Tuesday, March 17th. Doors open at 6, films begin at 6:30pm

Multi Purpose Room (N12)-- follow the signs, parking will be free!

In this documentary, 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.

Immediately following the screening, Librarian Lisa Nowlain will moderate a panel discussion exploring how restrictions on library content are shaping communities. The panel includes:

• Justin Azevedo: Justin Azevedo is the Youth Selection Specialist for Sacramento Public Library, selecting all English-language print and digital materials for ages 0-18 for the system's collection, along with board and video games. He is a past chair of the Association for Library Services to Children's Intellectual Freedom Committee, and has worked in public libraries for 20 years.

• Lu Bunker: Lu Bunker is a non-binary author and activist currently living in Sacramento. Writing as Lisa Bunker, they have published five books for young readers in the past ten years, all with significant rainbow content. More than one of their books has shown up on lists of banned books.