“We should ALL want the freedom to read what we want and have access to reading materials from a variety of viewpoints. Protecting our libraries is exactly how we do that. The attack on librarians and libraries is shameful and something everyone should fear.” (p. 11)
Amanda Jones, who wrote that belief in That Librarian, tells the story of how her life was upended when she ran afoul of a local group called Citizens for a New Louisiana–part of a far-right, nationwide movement that targets authors, books, librarians and institutions considered too liberal, too permissive, and too inclusive.
Thousands of books have been banned in the United States as schools and libraries are under attack by conservative groups. Amanda Jones found herself the target of a brutal and vicious social media campaign that accused her of grooming perverts and pedophilia, of encouraging children to engage in anal sex, and encouraging gender changes. Amanda Jones was attacked by neighbors she had known for years and had once considered friends. Parents of children Amanda had taught brought accusations that she was threatening their children with dangerous books.
The allegations were false, but that didn’t matter to the hostile groups. Amanda’s long record of dedicated public service, deep community ties, and Christian affiliation provided no protection, either as the attacks against her and the books she defended increased. Jones experienced such anxiety, depression, and fear that she needed a leave of absence from the job she loved. Her family suffered from the angry phone calls. Amanda Jones received death threats. Jones considered retreating from public view, but she chose to defend her reputation and stand for the principles she believed in by confronting the forces trying to drive her into hiding.
Along with filing a defamation lawsuit, Amanda Jones organized other librarians across the country by networking and defending books these malicious groups seek to ban. We all should protect the value of information, free inquiry, and the libraries that provide them. That Librarian is a moving story of a woman standing up for freedom. Very moving! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Liars and buzzards and trolls, oh my — 1
How we got here — 20
Here, there, everywhere — 39
WWJ: What would Judy do? — 61
(Wo)man in the mirror — 78
Hell hath no fury like a librarian scorned — 91
The battle begins : initial court proceedings — 103
Are you there Michelle? It’s me, Amanda : it’s hard to go high when the haters go so low — 123
The mob song — 135
Some people are ride or die, some people aren’t — 147
The longevity of hate — 167
Think of the children — 184
It’s raining sin, Hallelujah — 202
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times — 215
What you can do in your own community — 234
Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle — 248
My July 19, 2022, speech to the Livingston Parish Library Board of Control — 255
Acknowledgments — 259
Bibliography — 263
Sadly, I expect more of this in the future (regardless of who wins the election, but especially if Trump wins). Some people are fueled by hatred…and hate (particularly of the self-righteous/self-congratulatory variety) can be very addictive.
Deb, you’re right about a lot of hate online and in the political sphere. It may be addictive, but I suspect it’s also self-destructive in the long run.
What Deb said.
Patti, if Trump wins, book banning will only increase.
We’ve about hit bottom here in the U.S., thanks to a perfect storm of fearful idiots, dark money, pernicious social media, and soulless politicians.
Fred, the soulless politicians are being funded by Dark Money and their followers are flooding pernicious social media with lies and conspiracy theories to manipulate fearful idiots.
Any thoughts I might have on the subject would just repeat what has been said above, although I would include a heavy barrage of swear words and the internet is not big enough to contain all the swear words I would use. We are lucky to have Amada Jones and the thou=sands upon thousands of like-minded people on our side to help face off against the few loud-mouthed, low intellect, bigoted, unthinking, contemptable pissants on the other side.
Jerry, I’m just hoping the loud-mouth, low intellect, bigoted, unthinking contemptible pissants forget to vote on November 5!
I’d read a review of this already on former librarian Lesa Holstine’s blog, but as I did then, I decided I am worked up enough at the moment not to add even more anger by reading this. I give her a tremendous amount of credit. Trump is nothing but a psychopathic grifter who will use anyone and anything to get power (and stay out of prison), no matter who gets hurt and how much damage he does to the country. As for these book banning groups, my contempt for them is boundless. They belong in the lowest circles of Hell.
Jeff, Trump and his MAGA followers fuel the book banning across the nation. Amanda Jones and the other librarians and teachers who stand up to these attacks on books and freedom of speech need to be celebrated.
I’m an optimist here, remembering my youth.
In the 1950s and early 60s we had the catholic church’s index of forbidden books and already as teenagers (without online access of course) we looked for these titles and there always was a way . We got all the classical authors there (it’s kind of funny how many there were on that Index) and even some horrible sadistic pornography. Our catholic teacher of literacy at high school would not discuss the modern German authors like Böll, Grass etc – we just considered him a stupid a**hole and ignored him.
Similarly at the “America House” near the university we found all American authors and their books. And at the small bookstore where I bought the SF mags like Astounding I also ordered books by Henry Miller – no problem to get Sexus etc.
Wolf, the Catholic Church is involved in banning books and putting movies on a prohibited list. Locally, the Diocese of Buffalo is in bankruptcy–because of the legal fees for priests accused of sexual abuse of children–and is in the process of closing 70 churches because of declining attendance.
Well, as I just noted at Patti’s blog, voting has never been nearly as popular as it should be, inasmuch as we rarely if ever have half the population voting in any given election (even less than half of all those who should be able to vote, with those with voter suppression of the most stringent sort mixing with factors of alienation and nonchalance). Drumpf’s vote totals, even given he’s never won the actual vote even among those cast, run about 1/5 of the population.
So, these thugs are able to manipulate as much as they do with so little of the potential-voting or actual populace behind them. I don’t believe in mandatory voting, but it sure would be better if we could make the case to more of everyone that voting will make a serious difference in their lives. I see how it will, but I also see how so many can’t believe it (and those who choose not to add a layer).
Todd, mass manipulation from the Russians, Chinese, and other Bad Actors impact this Election. And Trump is accusing the Democratic Party for being behind the assassination attempts!
That both the apparent assassination attempts have been the work of alienated Republicans might actually say something to those who are willing to consider facts.
Of course he is. And this is hardly the first election that foreign dirty tricks were mixed in with the domestic ones. Those who are so self-brainwashed as to take the Drumpf campaign as Acceptable if not desirable are the biggest problem.
When you’ve lost the Cheneys, you know you’ve fallen off the rightward edge of the world.
Meanwhile, what neoliberal “realism/pragmatism” (teaching to the tests, etc.) in public education and the follow-on results have done to help all this along:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/171-the-damage-done/id1080145136?i=1000643802005
Amanda Jones on C_SPAN: https://www.c-span.org/video/?538414-1/that-librarian
Todd, thanks for the link! Amanda Jones is fighting for freedom for all of us!