Dan Kleinman: "World Library Association" Expert in Everything He's Against

The Hill's Opinion Section: Where "Expertise" Means Never Having Said "I Don't Know"

Dan Kleinman’s opinion piece in The Hill attacking PBS’s documentary “The Librarians” and the American Library Association presents itself as a concerned citizen exposing inappropriate content in school libraries. On closer examination, the article reveals a pattern of cherry-picked facts, unverified claims, and what appears to be deliberate obfuscation of context. While some of Kleinman’s factual claims can be verified, others cannot be substantiated, and the overall argument relies heavily on emotional language rather than logical analysis.

The Eisenhower Quote: Partially True, but Context Matters

Kleinman accuses the documentary of cutting short a quote from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, claiming the full quote continues with “...as long as any document does not offend our own ideas of decency. That should be the only censorship.” Research confirms that Eisenhower did indeed give a commencement address at Dartmouth College in 1953 that included these words. According to Snopes, the full passage reads: “Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book, as long as that document does not offend our own ideas of decency. That should be the only censorship” (Snopes, 2022).

However, Kleinman omits the broader context of Eisenhower’s speech, which was addressing the importance of understanding opposing ideas, including communist ideology, to effectively counter it. The president’s argument was about not hiding from difficult ideas, even while acknowledging personal discretion about what one chooses to read. By presenting only the “decency” qualifier as a gotcha moment, Kleinman strips the quote of its original purpose, which was actually arguing against censorship rather than endorsing it.

The Books: Accurate Descriptions, But Incomplete Pictures

Kleinman’s descriptions of the content in “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Let’s Talk About It” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan are partially accurate. The Cowboy State Daily article, which reviewed both books found in a Wyoming high school library, confirms that “Gender Queer” contains explicit sexual content including descriptions of sexual encounters and discussions of topics like mastubation and gender dysphoria (Cowboy State Daily, 2022). The 1819 News article confirms that “Let’s Talk About It” contains graphic images of sexual acts, detailed discussions of sexual topics including butt plugs, and encourages readers to explore pornography as a way to “discover new aspects of your sexuality” (1819 News, 2024).

Both books did receive recognition from the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association. “Gender Queer” was named to the “Great Graphic Novels for Teens” list in 2020, and “Let’s Talk About It” received the same honor in 2022 (American Library Association, 2022). Kleinman is correct on these facts.

However, Kleinman paints with too broad a brush. The question of whether these books are appropriate for all teenagers, or whether they should be available only to older teens with parental permission, is a legitimate subject of debate. By framing the entire debate as librarians “peddling pornography,” Kleinman forecloses any nuanced discussion about age-appropriate sex education, the value of comprehensive health information for LGBTQ+ youth, or the role of school libraries in serving diverse communities.

The Missing Receipts: Unverified Claims

Here is where Kleinman’s argument falls apart. Several key claims in his article cannot be verified through research:

**The Connecticut Children’s Alliance “Grooming” Claim**: Kleinman writes that “As the Connecticut Children’s Alliance notes, one ‘red flag’ for ‘grooming’ is ‘exposing the child or young adult to sexual and/or age-inappropriate conversations, media, and behaviors.’” The Connecticut Children’s Alliance is a legitimate nonprofit organization that supports child advocacy centers in the state. However, research found no evidence that this organization has published the specific “red flag” list that Kleinman cites. The organization’s website describes its mission as supporting child abuse victims and their families through collaboration and trauma-informed care (Connecticut Children’s Alliance, 2025). Kleinman provides no link to this supposed document, and none could be found through extensive searching.

The Wyoming Survey: Kleinman claims that “One local survey in Wyoming shared materials from ‘Let’s Talk About It’ with a set of adults. Ninety-six percent of respondents agreed it was not appropriate for teens, let alone younger readers.” Despite extensive searching, no such survey could be located. No Wyoming media outlet, research institution, or library organization has published a survey with these findings. This specific statistic, down to the precise 96% figure, appears without attribution.

The Lawsuit: A Matter of Record

Kleinman mentions that Amanda Jones, who is featured in “The Librarians,” “has sued me in federal court for defamation because I pointed this out, using that specific word she did not like.” Research confirms that Amanda Jones did file a defamation lawsuit against Kleinman in November 2024. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Kleinman falsely called Jones a “child groomer,” claimed she “sexualizes” children, and accused her of giving inappropriate books to minors (Jones v. Kleinman, 2024).

The lawsuit specifically states that these claims are false. Paragraph 86 of the complaint reads: “Jones does not give highly age-inappropriate sexual material, including books that depict anal sex and books with titles such as ‘Spanking for Lovers,’ ‘The Ultimate Guide to Kink,’ and ‘The Ultimate Guide to Threesomes,’ to children.” Paragraph 88 states: “She is not a ‘child groomer.’”

Kleinman mentions he has “filed an anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss the case.” Anti-SLAPP laws are designed to protect defendants from frivolous lawsuits intended to silence protected speech on matters of public concern. However, the outcome of this motion, and the ultimate resolution of the lawsuit, remain to be seen. What is clear is that this is not a case of one person simply expressing an opinion and being sued for it. The lawsuit alleges specific false statements of fact, which are legally distinct from protected opinion.

