Salem Cinema with support from Chemeketa Press and Salem Public Library presents a screening of THE LIBRARIANS followed by Q&A with editors Tammy Jabin, Sydney Darby & SPL librarian Sonja Somerville!
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 White Christian Nationalism 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.
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Sydney Darby and Tammy Jabin have collectively taught 50 years of English at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. They are editors of Silenced Voices: An Anthology of Banned and Censored Literature in the U.S., forthcoming from Chemeketa Press in 2027. The anthology gathers works that have been banned, challenged, or silenced, along with a timeline tracing censorship in the United States from its colonial roots to recent school controversies.
Sonja Somerville is the Programming and Outreach Supervisor for the Salem Public Library, managing the Youth Services team that focuses on services and programs for children ages 0-18. Sonja earned her Masters of Library and Information Science from Drexel University and built a vibrant program to serve the needs of middle and high school students in Salem’s first dedicated Teen Scene area. She is also active in the Oregon Library Association, with past work on various committees and projects, most notably serving as Chair of the Oregon Young Adult Network, Conference Program Chair, and Conference Chair for the 2024 OLA annual conference.
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