When lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians, directed by Kim A. Snyder, explores the broader implications for education and public life.
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Chapters
00:00 — Intro
00:11 — Librarians on the Front Lines
02:25 — The List: 850 Books Targeted in Texas
06:39 — First Day, First Ban: A Superintendent Draws the Line
10:52 — The Librarian’s Code: Ethics Under Fire
13:27 — The Books They Tried to Erase
15:55 — Inside the Banned Book Club
19:44 — Moms for Liberty vs. the Librarians
23:14 — From Texas to Florida: A Movement Spreads
26:01 — High School Librarians in the Crosshairs
28:51 — Erasing Black History
35:31 — Board of Education v. Pico: A Legal Turning Point
37:00 — Librarian of the Year: Amanda Jones
41:22 — An Organized Campaign to Ban Books
47:28 — Students Push Back
52:56 — Who’s Funding the Bans?
57:42 — Parents vs. the School Board
1:07:25 — When the Bans Hit Home
1:13:10 — Librarians as the Last Line of Defense
1:18:07 — The Freedom to Read Act & the Threat of Library Closures
1:21:21 — Librarians Are the Heroes
1:24:17 — Credits
ABOUT INDEPENDENT LENS
@independentlens is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Funding is provided by the Action Circle for Independent Lens with major funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, with additional support from Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.