Amanda Jones Discusses "That Librarian"
Join us for a discussion on That Librarian with celebrated author and librarian on the frontlines of the fight against book banning, Amanda Jones, and BPL’s own Chief Librarian Nick Higgins.
One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing.
Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns - funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians - in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But Amanda Jones wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance.
Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our freedom to read.
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Amanda Jones has been an educator for 22 years and is the President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, 2021 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year. Amanda is a sought-after keynote speaker at national and international conferences. Amanda co-founded the Livingston Parish Library Alliance to defeat censorship attempts in her community and is a founding member of the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, which fights against censorship efforts across the state. She lives in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
Nick Higgins is the Chief Librarian at Brooklyn Public Library in charge of public service across Brooklyn. Named a Librarian of the Year by Library Journal in 2023, he was instrumental in the creation of BPL’s Books Unbanned, a program providing teens nationwide, ages 13 to 21, access to Brooklyn Public Library’s entire digital collection. Over 7,000 teens from all 50 states have applied for a card.
