Librarians and educators across the country are grappling with threats to the information they provide to their communities — and Kansas City is no exception.
In the most recent meeting of the Kansas City Public Library’s FYI Book Club, community members discussed Amanda Jones’ nonfiction book “That Librarian,” in which Jones tells her own story of speaking out against attempted censorship at a public library board meeting in her Louisiana hometown and the subsequent right-wing conservative attacks that changed the course of her life.
The book club discussion, a regular collaboration between The Star and the library, included about 20 readers and touched on First Amendment rights, censorship, bullying, school library versus public library policy and more. The conversation took place at the Kansas City Public Library’s Central location not long before Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28) , during which Jones will be speaking at a public event at the library .
The group’s overriding concern was distilled by reader Maria Robertson, who said she seemed sure that those intent on banning books are against education…