In December and January, the KB programmed several screenings of the film The Librarians. This award-winning documentary follows librarians in the United States as they fight back against book banning. The KB has noticed that free access to information is also under pressure in The Netherlands. Director General Wilma van Wezenbeek emphasises that the KB is a strong advocate for freedom of information.

Freedom of information

As Van Wezenbeek explains: “Free access to information is also under pressure in our country. For example, libraries that host story-time mornings with drag queens have been threatened. Even in the Netherlands lists of books that some people want banned are circulating. Like all those librarians in The Librarians, I remain firmly committed to free access to information. Libraries are places where every person is allowed to develop as he, she or they wish, in safety and security. They are places where everyone is allowed to form their own opinions based on an uncensored collection.”

In the US, political action groups have been responsible for banning books, getting librarians fired and even death threats. Books on LGBTQIA+, sex education or anti-racism are labelled “obscene” and legislation has even been proposed to criminalise the lending of these books. The Librarians follows librarians in places like Texas and Florida as they fight back against these attacks on freedom of information. The film won the Audience Choice, Documentary Runner Up prize at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.