Because the State has a financial responsibility in promoting public education, and because the public library is a vital agency serving all levels of the educational process, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to encourage the improvement of free public libraries and to encourage cooperation among all types of libraries in promoting the sharing of library resources, including digital resources. In keeping with this policy, provision is hereby made for a program of State grants designed to establish, develop and operate a network of library systems covering the entire State.
     It is further declared to be the policy of the State to encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.