The Librarians

Central Grand Opening

Screen award winning documentary follwed by panel discussion with local librarians.

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 extremism 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.

About the Panelists:

Emily O'Neil has been a member of the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee (OIFC) since October 2020, and served as Chair of the OIFC from 2021-2024.  During her tenure with the OIFC, Emily has been a champion supporter of intellectual freedom, supporting libraries against book challenges across the state including drafting written statements, attending board meetings and speaking out in support of intellectual freedom, as well as offering trainings to school and library districts, at library conferences, and within a variety of community organizations. When not championing for intellectual freedom rights, Emily enjoys teaching dance or spending time outdoors hiking, snowboarding, rock climbing and paddle boarding with her husband and two dogs.

April Witteveen has been a librarian in Central Oregon for over 20 years. She believes in the power of libraries to change lives, every day, in ways both big and small. April loves spending time outside with her family and is an avid crafter; her current book recommendation is the graphic novel “Persepolis” by the late Marjane Satrapi. She recently was awarded the OSU-Cascade's inaugural Beacon of Hope Impact Award for advancing mental health.

Questions? Contact lizg@deschuteslibrary.org