[3.5] This passionate memoir/manifesto about an incredibly timely topic is loaded with personal drama, intriguing insights and annoying repetition. Had a disciplined editor pruned a quarter of the verbiage by tossing out many redundant anecdotes and examples, “That Librarian” would have earned 4.5 stars.

The repetition aside, Jones casts a revealing spotlight on the contentious issues swirling around book bans, including the debate over the “parental rights movement” and “soft censorship” (the tendency to block or limit access to material to avoid controversy.)

I finished the book with a better understanding of how school libraries operate and a new appreciation for the challenges that face many librarians across the nation. As a communications professor who teaches a college-level media literacy course almost every semester, Jones’ experiences will likely fuel lively discussion when we discuss book bans. ( )

In That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, middle school librarian Amanda Jones describes the vitriol she received from online trolls and fascists following her speech before a public library board defending patrons’ freedom to read in the face of censorship campaigns. Unfortunately, her innocuous statement made her a _target from her local hate mob, resulting in defamation, slander, and threats. Her efforts to defend her reputation both in the public sphere, in her professional life, and in the courts became an uphill battle.

Jones discusses the importance of this battle in our current political climate. She writes, “Libraries and intellectual freedom go hand in hand, and I feel that it's important to point out policies and procedures already in place and how they work, which is what I did when I spoke at our public library board meeting” (p. 54). Further, “Speaking out against censorship means reiterating library policy and reminding the public that libraries are for everyone and that everyone in the community deserves the right to see themselves in the books at their local library” (p. 54). In light of that, Jones cautions that “The current wave of book banning sweeping the country has created a chilling effect on our education system and the purchasing of books in our libraries, the effects of which will be seen for decades even if we somehow get it under control in the next year” (p. 60).

Of the public defamation and ensuing trial resulting from Ryan Thames and Michael Lunsford’s perpetual abuse, Jones writes, “These people set out to destroy me, but they woke something up inside me that I hope never dies. The court labeled me a public figure and their lawyers called me an activist when I was just a school librarian. I figure if people are going to label me an activist, I might as well act like one and show them what I'm made of- grit and perseverance” (p. 102). Jones continues, “It was odd when the haters initially called me an activist. Before they decided to bother me, I was just living my little librarian life in my little hometown… I figured if they wanted to call me an activist, and I was being given a platform on a national stage, I might as well pick up the gauntlet” (p. 126).

Jones summarizes the role of our media landscape, both traditional media and online social media, in fueling the vitriol of the American landscape. She writes, “Our society is devolving into one of hatred and intolerance, and politicians and talk show hosts posing as news anchors are dividing our country” (p. 182). Describing Moms for Liberty, Jones writes, “As a parent myself, I understand wanting what is best for my child and the desire to raise her the way I see fit, but that doesn't give me the right to force my views on other people's children” (p. 186). She points out how these groups serve the white Christian nationalist movement, writing, “As a movement, their ultimate goal is to do away with democracy and institute forms of governance and institutions that take their cue from the Bible as they interpret it. Libraries, books, and our public school system are steps along the way” (p. 198).

Jones concludes, “It doesn't seem like the book banners, the alt-right, and the white Christian nationalists are interested in being educated. Education is about knowledge, facts, truth, and what they're pushing isn't about these things. What they stand behind is really a belief system, which happens to be profoundly undemocratic and exclusionary” (p. 218). She did not seek this fight, but Jones now embraces her role as “that librarian” to defend intellectual freedom and patrons’ rights in Louisiana as well as throughout the U.S. ( )

Read for an AISLE book study, Amanda Jones talks about her experience being attacked after speaking at a public library board meeting as an advocate for access to materials. She filed a subsequent slander suit and faced scrutiny within the community where she was a lifelong resident and worked. ( )

Amemoir by a middle school librarian from Louisiana who fought censorship.

After speaking up against censorship at her local public library board meeting in Livingston, Louisiana, in 2022, Jones, the former president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, began receiving threatening emails and attacks via social media. In response, she filed a defamation lawsuit against the two men she contends were at the center of those attacks. “I chose to take a stand, and that decision changed the trajectory of my life. I chose to fight back,” she writes. “It was a hard decision that I did not take lightly. It has taken an emotional, physical, and mental toll on me and my family.” Nonetheless, she notes, “I have zero regrets.” In this straightforward narrative, Jones shares her point of view, details her experiences, including the status of her lawsuit, and offers advice to other librarians who may find themselves in similar situations. At the end of the book, she includes the transcript of the speech she gave at the board meeting. At times, Jones’s narrative is repetitive, and her raw anger often detracts from her intended message and “newfound purpose…to inspire and support others like me.” She acknowledges that she has “wrestled with how much is too much when describing these people and the hatred I’ve felt, and sometimes still feel, about them.” Despite a few flaws, she offers sound advice about how individuals from a variety of viewpoints can better educate themselves regarding library content, purchasing processes, and reconsideration policies. Ultimately, she writes, “everyone in the United States should stand up for intellectual freedom and stand against censorship, regardless of party line. You start banning one thing, and you’re on a slippery slope to banning everything.”

A useful book for readers interested in better understanding a persistent problem.

-Kirkus Review

I, quite appropriately, borrowed this from my local library.

That Librarian reveals the disturbing, personal nature of the current attacks on LGBTQ and BOPOC books in libraries. It's about censorship, and the importance of books, and the emotional toll this kind of fight takes. This is a necessary book for librarians, Friends of the Libraries, teachers, and book lovers. I will note that it begins to feel repetitive through the middle; it would have been stronger with a lower word count, I think, but it's well worth muddling through for the hopeful ending and advice for other people and organizations amid similar fights. ( )