Conference Keynotes

Opening Keynote: Amanda Jones

Champion for Intellectual Freedom

We're thrilled to welcome Amanda Jones as our Opening Keynote Speaker on Wednesday, February 18, 8:30am. Recently named to the 2025 TIME100 Next list, spotlighting changemakers from around the globe who are shaping the next generation of leadership and redefining what progress, influence, and impact mean in today's world. 

A Louisiana school librarian and past School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year, Amanda made national headlines in 2022 after speaking out against book bans at her local library board meeting—and refusing to be silenced when extremists targeted her. Her courage has made her a national voice for intellectual freedom and democracy, earning honors from both the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians.

 Amanda’s 2024 memoir, That Librarian: Fighting Book Banners in Today’s America, and her feature in the upcoming documentary The Librarians share her inspiring journey and the vital role libraries play in our communities.