Martha Hickson is a school librarian featured prominently in the PBS documentary "The Librarians." She's also a Banned Camp fan. On National Library Workers' Day, we talk with Martha about why book banners consistently target librarians, the coordinated "Lawn Boy" setup that made her one of the first librarians in the country attacked by this organized movement, the personal toll of standing up, and most importantly—what you can do right now to fight book bans and support librarians in your community.

This is a special episode. No chapter reading. Just Martha's story.

Watch the Documentary: "The Librarians" (PBS Independent Lens, directed by Kim A. Snyder) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywQOCY-qDzE

Resources Martha Mentioned:

Unite Against Book Bans UniteAgainstBookBans.org A coalition of organizations (ALA, National Coalition Against Censorship, PEN America, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Every Library) with resources for fighting censorship in your community.

Action Menu tinyurl.com/burningmad A menu of actionable ways to support libraries and fight book bans, from reporting challenges to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom to posting on social media.

What You Can Do Today:

Join Unite Against Book Bans
Report book challenges in your community to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Post about book banning on social media
Use your library and tell others how great it is
Send a thank you email or card to your librarian
Tell your librarian you see them, value them, appreciate them

Featured Books Discussed: Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger