I am a library science professor who educated school and other types of librarians for forty years. These people are champions of intellectual freedom in our crumbling democracy and deserve our gratitude and respect.
If you read about the Resistance in WWII, you see many, MANY examples of people going about their lives without a fuss - until they witness something, or have something done to them - that awakens the fight in them.
This film screened at the Texas Library Association Conference in April 2025. It’s powerful. I highly recommend it. Please spread the word - more people need to see what is going on in so many of our schools and libraries.
My high school librarian was quite informative. She could find a book in a nanosecond. I think she was a bit dyslexic and had some speech impediment. But she was always cheerful and remembered everyone’s name. There were 250 people in our class. Ms. Danberry. I haven’t remembered her name or her in 50+ years. My gang used to get to school early and meet in the library - the president of the Beta club, the senior class president, the student who earned a perfect score on the SAT, the star girls’ basketball player, the prettiest and most popular student of all time, the shy new kid from faraway somewhere, the shy boy who loved us girls and transitioned later in life while being a successful lawyer (he had a IV - 4 after his birth name). I love the library and the librarians.
I give the librarians a lot of credit for taking public education where it belongs. Even in the digital age libraries and librarians have had to adapt their roles to the changing times. Our library at the small university I attended had a couple of study rooms for the serious students who chose to study in groups. It was great!
Watched a Zoom interview with the woman who made the film awhile back. I put in my phone calendar to check the PBS schedule for this coming week so I wouldn't miss it.
Our local movie theater that shows independent films showed it twice last month but I missed both showings. Happy that it's back for one showing this weekend and I won't miss seeing it this time.
When discussing democracy with my high school students, I always maintained that one of the main foundations and strengths of democracy was a free, and open, library system. No cost, just time to read anything and everything -- Mein Kampf or I have a Dream, your choice or all of it.
When book burning is a sporting event, the librarians are, and have always been the key to the first amendment. Unlikely heroes, indeed, as I'm sure they don't ask for this role, but with a life immersed in books and free expression, I'm just as sure they feel compelled to uphold our right to think and act freely.
Retired school librarian here who has faced many challenges from parents, organizations, and administrators. A father once told me in front of library filled with students, that if was walking past his house and he saw me, he could shoot me and no jury would find him guilty. Then the John Birch Society was going through the sacks looking for inappropriate books. So many stories …
One of the most powerful books I have read recently is Keepers of the Hidden Books about the work of the librarians in Nazi occupied Warsaw. Chilling and inspiring
I learned early on in my librarian studies to select books and other materials for various viewpoints and reader backgrounds and interests. Fortunately I didn't have to deal with challenges but did research for only one questioned graphic novel at a public library that had all great reviews. Forty years librarianship at public, law firm, college and high school libraries, and I never dreamt the book banners would try to take over in our country. You read what you want to read or want your child to read; you do not take away my right to read what I want to read.
There’s nothing unlikely about librarians defending freedom of speech and opinion, the right of people to read and to learn. They’ve been doing it for decades, if not centuries.
Could you report on the work being done by college/university librarians (without endangering any of their work or themselves) departmental in fed govt librarians, LoC, museums, etc. I’ve come to hold them in very high esteem for saving truth and democracy
Then, in college, I used to study in the chemistry library. It was modern, it was new and it had a perfect smell of books mixed with new construction. I had my high school graduation stylos - pen and pencil. I was armed for education. I went to sneak in a cup of coffee (verboten) and my silver spears were stolen. My lesson, do not sneak coffee into the chemistry library. The librarian was hot. Not so sure she was very useful but one day I found myself in bed with her. She was unimpressed, but it was quite an experience for me. There can be quite a bit going on behind those big glasses and between the sheets. Ahhhh….the 70s.
I am a library science professor who educated school and other types of librarians for forty years. These people are champions of intellectual freedom in our crumbling democracy and deserve our gratitude and respect.
If you read about the Resistance in WWII, you see many, MANY examples of people going about their lives without a fuss - until they witness something, or have something done to them - that awakens the fight in them.
My parents were both librarians. They are smiling down from the great beyond at this post. I'll have to tune in.
This film screened at the Texas Library Association Conference in April 2025. It’s powerful. I highly recommend it. Please spread the word - more people need to see what is going on in so many of our schools and libraries.
My high school librarian was quite informative. She could find a book in a nanosecond. I think she was a bit dyslexic and had some speech impediment. But she was always cheerful and remembered everyone’s name. There were 250 people in our class. Ms. Danberry. I haven’t remembered her name or her in 50+ years. My gang used to get to school early and meet in the library - the president of the Beta club, the senior class president, the student who earned a perfect score on the SAT, the star girls’ basketball player, the prettiest and most popular student of all time, the shy new kid from faraway somewhere, the shy boy who loved us girls and transitioned later in life while being a successful lawyer (he had a IV - 4 after his birth name). I love the library and the librarians.
I give the librarians a lot of credit for taking public education where it belongs. Even in the digital age libraries and librarians have had to adapt their roles to the changing times. Our library at the small university I attended had a couple of study rooms for the serious students who chose to study in groups. It was great!
Watched a Zoom interview with the woman who made the film awhile back. I put in my phone calendar to check the PBS schedule for this coming week so I wouldn't miss it.
Our local movie theater that shows independent films showed it twice last month but I missed both showings. Happy that it's back for one showing this weekend and I won't miss seeing it this time.
We will survive...
When discussing democracy with my high school students, I always maintained that one of the main foundations and strengths of democracy was a free, and open, library system. No cost, just time to read anything and everything -- Mein Kampf or I have a Dream, your choice or all of it.
When book burning is a sporting event, the librarians are, and have always been the key to the first amendment. Unlikely heroes, indeed, as I'm sure they don't ask for this role, but with a life immersed in books and free expression, I'm just as sure they feel compelled to uphold our right to think and act freely.
Retired school librarian here who has faced many challenges from parents, organizations, and administrators. A father once told me in front of library filled with students, that if was walking past his house and he saw me, he could shoot me and no jury would find him guilty. Then the John Birch Society was going through the sacks looking for inappropriate books. So many stories …
I have been waiting for months for it to air on PBS - missed it in our local movie theater.... It should have been aired a long time ago.....
One of the most powerful books I have read recently is Keepers of the Hidden Books about the work of the librarians in Nazi occupied Warsaw. Chilling and inspiring
I learned early on in my librarian studies to select books and other materials for various viewpoints and reader backgrounds and interests. Fortunately I didn't have to deal with challenges but did research for only one questioned graphic novel at a public library that had all great reviews. Forty years librarianship at public, law firm, college and high school libraries, and I never dreamt the book banners would try to take over in our country. You read what you want to read or want your child to read; you do not take away my right to read what I want to read.
There’s nothing unlikely about librarians defending freedom of speech and opinion, the right of people to read and to learn. They’ve been doing it for decades, if not centuries.
Could you report on the work being done by college/university librarians (without endangering any of their work or themselves) departmental in fed govt librarians, LoC, museums, etc. I’ve come to hold them in very high esteem for saving truth and democracy
Then, in college, I used to study in the chemistry library. It was modern, it was new and it had a perfect smell of books mixed with new construction. I had my high school graduation stylos - pen and pencil. I was armed for education. I went to sneak in a cup of coffee (verboten) and my silver spears were stolen. My lesson, do not sneak coffee into the chemistry library. The librarian was hot. Not so sure she was very useful but one day I found myself in bed with her. She was unimpressed, but it was quite an experience for me. There can be quite a bit going on behind those big glasses and between the sheets. Ahhhh….the 70s.