Written by If you have time, I highly recommend watching the PBS documentary The Librarians. The film follows librarians across the U.S. who are navigating challenges to library collections, particularly around race-related and LGBTQIA+ content, and situates these debates within broader historical and educational contexts.
This documentary connects directly to our exploration of information communities by showing how libraries support communities formed around shared identities and lived experiences. For marginalized populations, access to stories that reflect their lives is about visibility, belonging, and participation in the social exchange of information. The film underscores how equity of access and intellectual freedom are essential to sustaining inclusive information communities. It offers a real-world view of how information professionals serve diverse communities while responding to social, political, and cultural pressures—exactly the outward-facing, user-centered perspective emphasized in our course.
You can watch it on demand here:
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-librarians/
I tried catching this at a local theater when it was showing but wasn’t able to make it, thanks for sharing!
@yvettegarci4 glad to share. I actually started watching it again and that first 30 or so minutes is something. Not a fan of Texas and the government’s approach to what’s on the shelf at the library.
I saw this in a theater, and it was incredibly powerful. I could feel the audience reacting in real time and many people were visibly shocked and unsettled by what’s happening.
@fawndarellainthelibrary the theater experience would be amazing. There are probably a lot of folks that might not have followed the new stories on this or been aware. Maybe that’s why band book week is so important.
I was able to watch this at my local CSU in a room of librarians with an amazing discussion after. This documentary is what cemented my choice on applying to the MLIS program.
@amyemorris that is excellent. I’m so glad you had that opportunity to apply applying for a program. You were absolutely on the right track to have that inspiration from the film and from the discussion.