The Time Op-Ed: What Jones Actually Said

Kleinman characterizes Jones’s Time op-ed as claiming “that the government is physically removing books ‘after deciding they don’t want you to read it’” and calls this “false and...designed to mislead.” Reading the actual Time article reveals a more nuanced argument. Jones and co-author Suzette Baker write about the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear arguments in Little v. Llano County, a case about book removal in Texas. They argue that this decision “effectively granted state and local governments in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas the authority to determine what materials you can and cannot read” (Jones & Baker, 2025).

The phrase “physically removing” is Jones’s characterization of books being taken off library shelves. Whether this characterization is “false and designed to mislead” depends on one’s interpretation. Books are, in fact, being removed from library shelves in some jurisdictions. Whether this constitutes a “book ban” or simply “collection management” is a matter of legitimate disagreement. Kleinman’s criticism here conflates two different things: the descriptive question of whether books are being removed from shelves, and the normative question of whether such removal is appropriate.

Organizations and Conflicts of Interest

Kleinman identifies himself as “the owner of SafeLibraries educational services” and “executive director of the World Library Association, an alternative to the American Library Association.” Research found that SafeLibraries is a blog run by Kleinman that describes itself as providing “Education about who controls school and public libraries” (SafeLibraries, 2026). The “World Library Association” appears to be an organization created by Kleinman as an alternative to the ALA. There is no evidence it is a recognized professional library organization with independent credibility.

This is not necessarily disqualifying. One can legitimately critique the American Library Association without being part of it. However, readers should know that Kleinman is not an independent observer but an advocate with a competing organizational identity and, presumably, a competing financial interest.

A Note on Rhetoric

Throughout his article, Kleinman uses language designed to provoke outrage rather than foster understanding. Terms like “grooming,” “peddling pornography,” and “domestic terrorist” (used against Jones in his social media posts, according to the lawsuit) are inflammatory accusations that carry serious weight. Calling someone a “groomer” is, as the lawsuit notes, “understood to mean one who cultivates a sexual relationship with a child.” Accusing a school librarian of this without being able to provide verifiable evidence for the claim is a serious allegation.

Similarly, referring to age-appropriate sex education materials as “pornography” conflates distinct categories. Material that some find sexually explicit is not necessarily legally obscene, and material that is educational in purpose is not necessarily inappropriate even if it contains mature content. These distinctions matter for any serious discussion of library policy.

The Inevitable Conclusion

Dan Kleinman’s attack on “The Librarians” and the American Library Association contains some verifiable facts, some partially accurate claims, and some assertions that cannot be verified at all. His descriptions of content in “Gender Queer” and “Let’s Talk About It” are generally accurate, though simplified. His claims about the Eisenhower quote are true but decontextualized. His unverified claims about the Connecticut Children’s Alliance and a Wyoming survey should raise concerns about his reliance on “receipts” he cannot produce.

The Amanda Jones lawsuit presents a particular problem for Kleinman. While he frames the lawsuit as an attempt to silence criticism, the actual complaint alleges specific false statements of fact, not mere criticism. The courts will ultimately determine whether Kleinman’s statements were protected opinion or defamatory false statements.

What is clearest is that this debate deserves better than heat without light. Parents, educators, and citizens can disagree about appropriate content in school libraries. But that disagreement should be based on verifiable claims, acknowledged context, and respect for the complexity of the issues involved. Kleinman’s article, for all its bluster, provides too much of the first and too little of the latter.

You can read this grifter’s person of limited reasoning skill’s self promoting crap here: https://thehill.com/opinion/education/5715291-shame-on-pbs-the-librarians-is-one-big-lie-to-parents-and-kids/

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Works Cited

American Library Association. (2022). *YALSA names 2022 great graphic novels for teens*. https://www.ala.org/news/2022/02/yalsa-names-2022-great-graphic-novels-teens

Connecticut Children’s Alliance. (2025). *Protecting children. Empowering communities.* https://ctchildrensalliance.org/

Cowboy State Daily. (2022, September 29). *Controversial books ‘Gender Queer’ and ‘Trans Bodies’ remain in Casper high school library — Here’s what’s in them.* https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/09/29/controversial-books-gender-queer-and-trans-bodies-remain-in-casper-high-school-library-heres-whats-in-them/

Emery, D. (2022, April 29). *Did Eisenhower say, ‘Don’t join the book burners’?* Snopes. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/eisenhower-dont-join-book-burners/

Jones, A., & Baker, S. (2025, December 17). *The Supreme Court just opened the door to a new era of book bans.* Time. https://time.com/7341120/book-bans-supreme-court-first-amendment-reading/

Kleinman, D. (2026). *SafeLibraries blog.* https://safelibraries.blogspot.com/

*Jones v. Kleinman*, Case No. 2:24-cv-10750-BRM-JSA (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey filed November 26, 2024). https://assets.newlouisiana.org/livingston/library/dan-kleinman-lawsuit-new-jersey.pdf

1819 News. (2024, December 12). *’Kinks, fantasies, and porn’: Graphic sex guide offered in teen section of Spanish Fort, Fairhope public libraries.* https://1819news.com/news/item/kinks-fantasies-and-porn-graphic-sex-guide-offered-in-teen-section-of-spanish-fort-fairhope-public-libraries