said to be about all books, but that there were "common sense standards" that had to apply. He noted that Amazon had removed a book, after the Oklahoma City bombing, that they believed promoted violence. He also said there should be a clarification about whether the resolution was meant to be about public libraries or school libraries.

After another member of the public noted that homeless residents use the library, Library Board member Jerome Abernathy said that the library was the most "egalitarian" place in the city, open to anyone from the community.

Almost all of the council members weighed in on the resolution, and all of those spoke in favor.

Councilman Joe Quintero said that society has "operated under this idea that typically it's a white, male, cisgender, straight, that's the norm. We're a much more complicated species than that. ...We're coming to realize that that's ok. We need to stand up and say to everyone out loud that that's ok because those who are then different feel the courage to stand up." He said that this reality "scares the heck out of a lot of people, but that's okay too."

Councilman Michael DeFusco, the city's first openly gay councilman, said that growing up before the internet, he didn't have anywhere to look to understand what he was experiencing. He said he took "great comfort" in the library, although there weren't a lot of books in "Republican Monmouth County" to find. He said he found a book about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

He said he hadn't intended to speak on the matter, but spoke from the heart.

Councilman Michael Russo, a lifelong Hoboken resident, said he was proud of his city, because he'd never had to vote on such a matter in 48 years. "Hoboken was always a welcoming and loving community my entire life," he said. "We may understand things differently, but in Hoboken, over the last 48 years of my life...we were able to hear each other and live with each other and welcome each other and love each other no matter what."

Councilman Ruben Ramos said he wasn't going to repeat what everyone else said, but that one never knows what another person is going through. He said it's important to follow one rule: "Don't be an a-hole."

You can watch the meeting here.

City Council President Jabbour had sent out this release about the Book Sanctuary vote:

Council Release:

Initiated by Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees, this movement started in 2022 in Chicago as a response to the increasing censorship and return of book bans. This vote by the Hoboken City Council follows unanimous support for a similar resolution that was passed by the Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees on August 22.

It is critically important that the City of Hoboken stands proudly in support of this initiative because many of these bans seek to silence the voices of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community – which runs counter to the declaration that Hoboken is a “Fair and Welcoming City.” We stand together to jointly support and adopt the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement and will continue to support community events that celebrate endangered books and encourage critical discussion of censored stories – such as this past June’s Banned Book Read-A-Thon and the ongoing support for diverse books at our Little Free Library locations across the City.

Emily Jabbour, Hoboken City Council President comments: “It is more important than ever that communities acknowledge the need to establish safe spaces to tell and share stories that are being censored around the country – most often the stories of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. I am proud to stand with the Hoboken Public Library and the incredible work that they have done under the leadership of Director Jennie Pu to bring awareness to this issue, starting with the successful Banned Book Read-A-Thon in June and now with this initiative that will declare Hoboken as the first Book Sanctuary City in the state of New Jersey.”

"Hoboken's rich history and vibrant community make it the perfect place for a Book Sanctuary," said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. "In establishing this haven for books, we not only honor the city's diversity, but also champion unrestricted thinking and the unrestricted exchange of knowledge. I encourage the Hoboken City Council to adopt this resolution to make Hoboken a refuge where books that may be prohibited in other places can be readily embraced by those who seek them."

“I proudly stand with the Hoboken Public Library’s Board of Trustees in support of establishing the Hoboken Public Library as a Book Sanctuary for banned books,” said Councilperson Phil Cohen. “I hope other New Jersey governing bodies join Hoboken and Chicago to support their libraries as part of the “Read-sistance,” establishing more safe spaces for censored stories, just as Hoboken’s governing body stands with our Library in support of its Banned Book Read-A-Thon last June.”

To Watch The Meeting

• You can watch the meeting on the city's Facebook page, or watch on YouTube.
• See the agenda and the packet of documents that go with the agenda here.