Students and Des Moines citizens flooded into the wide-spanning upper rooms of the Olmsted Center, books in hand and many with friends on Oct. 8 as the author of “That Librarian,” Amanda Jones, offered her story to a crowd of over 300 people.
Jones’ visit to Drake was part of a long-standing call to book banning activism based on real-world experiences — coming to a head for 2025’s Banned Book Week. The event itself allowed community members a chance to hear the message from the librarian while also asking questions they may have, courtesy of Cowles Library Dean Teri Koch, who organized the event.
Koch stated the planning of the event was an “interesting” yet fulfilling experience.
“Her story is the story of, unfortunately, a lot of school librarians at this moment of time in our history,” Koch said. “I think she kind of represents a lot of what is happening across the country.”
“That Librarian” documents Jones’ story as she speaks out against the censorship impacting local community libraries across the U.S. Her activism led to press tours and events.
“It’s a really important time in history to be standing up against censorship,” Koch said.
Jones was recently named to the TIME100 Next list for her work in advocacy for literary democracy. “That Librarian” was a product of a 20-year-long career in the field, which almost came to an end in 2022. Local extremists in Jones’ town sending death threats became a regular practice.
“When you love something, you want to protect it,” Jones said. “Or you see injustice, you should go speak out about it. So I did. And I didn’t realize it was going to snowball into this huge thing.”
Longtime friends leaving her life led her to a therapist and, eventually, a publisher interested in getting her story out to the public eye.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a work of great literature, but it’s from the heart,” Jones said. “I think it’s what’s needed right now. For me and everybody else.”
After the threats to her career and reputation, Jones founded the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship organization as a way to continue her advocacy work on a state-wide level.
The goal of this organization is to target legislation aiming at First Amendment rights. As the website phrases it, “informed citizens are good citizens.”
Sam Helmick, current president of the American Library Association, introduced Jones and her achievements at the Q&A.
“If you have ever stood up for something you believe in, you will have a sense of the courage it takes to state your convictions out loud that first time,” Helmick said.
Jones does not intend to lower her voice any time soon, whether that be within her state’s legislature or by helping libraries everywhere find their own voice.
“If I was silent, that would be my compliance,” Jones said, “And I am not going to be complicit in their erasure of not just books, but the people in the stories they represent.”
