A librarian’s fight against book bans in the face of backlash and death threats

Amanda Jones, who has been a librarian for 24 years, is on the front lines of the fight against book censorship.

In Georgia and across the nation, bans are targeting books about racism, LGTBQ issues, gender and more. According to PEN America, more than 10,000 book bans have been counted in public schools since 2021. In response, Jones spoke out against book bans at a public library in Louisiana. Jones says she was harassed and received death threats for doing so. She explores her advocacy and the continuing backlash she faces in her new book, “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.”

On Monday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Jones talks with show host Rose Scott about her part-memoir, part-manifesto that aims to map the book-banning crisis happening across the U.S. while chronicling Jones’ efforts to combat it.