Libraries are having a Hollywood moment, as several documentarians have recently turned their lenses towards libraries, librarians, and intellectual freedom issues. Some of these films made their mark at the recent American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, on PBS, at the Sundance Film Festival, and even at the Oscars, where The ABCs of Book Banning was nominated last year for Best Documentary Short Film. Below you can read about some favorites (and find out how to watch them).
The Librarians (2025)
Director: Kim A. Snyder
Running time: 92 minutes
About: The Librarians follows librarians in Florida and Texas as they work to protect children’s rights to access books from challenges like Texas’s Krause List, which targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQ+ stories and has triggered book bans across the US. The film also investigates the sources of the often coordinated efforts behind recent large-scale book-banning campaigns. The Librarians, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, won Best Documentary Feature Film jury awards at both the Sarasota (Fla.) Film Festival and the Dallas International Film Festival. American Association of School Librarians President Becky Calzada has recognized the filmmakers with a 2025 AASL Presidential Commendation.
How to watch: See the schedule of festival screenings at thelibrariansfilm.com/screenings/. The producers are also seeking partners to host independent screenings at thelibrariansfilm.com/host-a-screening.
Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians (Forthcoming)
Director: Rodney Freeman
Running time: Feature-length
About: Are You a Librarian? highlights Black librarians’ pivotal roles in establishing libraries, promoting literacy, and advocating for equal access to information within their communities, from the era of slavery to today. It sheds light on Black librarians’ struggles and achievements, showcases their role in movements for social justice, illuminates their work in preserving and curating African American cultural heritage, and discusses their efforts to create inclusive library spaces that serve all patrons equitably.
How to watch: The in-progress film was screened at ALA’s 2025 Annual Conference. Future screenings and festival appearances are planned; email rodneyfreeman@reminiscepreservation.com to host an independent screening.
Banned Together (2025)
Directors: Kate Way and Tom Wiggin
Running time: 92 minutes
About: Banned Together follows three South Carolina students and their adult allies as they work to reverse the removal of 97 books from their school libraries. While their efforts start locally, they evolve into national activists as book bans continue to rise in the US, meeting with banned authors, politicians, Constitutional experts, and others. The film won Best Documentary Feature awards at four festivals, including the 2024 Lone Star Film Festival.
How to watch: Available on Apple TV+, Kanopy, and Amazon Prime Video. Request a community screening or purchase educational DVDs or digital site licenses at bannedtogetherdoc.com/host-a-screening.
Free for All: The Public Library (2025)
Directors: Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor
Running time: 84 minutes
About: Free for All: The Public Library traces the history of the public library in the United States, from the women who pioneered the 19th-century Free Library Movement to the modern librarians who maintain a free and open civic institution in an era of book bans and library closures. The film makes the case that libraries—institutions that provide a lifeline to Americans in need and serve as community cornerstones—must be saved.
How to watch: Stream for free through July 29, 2025 at www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/free-for-all/ or with a PBS Passport membership through April 29, 2028, or apply to host a screening at freeforallfilms.org.
How to Build a Library (2025)
Directors: Maia Lekow and Christopher King
www.circleandsquare.tv/how-to-build-a-library
Running time: 103 minutes
About: Opened in 1931, McMillan Memorial Library is the oldest library in Nairobi, Kenya. But until 1962, it was for the exclusive use of Europeans. In 2018, two Kenyan women—novelist Shiro Koinange and publisher Angela Wachuka—successfully lobbied city officials to take over management of the dilapidated library. How to Build a Library follows their efforts to overhaul the physical spaces and reckon with the library’s painful colonial history. The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
How to watch: Currently playing at film festivals while seeking distribution.
The ABCs of Book Banning (2023)
Directors: Sheila Nevins, Trish Adlesic, and Nazenet Habtezghi
https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/eT_y9hgSBq68MGsk7qPI_wmBxI4T3G_8/
Running time: 27 minutes
About: The ABCs of Book Banning gives a voice to people—from students to to authors to centenarian Grace Linn—as they oppose the removal of books on LGBTQ+ and racial topics in Florida schools and libraries. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards in March 2024.
How to watch: Available on Paramount+.
Library Stories: Books on the Backroads (2023)
Director: Mary Lance and Ben Daitz
https://www.newdealfilms.com/library-stories
Running time: 55 minutes
About: Library Stories profiles small, rural libraries in New Mexico. The film highlights how these libraries provide critical services like internet access, computer access, help arranging medical appointments, seed libraries, and the preservation of native languages and local culture.
How to watch: Available on DVD or for streaming for institutional or personal use via New Deal Films.
Overdue: The Value of School Librarians (2020)
https://www.pbs.org/video/overdue-cdzpqd/
Running time: 14 minutes
About: Produced by the School Librarians of Rhode Island and aired as an episode of Rhode Island PBS Weekly, Overdue highlights school librarians in the country’s smallest state and their evolving role in empowering students to navigate online resources to find accurate information and develop 21st century skills. The documentary demonstrates how librarians navigate a complex digital landscape while creating spaces where children can research, design, and innovate.
How to watch: Stream via PBS.
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
Director: Frederick Wiseman
https://zipporahfilms.com/ex-libris
Running time: 197 minutes
About: A series of vignettes explores New York Public Library’s role in the culture and community of the city it serves. The film highlights both users of the library and their diverse needs as well as the library staff and administrators working to provide services. Ex Libris won the International Federation of Film Critics Award at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival.
How to watch: Stream via Kanopy or purchase on DVD or Blu-ray via Zipporah Films.
