Book Review: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

Surveillance in the Stacks This is a nonfiction account by a Louisiana-based librarian who became an advocate against book banning. The book captures her personal experiences as she faced condemnation and legal threats for opposing efforts to remove certain books from public libraries. She explores the importance of protecting access to books dealing with topics like race, gender, and sexual orientation. Her discussion focuses on the rise in book challenges, the political and social forces behind them, and her journey as an activist for access to LGBTQ+ information, emphasizing the courage to stand up against groups advocating for censorship. She addresses the legal battles she endured, including being sued for defamation, and the harassment she faced online and in person. This book is a one-sided testament despite the fact that her stand could be harmful to kids. The author refers to the books that are challenged for removal from libraries due to the inappropriate content. The American Library Association (ALA) annually publishes lists of the most challenged books based on reports from schools and libraries. According to ALA, the challenges for removal are due to: LGBTQ+ content; books addressing queer identities and relationships; race and racism books; and political and social criticism of societal norms and historical narratives. Some of the recently challenged (banned) books are: "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, for LGBTQ+ themes, sexual content, and illustrations; "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by George M. Johnson, for LGBTQ+ content, and sexually explicit material; "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, for sexual content, explicit language, and racial themes; "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas, for profanity, violence, and anti-police themes; and "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez, for explicit sexual content, and depictions of racism. Book bans or challenges to book has been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years because of political polarization, cultural debates over issues like race, gender, sexual orientation, and LGBTQ+ rights. Conservative groups have led efforts to remove books they deem inappropriate, while progressive groups often push back against those bans. Several organized groups such as “Moms for Liberty” and other parent-led and political organizations have been vocal about removing books from libraries because they are harmful to kids. One state often highlighted for book bans is Florida, which has passed several laws that significantly impact the availability of certain books in public schools and libraries. One of the most notable is House Bill 1467, signed into law in 2022. The restrictions are justified by proponents as efforts to protect children from "inappropriate" or "obscene" materials. In 2023, West Virginia Senate Bill 252 was enacted which aimed to restrict access to "obscene" or "sexually explicit" materials for minors in public and school libraries. The law builds upon existing obscenity statutes in the state but broadens the scope of potential criminal liability for those responsible for providing these materials to minors. Provisions of the law include the prosecution of librarians who provide materials deemed inappropriate for minors. The book focuses only one side of the issue, the side of LGBTQ+ and gender identity activists who are pushing to the extremes by aligning themselves with socialists, liberals, and democrats. For example, a California law SB 107 (Trans Refuge Law) signed in 2022 that allow minors to seek gender-affirming care. It prohibits state agencies from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warrants, or legal actions related to providing gender-affirming care. This law effectively takes away the parental control of their children. The author does not discuss LGBTQ+ and gender-identity activists who are promoting drag performances in gatherings that include families and children, performances that include cross-dressers/transgender performers prominently exhibiting the private parts, and of course the story-reading for kids in public libraries. They have dominated the political, social, and economic structures by aligning with progressive democrats to effectively diminishing the parental decisions.