Title 29Libraries

Title 29Libraries

CHAPTER 9The Freedom to Read Act

R.I. Gen. Laws § 29-9-2

§ 29-9-2. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(1) “Censor” or “censorship” means to suppress, restrict, remove, or prohibit acquiring, library material on the basis of disagreement with the material’s origin, background, views, ideas, concepts, or identity of those contributing to its creation including, but not limited to, race, gender, sexuality, religious, or political views, but excludes content that is deemed developmentally inappropriate and provided further, excludes content:

(i) That the average person, applying contemporary standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;

(ii) That the work, taken as a whole, clearly depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; and

(iii) That the work, taken as a whole, clearly lacks serious literary, artistic, educational, political, or scientific value.

(2) “Developmentally inappropriate” means the material is not structured to account for a child’s age, and is misaligned with the cognitive, emotional, or social development of the intended age group as informed by standards and guidance from the American Library Association (ALA) or any other similar well recognized and established educational or developmental authority.

(3) “Government actor” means a member of a government body with voting authority.

(4) “Government body” means any government decision-making body or governing body, such as a library board or school board, that exercises authority over the purchasing, selection, curation, and location of library materials at the state or municipal levels, including a library board of trustees as provided for in § 29-4-5 and a school committee as provided for in § 16-2-9.

(5) “Individual with a vested interest in the public library” means any resident who is served by the public library and resides in the municipality where the library is situated.

(6) “Individual with a vested interest in the school library” means any teaching staff member employed by the school district, any parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school at the time the removal form is filed, and any student enrolled in the school at the time the removal form is filed.

(7) “Librarian” means a professionally trained employee who is responsible for the purchase, selection, curation, removal, and display of library materials.

(8) “Library material” means any material including, but not limited to, books, videos, subscription or locally curated databases, audio materials, government documents, interactive applications and software, and all other similar materials, whether tangible or in electronic form belonging to, on loan to, or otherwise in the custody of the public library or other material not required as part of classroom instruction.

(9) “Public library” means a library in a city or town that has been designated by the city or town council or town financial meeting as a library to provide library services to all individuals residing in the city or town.

(10) “Reconsideration” means a request to reclassify, move to a different section of the library, or remove an item in the library’s collection.

History of Section.P.L. 2025, ch. 415, § 1, effective July 2, 2025; P.L. 2025, ch. 416, § 1, effective July 2, 2025.