Democracy in Our Time: A Screening of The Librarians

Join us for a special screening of the documentary The Librarians, which follows librarians as unlikely first responders in the fight for democracy and the First Amendment. The film reveals how control over ideas can become control over communities, and how librarians are pushed to the front lines of that struggle. In Texas, the so-called Krause List targets more than 850 books centered on race and LGBTQIA+ stories, setting off a wave of book bans that has spread across the United States at an unprecedented pace. As tensions rise, librarians from across the country draw connections between heated school and library board meetings, exposing the extremist forces driving today’s censorship campaigns. Facing harassment, threats, and laws designed to criminalize their work, these librarians stand firm in their defense of the freedom to read. Their story serves as a powerful and chilling warning about what’s at stake. A short group discussion will follow the screening to explore the role of intellectual freedom in a healthy democracy.