First Coast Connect: Librarians as first responders

Описание: https://news.wjct.org/show/first-coas...
Florida has had plenty of competition when it comes to removing books from school shelves and students’ hands, but in sheer numbers, the Sunshine State has no peer. According to PEN America, the state has held the No. 1 title for three years running, with more than 9,000 titles removed and restricted just since 2021. A new documentary explores the trend and its effects, particularly for those working on the front lines — media specialists. No longer tasked with shushing visitors, school librarians are instead fighting efforts to silence the voices of authors, particularly those with diverse experiences or those exploring difficult topics. The PBS documentary The Librarians explores the role of libraries and the people tasked with running them in an increasingly fraught and even dangerous environment. The film focuses primarily on Texas but features local book fights, including in Clay County, the most restrictive school district in the state. We discuss the film with two local participants ahead of a screening of the film at WJCT Studios on Thursday.

Guests:

The Rev. Jeffrey Dove, freedom-to-read advocate and pastor of Saint James AME Church in Orange Park
Julie Miller, freedom-to-read advocate and librarian