Amanda Jones\, in conversation with Dr. Me gan Holt\, discusses her book \;That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America. \;
\nOne of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a yo ung person's sense of self. So in 2022\, when she caught wind of a local p ublic hearing that would discuss &ldquo\;book content\,&rdquo\; she knew w hat was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references\, discussions of racism\, and mor e to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community w ere 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 ongo ing.
\nAmanda 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 perspec tives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns&mdash\ ;funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians &mdash\;in a crusade to make America more white\, straight\, and "Christia n." But Amanda Jones wouldn't give up without a fight. She sued her harass ers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance.
\nMapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation\, \;< em>That Librarian \;draws the battle lines in the war against equ ity and inclusion\, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of o ur readers.
\nAmanda Jones \;has been an educat or for 23 years\, at the same middle school she attended as a child. She h as served as President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians a nd won numerous awards for her work in school libraries\, including \; School Library Journal \;Librarian of the Year. A sought-after keynote speaker\, Amanda is a frequent volunteer for state and national library a ssociations\, as well as a co-founder of the Livingston Parish Library All iance and founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. She li ves in Livingston Parish\, Louisiana.
\nDr. \;Megan Holt is the Executive Director for One Book One New Orleans and the W ords &\; Music Literary Festival. Raised in Muscle Shoals\, Alabama\, M egan received a B.A. in English and Spanish from the University of Alabama in 2003 and a Ph.D in English/Comparative Literature from Tulane Universi ty in 2013. The same year\, she began her work with community literacy. Sh e received the 2014 Literacy Champion of Greater New Orleans award. In 201 5 she was named one of \;Gambit Weekly&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;40 Under 40&rd quo\; and \;New Orleans Magazine&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;People to Watch.&rdq uo\; In 2021\, she gave a TEDx Talk titled &ldquo\;Becoming Part of the St ory&rdquo\; on her journey to becoming an advocate for adult literacy.&nbs p\;Megan is a member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival\, and a member of the Literacy Alliance of Greater New O rleans coalition. Her husband\, Jermaine Smith\, and their sons\, Jefferso n and Abel\, inspire her to work toward making New Orleans a better place.
\nhttps://neworleans.libnet.info/event/14348377 URL;VALUE=URI:https://neworleans.libnet.info/event/14348377 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR