Hey, all. Michael Lunsford here at Citizens for a New Louisiana. You know, I, I mentioned, uh, I think on our social platforms and I sent an email to all of our, uh, 23,000, uh, email subscribers the other day that Amanda Jones, the librarian that sued us back in 2022, has just, uh, we won again in the, the First Circuit court.
Uh, basically, well, she sued us, she wanted a gag order, so we couldn't talk about library issues. And why she didn't want the transparency organization talking about library issues is anyone's guess. But (laughs) we've got a great friend. You know, we do research. Uh, we're really good at it. We don't do, we don't, we don't stay on this library issue because I think, I get tired of stuff. I like to move around a little bit. I think you like variety too. After all, we don't go to the same restaurant every single day to eat the same exact thing, right? We mix it up, right?
So, that's where we are. We're, we're movin' around, but we're back on library. So, if you're not a fan of this issue, I apologize. But what Dan Kleinman found is nothing short of shocking.
So, back in March of 2021, before any of the other junk happened and we got sued and all of that, we have a podcast episode from, uh, it sounds in like the Teamsters Union, but it's actually called, School Librarians United. Apparently, it's a library union. (laughs) It's, it's a podcast run by one person, uh, but, uh, Amy Hermon is her name, um, March from 2021.
Let's, let's listen to introductions just so you know this is, uh, Amy and also Amanda Jones. Listen now.
Welcome to Episode 118 of School Librarians United. I'm your host, Amy Hermon. So, I'm so excited today to be sharing conversation with old podcasting friends, Amanda Jones. Welcome back to the podcast.
Thank you for having me.
All right. So, there we have it, uh, there's the podcast. It's put on by Amy Hermon. It is called, School, excuse me, yes, School Librarians United. Not public librarians, School Librarians United. Um, and of course, introducing Amanda Jones, the woman who sued us. Anyway, uh, let, let's continue.
But I think that as a modern school librarian, you just gotta jump in. And you've got to, you know, take some risks. Yes, be fearless, take some risks. Another program that I started that happened over the summer with all of the, the social unrest and the issues in the news, um, I am in Southern Louisiana. And I had to be very delicate about this 'cause I don't wanna be... Let me just say, my district is not modern for th- (laughs)
I don't know how to say it. Uh, and by district, I don't mean my school, I mean, my community and some of the thinking. And, um, w- there's some of the thinking is still back in the '50s.
So, w- we've heard this language before. You, you, you're thinking is still in the '50s. This is old-fashioned. You shouldn't be thinking these things. And, uh, this is, this is common with the drag queen story time stuff we saw back, uh, when we, (laughs) very early on in this organization, we stopped government funded drag queen story time in Lafayette. As far as I know, we're still the only organization in Louisiana for sure, and perhaps the nation that is actually blocked the drag queen story time event. Which honestly, let's face it, it's a drag show for three-year-olds, is what it is.
Um, but this was the language you kept hearing. You're so old-fashioned. Why would you be against this? And it's like, why would you wanna s@xualize children at three-years-old? This is, this is weird.
But anyway, they, they turned the tables on us, right? But if you listen, there was a very long pause while she tried to figure out how to say, uh, we're a bunch of troglodytes because we don't like this junk, or whatever she's about to tell us about. We're gonna get to that here in a second.
There, also, "take risks." What are we taking risks on? Hmm, let's continue.
And so, I knew that I wanted to teach my students some things, but I couldn't outright say it, "This is what I'm teaching." So, I developed a program called the MESH Society to incorporate media literacy which we all should be teaching anyway. But ethics, sociology and history, but infuse, um, some social justice in there without outright s- teaching social justice, if you read between the lines of what I'm saying.
Say it.
The term again, we're teaching my students some things, but without outright saying it. And you... What were some of those things? She says, "Well, we have our standard stuff." And this is kinda the, the, um, common core that we talked about years ago, mixed in with this social emotional learning which is not allowed in Louisiana, uh, combined with the, um, what's the, diversity, equity, a- inclusion stuff, right?
We're, we're gonna take standard, what everyone accepts, and we're gonna interweave social justice in there. That, those are not my words. That's what was said right here in this podcast, back in 2021 before most of the trouble started. Uh, let's continue.
I think a modern school librarian pushes things like, graphic novels and audiobooks and social justice. And, and, and you focus on the, what you're reading and not how many. So, the MESH Society program, it encourages and is completely optional, it encourages the students to read one book from each of those categories. And then they have to do a Flipgrid [a video discussion platform that requires a student to make a recording of himself for everyone to see and hear], and, um, tell me what they've learned. What h- What ideas have changed from reading these books?
So, here we go. We're, we're, we're encouraging children to read books about, what are the categories? Social justice is one of the categories. And then, so instead of me teaching it directly, and that's gonna come here in a minute, instead of me teaching this directly, I'm just giving these kids these materials for them to learn on their own, interwoven with acceptable materials to kinda conceal what we're teaching. Does that, does that, do you see how that works? Uh, let, let, let's listen to her, the rest of this explanation here. Very interesting stuff.
Because I can't teach, outright teach s@xual harassment and consent at a fifth grade school. My community would just, you know, even though it needs to be taught. But they can read, Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee, which is written on a level four, the age group of my students. And I can encourage them to read that, and they can tell me what they have learned themselves.
Do you, see, see, there it is. Encourage them to read materials that propagate this world view, this social justice world view and just start, just, just pour it a little bit at a time into the kids. And who's paying for this? By the- But this is, these are s- public school librarians. Public school means, your tax dollars are paying for this.
Uh, who's paying attention to this, you all? I mean, we're paying attention to it. Are you paying attention to what's going on in your schools? I know we hear about this, the DEI and all of this stuff. But did, have you actually heard a school teacher from Louisiana saying they're doing this? I'm, uh, we're providing it. Thank you, Dan Kleinman for pointing this out. This is fabulous.
Listen to Amy Hermon, uh, who's going to applaud this. Listen.
I think that's amazing. I think that you have found a way to thread the needle and do it in a way that gives your students the benefit of, of all of the resources you can bring together. And do so in a way that is not going to agitate and stir up, uh, the, and rile up, uh, your, your parent base.
So, you're hearing this. You're presenting information that would normally rile up the parents in your area. But you found a way to do it, so that no one's the wiser, no one makes any noise, there's no troubles. Shh, don't tell anybody. That's what's going on.
Again, I'll, I'll, I'll say, uh, I'm, I'm not taking a position on this stuff. I'm just letting you know, is this okay with you, number one. Number two, Amanda Jones, again, is the w- uh, the former president from last year, president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, I believe is the name of the organization.
So, the school librarians, if they're unionized in Louisiana or they, they have resources that they use, they're getting them from this organization, the Association of School Librarians. And their head of that organization is talkin' about, how can we can teach the little kids in middle school stuff that their parent don't approve of without creating much of a disturbance.
Leave your comments in the, uh, in the notes below. If you're on the website, you have to sign in, uh, and become a, uh, a subscriber to do that. It's free. Uh, social media, obviously you can, you can comment, respond. Let us know what you think. I really wanna know what you gu- especially if you're in Livingston Parish, I wanna know what you think of this.
Until next time, keep doing it. Keep, keep doing your own research. Keep followin' things. (laughs) Follow the thread all the way to the end. And, uh, you know, share some of that with us too. Appreciate it. Til next time.
SLS Communication Coordinator Meeting (REGIONAL MEETING - Amanda Jones)Join SLJ Librarian of the Year Amanda Jones as she shares her biggest takeaways and top words of advice on how to stay proactive vs reactive in standing up for intellectual freedom, tips on how to transform your school's library one step at a time, and advocating for school libraries across the country. Join the discussion and learn about resources for advocacy best practices, protecting yourself as an advocate, building your professional learning network, and making your voice heard in your school, district, state, and across the nation. Together we are a force and we must stand united. Follow her journey as a school librarian who has learned to speak out on behalf of her students and libraries at librarianjones.com.Bio: Amanda Jones is a 23 year educator and the current Past President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. She is the 2021 School Library Journal Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and the 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year. She made national headlines for fighting back against censorship in her community when she became a target of extremists. Amanda is a co-founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, a grassroots organization fighting attacks on intellectual freedom in Louisiana. She is the winner of multiple intellectual freedom awards from the ALA, AASL, and the Louisiana Library Association. She serves as the LLA Chapter Councilor for ALA and is a member of the AASL Chapter Assembly. Her book That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2024. Find out more about her at librarianjones.com.
S3xualizing school kids is big business for one of @ALALibrary’s school librarian poster girls. Listen to this recording of “That Librarian” Amanda Jones @abmack33 on @LMS_United.
— Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries® (@SexHarassed) February 16, 2024
So happy @SenMikeLee called it what it is. @SenJohnKennedy @HawleyMO @newlouisiana #tlchat #lapol pic.twitter.com/cw3D7BIdKp
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