“The Librarians” film focuses on campaigns to ban books.
Photo: Official Trailer, YouTube
By Brian Boisvert
The Springvale Public Library will host a free screening of the PBS Independent Lens documentary “The Librarians” on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 pm, followed by a community discussion about the unprecedented wave of book challenges occurring across the nation.
The film, directed and produced by Kim Snyder, chronicles how school librarians have suddenly found themselves on the front lines of what some are calling a “spiritual war” over what children should be allowed to read.
“We live in precarious times,” writes Lesley Unger, director of the Springvale Library. “Book banning has risen over 200% since 2023, with most challenges driven by organized national pressure groups.”
The documentary traces the current crisis back to the fall of 2021, when the release of the “Krauss list” in Texas ignited a movement that bypassed traditional parental review protocols in favor of removing hundreds of titles at once. What followed was a transformation of a once-quiet civic profession into a political battleground, with librarians facing criminal investigations, harassment, and vitriolic personal attacks simply for providing access to literature.
“The Librarians” captures the emotional toll on educators who suddenly find themselves treated as suspects in criminal investigations, with some describing the fear of seeing their faces on wanted posters or watching colleagues taken away in handcuffs.
The documentary also explores which books are being targeted for removal. Among the surprising titles challenged are “And Tango Makes Three,” a picture book about two male penguins adopting a chick; the graphic adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple,” and even historical texts documenting the KKK’s activities, which have been categorized as “pornographic” by activist groups.
Director Snyder argues that the current movement is not genuinely about parental rights, which have always existed through established review processes. “This is about a larger attack on freedom of expression in general,” she said in an ABC News interview.
Unger emphasized that what many people don’t know is that these challenges rarely come from local families. “Many stem from organized national campaigns that submit long lists of titles, sometimes without reading them, based on keywords or online talking points,” she explained. “This has created an environment where educators and librarians are harassed simply for providing access to information.”
Following the screening, journalist Shawn P. Sullivan from the York County Coast Star will moderate a community conversation with Zach Heiden from the ACLU of Maine and library director Unger. The discussion aims to explore how these national trends might affect local communities and what can be done to protect intellectual freedom.
“I’ve seen the documentary and can assure everyone it is well made, thought-provoking, and eye-opening,” Sullivan said. “As moderator, I welcome this opportunity for a discussion about the challenges librarians are facing today. I encourage all to attend. No matter how strong people’s opinions might be on either side of the issues we will discuss, I know we can express ourselves and listen to each other with respect and civility.”
For those wondering how to take action, Unger offered clear guidance. “The most important thing people can do to prevent censorship in libraries is to know who you vote for and their stance on removing books from libraries,” she said. “If people witness censorship campaigns in schools, going to school board meetings and letting their voice be heard sends a strong message that the community believes in intellectual freedom and books for all.”
Unger stressed the fundamental mission of public libraries in her statement about the event. “We don’t promote one worldview or decide what is morally acceptable. Our mission is to serve everyone, offering materials that reflect a wide range of experiences, identities, and beliefs. Parents and caregivers guide what their own children read. What we cannot do is allow one group’s preferences to restrict access for all families.”
The director added that the library supports families in this mission through personalized service rather than prescriptive programs, saying that they have “an exceptional youth services librarian who works closely with families every day. She listens, asks questions, and helps parents and caregivers find books that fit their child’s interests, maturity level, and comfort level.”
The screening comes at a crucial moment when libraries nationwide are grappling with how to respond to organized censorship campaigns while maintaining their core values of open access to information. But Unger sees events like this screening as part of the solution, saying that they “help bring people together for thoughtful conversation. When communities talk openly, censorship loses its power.”
The screening is free and open to the public at the Springvale Public Library, 443 Main St. For more information, contact the library directly at (207) 324-4624 or spl@springvalelibrary.org.
“As we gather for this screening and important conversation, I hope it reminds us why libraries matter,” Unger concluded. “We remain one of the few public spaces where people can explore ideas freely, safely, and without judgment.”
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