That Librarian by Amanda Jones
Reviewing That Librarian is a tad unfair because I have worked with Amanda Jones for years, but that being said, I genuinely did not know how bad things had been for her, and this memoir is an urgent call for decorum as much as it is one against censorship. But first, let’s backtrack. This is a memoir and a call to action. Jones is a librarian in the Deep South whose argument at a public library meeting in favor of following standard library procedure in reporting possible content issues within the library was used as a cudgel to attack librarians and educators who wanted to maintain library norms. They were threatened and abused in both public and private. Jones and other librarians within my parish had their characters relentlessly attacked online by groups ostensibly acting to protect childhood innocence. That Librarian not only chronicles these online shenanigans but Jones’ career and journey to award-winning librarianship, as well as the toll these character assassinations took on her personally and professionally. Jones moves through her own political education as well as religious conviction as she engages the legal system in an ongoing defamation case against the folks who repeatedly insist she is actively working to groom children sexually despite all evidence to the contrary. Amanda Jones’ story is one filled with humor and heart (and a healthy dose of snark) that will enlighten and infuriate you, but don’t worry, she ends her story with two messages: ways in which you can work to fight censorship in your own community and the mantra “don’t let anyone dull your sparkle.“ That Librarian is a powerful, truth-telling memoir that is strongly of the moment, and it absolutely deserves your time and attention.
That Librarian by Amanda Jones, (List Price: $29.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639733538, August 2024)
Reviewed by Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana
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