On Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., join us for a special screening of INDEPENDENT LENS’ The Librarians, the award-winning documentary that The New York Times called “gripping…as well-crafted as it is profoundly alarming.” This event will take place in the Lenox Town Hall Auditorium, 6 Walker Street.
When Texas lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life. A panel discussion and audience Q&A will follow the screening, and our friends from The Bookstore will sell a variety of banned books.
Panelists:
Martin Garnar (he/him) is the director of the Amherst College Library and the editor of the Intellectual Freedom Manual (10th ed.), the authoritative reference for librarians for day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people. His professional activities and speaking schedule reflect a profound inability to say no. A native New Yorker, Martin lives in western Massachusetts with his husband Mark and their impossibly cute miniature dachshunds.
Jennifer Guerin (she/her) earned her M.A. in English from Georgetown University and her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. She also received her Law for Librarians training from the American Library Association in May 2024 and tries her level best to keep up with Intellectual Freedom issues for the Massachusetts School Library Association. Jennifer currently serves as Librarian at W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School in Great Barrington, MA, where a custodian’s complaint against Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer in a teacher’s classroom made national headlines in 2024.
Colleen AF Venable (she/her/they) is the author of the National Book Award Longlisted Kiss Number 8, a graphic novel co-created with Ellen T. Crenshaw that has been banned in 11 states. Her other books include the Katie the Catsitter series with Stephanie Yue (banned in Florida and Tennessee), Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in The World with Ruth Chan, The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom with Lian Cho, and the Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series, also with Stephanie Yue and nominated for the Best Publication for Kids Eisner. Colleen is also the graphic novel adapter of the Junie B. Jones series, which has lived on the banned list for the last 30+ years.
Colleen is one of the national leaders of Authors Against Book Bans, a coalition of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and other book creators, who stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was the sole designer for hundreds of First Second Books, worked as a Creative Director for Workman and Macmillan, and the Director for Epic! Kids. Colleen splits her time between North Adams, MA and Brooklyn, NY.
About Indie Lens Pop-Up
For more than 20 years, the award-winning Indie Lens Pop-Up program has partnered with local organizations across the country to bring people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Inspired by the documentaries featured on PBS’ INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up is a space for sharing ideas and making connections that shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Since its inception in 2005, nearly half a million participants have come together at Indie Lens Pop-Up events to discuss issues that impact local communities. Learn more at pbs.org/indielenspopup.
About INDEPENDENT LENS
INDEPENDENT LENS is an award-winning documentary series that fosters understanding, seeks to build empathy, and encourages a more united society. Produced by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS documentaries have premiered on PBS for 25 years and streamed on YouTube, helping Americans foster deeper connections between communities and themselves. From the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro to the Peabody-acclaimed docuseries Philly D.A. and the EmmyⓇ award-winning The Invisible War, INDEPENDENT LENS provides viewers with in-depth, nuanced storytelling reflecting the experiences of people from a variety of voices and communities. INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting: a private corporation funded by the American People, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Park Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation. Stream anytime on the PBS app or YouTube. Learn more at pbs.org/independentlens.