Movie shares the impact on librarians after a Texas lawmaker targeted 849 books
Through the art deco doors of the historic Texas Theatre in Dallas, movie-goers dressed in anti-book banning garb collected their popcorn and sat down for a story that started on library doorsteps.
Kim Snyder’s documentary “The Librarians” follows the experiences of public school librarians in Texas, Louisiana and Florida in the months after then-state Rep. Matt Krause, a Keller Republican, released a list targeting 849 books in 2021.
Krause, who is now a Tarrant County commissioner, initiated a legislative investigation into the listed literature about race and racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, sex and sexuality, abortion and LGBTQ rights. At the time, Krause said the aim was simply to gather information.
The list sparked a fire under Texas parents to challenge any books they had ideological disagreements with in school libraries.
In between Keller and Granbury school board meeting snippets, “The Librarians” explains how the posting of Krause’s list quickly devolved into librarians fearing for their safety at previously-wholesome bibliophile conferences.
Snyder’s documentary highlights how Texas created a blueprint to paint librarians as groomers and “porn dealers,” when students knew their spaces as a magical entryway to other worlds. It follows how the librarians featured went from working their dream jobs to the front lines in a fight about censorship.
“Fahrenheit 451” was the first of many dystopian novels and movies referenced in the documentary. The nearly sold-out theater quieted as the opening line from Ray Bradbury’s classic came across the screen: “It was a pleasure to burn.”
At one point, black and white imagery of Nazi soldiers throwing books onto a burning pile turned to a full-color video of Americans in Tennessee doing the same last year.
The movie quickly recognized many of the God-fearing politicians and impassioned parents who said librarians were “out to wreck the heterosexual relationship.” Some, like Krause and Jeremy Glenn, superintendent of the Carroll Independent School District, still hold positions of power in communities a short drive from the Texas Theatre.
Those in attendance couldn’t hold back sarcastic laughter, disgruntled groans and tears of heartbreak as the story unfolded. After one of the closing scenes of a librarian being told she is a hero, the audience stood in unison to applaud.
“The Librarians” premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival and is only being shown in select theaters around the world. It will be available on PBS Independent Lens in February. North Texans have two more chances to view the documentary at the Texas Theatre on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM.