In July of 2022, Louisiana school librarian Amanda Jones attended a meeting of her local library board and spoke out against attempts to remove books from her local public library system.
“No one on the right side of history has ever been on the side of censorship and hiding books,” Jones told board members that day. “In the words of author Stephen Chbosky: ‘Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.’”
Following her comments, Jones became the subject of a hate campaign that drew national attention and sent her life into a tailspin as extremists began targeting her and her family. In a new book being released this week, Jones tells the story of how she fought back against critics and led the charge against censorship in the courtroom and across the country.
That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America is a timely look at an issue that has dominated headlines across the country. Jones offers a front-row seat to her panic at being labeled a “groomer” — and worse — and she recounts the range of emotions she felt as she was being vilified on social media. Jones deftly explains how librarians work and their mission to serve a wide range of patrons. She attacks the myths and misinformation that have fueled much of the current debate, and she even looks back at the authors who inspired her love of books and reading.
The memoir often feels repetitive, and the tone is casual and at times aggressive. Rather than panning out to put her experience in the context of book bans across the country, Jones focuses on the personal attacks she endured and her disappointment when some friends and colleagues refused to offer public support. A much stronger portion of the story is when Jones realizes that her school’s library was not diverse enough, and how she sought to add more books with LGBTQ characters and people of color.
All in all, Jones’ memoir is an important and worthwhile read by a passionate librarian who refuses to back down.
