(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“We are just collateral damage to them in their quest, and so are the students who do not fit into the mold of what they deem acceptable which is white, straight Christians. I pray for the hate, lies, and attacks to end for the sake of our profession, my friends, and our marginalized community members, but the haters just keep spewing their hate.”
On July 19, 2022, librarian Amanda Jones spoke against book banning and censorship at a Livingston Parish Library Board meeting. She wanted to advocate for children and those from marginalized sectors such as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth. Little did she know that the meeting would change her life, physically, mentally and emotionally. Jones relates her ordeal and the threats that libraries face all over the nation in her memoir, That Librarian.
She has lived in her small Louisiana town her entire life, but soon after that speech, she received death threats accusing her of acts such as teaching eleven-year-olds about anal sex and giving erotica to six- year- olds. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
She filed an unsuccessful anti-defamation lawsuit against members of Citizens for a New Louisiana, a book-banning group, who spread these lies through social media. This was to regain control over her life and take back her reputation.
What I particularly appreciated was her honesty. I could feel her pain throughout the book. Those who she thought were her friends, turned against her. However, she did find support through fellow librarians throughout the country.
I also appreciate that Jones gives advice on how other librarians can fight censorship, and online bullying. Her 2022 speech that started all of this is included at the end of the book. You will be astonished on how this speech promoting love and inclusion, could have been met with such hate from those espousing to be devout Christians, like herself.
Jones could have simply recoiled and given up, just to make her life bearable. Instead, she chose to fight for what is just and right—racism and homophobia. Amanda Jones is a true hero, and we can learn a lot from her. A must-read!
