Kim A. Snyder’s The Librarians is a comprehensive documentary that maps well-funded, right-wing political groups’ nationwide mission to ban books and those standing up to this movement in the name of anti-censorship. And though there are expected touches throughout (onscreen quotes from Fahrenheit 451, talking-head interviews offering context) this film surprises in its thorough research and succinct storytelling. If you’ve wondered how exactly we got here, The Librarians has your answer.
Women librarians are the heroes of this story, Amanda Jones among them. Jones has become a public figure after speaking out against book-banning in Louisiana libraries, founding the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship in 2022 and suffering significant harassment as a result. There’s also Suzette Baker, a Texas librarian who was fired after refusing to remove books from the library.
There’s cleverly deployed archival footage of libraries past (mostly in the form of helpful, black-and-white PSAs) that both underline the importance of librarians and the precariousness of our current political situation. In a world where books that reflect a different viewpoint or lifestyle are deemed dangerous or disgusting, free thought and discovery become stifled. Before movies ever existed, books were empathy machines for the general public. Libraries are a public service that exist in a time in which public service is regularly belittled and dismissed as inessential.
One crucial element to The Librarians is analysis. This is a well-researched film. Which is appropriate: most librarians excel in research, a requirement of their job. Powerful narratives emerge within the larger framework of the piece: a gay son returns to his hometown to speak out against censorship at the local library while his bigoted mother, who has disowned him, sits in attendance, starkly opposed to every sentence he utters. A preacher sits in on a public meeting and confronts a panel of people who hate everything he stands for.
The editing throughout builds a brisk pace, constructing a crescendo to a reveal that is all too familiar: these “grassroots,” far-right groups (Moms for Liberty, etc.) are funded by the richest in the land. There is an extended interview with a librarian shrouded in shadow that does not pay off as well as it should, but no matter. This documentary lays the facts at our feet and gives us a glimpse of the brave people trying to keep books in libraries and keep young minds open.
The Librarians premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.