The Librarians (with talkback)

NR | 88 min

Sunday, March 8th at 12:00 PM

Sunday, April 12th at 12:00 PM

Librarians emerge as first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities.

In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQia+ stories – triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of extremism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale.

Sunday, March 8th at 12:00 PM

Moderator-Susan Banks, Deputy Secretary for Libraries and State Librarian

Participants:

• Amanda Deck, PA School Librarian, Read for Liberty Co-Chair, PSLA Intellectual Freedom Task Group Co-Chair

• Cathi Furhman, Ed.D, Retired PA School Librarian, Read for Liberty Project Director, PSLA Intellectual Freedom Task Group Co-Chair, ALA Councilor-at-Large

• Maria Lagasca, Public Services Director, Dauphin County Library System (DCLS)

• Ryan McCrory, Executive Director, Dauphin County Library System (DCLS)

Sunday, April 12th at 12:00 PM

Moderator-Susan Banks, Deputy Secretary for Libraries and State Librarian

Participants:

• Amanda Deck, PA School Librarian, Read for Liberty Co-Chair, PSLA Intellectual Freedom Task Group Co-Chair

• Ben Hodge, Veteran teacher, creator of the Panther Anti-Racist Union (PARU), successful advocate to overturn book ban in Central York School District, co-author of Ban This!

• Patricia Jackson, Veteran teacher, co-advisor of the Panther Anti-Racist Union (PARU), successful advocate to overturn book ban in Central York School District, co-author of Ban This!

• Jessica Miller, Director, Cleve J. Fredricksen Library