Film Screening & Discussion: "The Librarians"

USA 2025, Director Kim A. Snyder, 92 min.

As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.

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 a large-scale coordinated extremist movement 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.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

The screening of this documentary is followed by a podium discussion with:
- Martin Holtz, University Graz
- Nicole Schneider, LMU Munich
- Helga Frese-Resch, Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Moderation: Antje Kley, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg

This event is part of the BAA Annual Conference 2026 "Free Speech: Promises, Meanings, Controversies" and open to the public. Please register beforehand.

Organizer: Bavarian American Academy

In Cooperation with: Melior Foundation, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Thomas Dehler Foundation