Andrew Zwicker talked about high school librarian Martha Hickson.

The long-time librarian at North Hunterdon High School has faced what Zwicker called “unimaginable harassment” from a “small vocal minority” just for doing her job.

Up until recently, being a librarian in either a school or a town library was not a stressful or dangerous position.

But the “small vocal minority” state Sen. Zwicker refers to has made school library books a hot political issue – not only in New Jersey, but across the nation.

Calls to remove books that critics call “pornographic” and “obscene” have caused passionate debate at school board meetings. – and beyond.

Hickson has talked about getting harassed at home and online.

This prompted what sponsors call the Freedom to Read act, which passed the Democratic-controlled state Senate on Monday. Hickson was on hand in Trenton to see it happen.

The bill had previously passed the Assembly. So, now it goes to Gov. Murphy.

The bill directs libraries to offer a wide variety of books and not to exclude material simply because it is controversial or may offend someone.

This is pretty open-ended, because it suggests that books opposed by both liberals and conservatives should be included.

The part of the bill that has drawn the most criticism is a section that gives librarians immunity from civil or criminal liability for doing their jobs in “good faith.”

In short that means a librarian like Hickson can not be sued because of the books her library houses.

Such Republican critics as state Sens. Mike Testa and Joe Pennacchio said the immunity aspect of the bill will protect librarians who distribute porn to kids.

This really is the core of the matter.

Zwicker and other supporters say books in school librarians are not porn, although some in high school may be sexually explicit.

Zwicker, in fact. said that nationwide the majority of books people seek to remove are those dealing with gays and minorities.

Here in New Jersey, one of the books facing criticism is “This Book is Gay.”

It is described as a “manual to all areas of life as an LGBT person.”

Opponents say it is obscene.

Supporters of the book contend it is not and they also say that as a library book, it is only available to students who want it.

As Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart observed about 60 years ago, he can’t define obscenity, but he knows it, “when I see it.”

Clearly, obscenity and porn are in the eyes of the beholder, which buttresses Zwicker’s overall point and the intent of the bill.

If parents think a book is obscene, make sure your kids do not read it.

But don’t try to enforce your standards on anyone else.