Though we do well to celebrate the rise of Widow’s Bay and Jean Smart’s 193rd public recognition, another excellent thing happened at the Emmys this year: librarians got a much-deserved shout-out.
The credit went to the librarians behind The Librarians, a documentary that spotlights frontline public workers battling book bans. This project was championed by our most stylish bibliophile, Sarah Jessica Parker, from its Sundance premiere through to the strip.
Produced and directed by Kim Snyder—a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker whose prior work includes Newtown—the film centers on library workers in Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Texas who have faced career repercussions for defying book bans. It also delves into legislative efforts to censor literature—such as the aggressive Krause List campaign in Texas—exploring these dynamics in depth.
The result is a viewing experience that is as sobering as it is hopeful. On the one hand, the documentary bears witness to the authoritarian surrealism unfolding at state houses across the country. On the other, it honors the ordinary heroes who refuse to yield in the face of censorship.
“We are proud to stand in solidarity with all our courageous librarians, true heroes, and so many others across the nation who continue to fight to defend our First Amendment rights and our freedom to read,” Snyder said, as she accepted the Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
Watch the rest of Snyder’s stirring acceptance speech here. (And catch the film itself here.)
And if possible, thank a librarian today.
