Watching The Librarians With Librarians During Banned Books Week

On Tuesday, during Banned Books Week, three high school seniors—Laird Bowser, Alec Thomsen, and Devin Protti—organized a sold-out screening of the 2025 documentary The Librarians in Santa Cruz, California. They partnered with Bookshop Santa Cruz, the Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz Public Libraries to raise $5,248 for purchasing banned and challenged books for local school libraries.

The Emmy award-winning film, directed by Kim A. Snyder, serves as a cautionary tale or harbinger, depending on perspective. It centers on former Texas State Representative Matt Krause and current Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who, in 2021, compiled a list of over 850 books they deemed inappropriate, sparking a nationwide ban wave with the assistance of groups like Moms for Liberty, Patriot Mobile, and conservative politicians.

The film's director, Kim Snyder, echoes PEN America's finding that in the 2025-2026 school year, 11,982 book bans occurred in public schools, the highest number recorded since tracking began.

The film revisits the theme of erasure through its portrayal of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel about book burning. The film juxtaposes a book bonfire in Francois Truffaut's 1966 adaptation to a real-life bonfire in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, in 2022, emphasizing the ongoing struggle against censorship.

Bowser, Thomsen, and Protti, who own and manage Bookshop Santa Cruz, were deeply affected by the film's message. Protti, in particular, was inspired to show his community the consequences of book bans on access to diverse and representative stories. They invited Barbara Lawrence, a librarian at Gault Elementary for 15 years, to speak about her experiences.

Lawrence, who had previously worked with Protti and his friends to buy books for remote learning students, introduced the audience to The Librarians, which she had seen at an American Library Association conference.

During the screening, attendees were moved by the film's depiction of real-life librarians facing threats and censorship. Lawrence emphasized the importance of librarians reading challenged books first, stating, "Anyone who challenges a book, reads it first." This resonated with Sarah Harbison, head of Collection Management Services at Santa Cruz Public Library, who discussed the challenges librarians face in defending books and the importance of representation in literature.

The film's message of inclusion, representation, and the defense of democracy struck a chord with the audience, fostering a collective sense of urgency and solidarity.