Introduction
A list of recommended resources collated by the Commons librarians related to The Librarians, a documentary that reveals how librarians in the United States are standing up against sweeping censorship efforts and political intimidation.
These resources were shared at a film screening held in November 2025 in Naarm | Melbourne. The event was hosted by Informit and CAVAL. A panel discussion was held after the film to discuss the film’s themes and their resonance in a local context. The panellists were Holly Hammond from Commons Library, Mali Jorm from Bacchus Marsh Grammar, Angela Savage from Public Libraries Victoria and Sae Ra Germaine from CAVAL.
What can we learn? What can we do? And how do we ensure libraries remain spaces of truth, diversity, and democratic engagement?
About the Film
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 White Christian Nationalism 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.
Watch Trailer
Recommended Resources
US Librarians Fighting Book Bans
- The Librarians website with information about the film and related resources
- Book Bans and the Librarians Who Won’t Be Hushed (November 2023) Harvard School of Education
- Soft Censorship’s Pointy Edges: Countering bias and self-censorship (June 2025) American Libraries Magazine
- Unite Against Book Bans: US campaign and Action Toolkit
Activist Skills & Organising Tools
- New to Activism, Organising and Campaigning? Start Here!
- Creative Activism: Start Here
- Protests: Start Here
- Lobbying and Advocacy: Start Here
- Organizing: People, Power, Change manual
- The Power to be a Changemaker: Resources for Teachers and Students
Resisting Authoritarianism & the Far Right
- Statement Guide to Counter the Far-Right
- The Anti-Autocracy Handbook: A Scholars’ Guide to Navigating Democratic Backsliding
- Authoritarianism: How You Know It When You See It
- Organizing in Increasingly Repressive Environments: Pushing Against Criminalization
- A Community Guide for Opposing Hate
Changing the Story
- Narrative Change: Start Here
- Democracy Narrative Resources
- Communicating Palestine: Framing & Messaging Tips
Practising Solidarity & Community Care
- Writing a Solidarity Statement: Considerations and Process Questions
- Commons Conversation: Resisting Genocide and Settler-Colonialism With Noura Mansour and Tarneen Onus-Browne
- Mental Health in the Palestine Solidarity Movement: Supporting Each Other
Libraries & Resource Directories
- Democracy Resource Hub Directory of Networks, Training Organizations, and Resource Libraries
- Power and Protect Safety Library
- List of Radical, Alternative and Community Libraries
- The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
Opportunities for Action & Collaboration
- Join the Australian Services Union (ASU): for local government and public librarians
- Join the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU): for academic librarians
- Join the Australian Education Union (AEU): for librarians at public schools
- Join the Independent Education Union (IEU): for librarians at private schools
- Trans Justice Project: advocating for trans youth
- Rainbow Community Angels: a grassroots community-led safety initiative
Explore Further
For more resources see New to Activism, Organising and Campaigning? Start Here which includes links to Start Here guides on Nonviolent Direct Action, Lobbying & Advocacy, Working in Groups, Organising, Coalition Building, Fundraising and more. Visit the Browse page to explore more.
To learn more about The Commons Social Change Library see the About page and Annual Report 2024-25.
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