Book Talk: “THAT LIBRARIAN,” middle school librarian Amanda Jones. The fight against the book ban in America”

Host Diana Korte speaks with award-winning librarian Amanda Jones, who decided to advocate for the right to read and wage a war against book bans and censorship in her small southern town. THIS LIBRARY is part memoir, part manifesto.

One of the things small-town librarian Amanda Jones values ​​most about books is the way they can boost a young person's self-confidence. When she heard about a local public hearing in 2022 about “book content,” she knew what it was about.

Schools and libraries across the country have been bombarded with demands to remove books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community banned stories that represented minority groups. She spoke out at the meeting that evening. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that still continues.

But Amanda Jones didn't give up without a fight: She sued her harassers for defamation and called on others to join her in the resistance. This lawsuit is currently before the Louisiana Supreme Court.

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This 10-minute program interviews top authors who share their words about their books and ideas, and often the story behind the story. Hosted by Diana Korte and produced by Gene Korte, the show is now in its 29th year of production.