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Description
“Amanda Jones started getting death threats, all for standing up for our right to read . . . but she's not stopped fighting against book bans, or stopped advocating for access to diverse stories.”-Oprah Winfrey, in a speech at the 2023 National Book Awards
Part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of our vicious culture wars.
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.
Amanda Jones has been called a groomer, a pedo, and a porn-pusher; she has faced death threats and attacks from strangers and friends alike. 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 readers.
Product details
| Published | 21 Nov 2024 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 288 |
| ISBN | 9781639733538 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Illustrations | b&w images throughout |
| Dimensions | 235 x 156 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Amanda has never wavered on her commitment to free speech and education. She has become a national voice for intellectual freedom and democracy, receiving awards from both the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians in 2023. And last year, she published a powerful memoir . . . She is beyond deserving of wider recognition.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Time100 Next
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One of the most absorbing books I've read this year.
Margaret Renkl
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An important and engrossing story.
The Washington Post
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A testament to the power of fighting back against hate speech and political extremism.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Really important . . . a fantastic book.
Ann Patchett
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A full-throated defense of the freedom to read, to discover, and to think.
California Review of Books

























