Podcast Summary: The Book Case

Episode: "The Librarians: A Must-See Documentary for Book Lovers"

Host: Kate Gibson & Charlie Gibson
Guest(s): Audrey Wilson Youngblood, Amanda Jones, Kim A. Snyder
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Book Case delves into the new documentary "The Librarians," exploring the escalating crisis of book banning and censorship confronting American libraries, and the everyday heroes—librarians—who are now on the front lines. Kate and Charlie Gibson talk to two central figures from the film, Audrey Wilson Youngblood (Texas) and Amanda Jones (Louisiana), and the film's director, Kim A. Snyder. The episode champions the First Amendment, the right to read, and the transformative personal and civic role of libraries.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Book Banning: A Non-Political but Urgent Issue

• [01:17] Charlie frames book banning as a rare issue the show will take a stand on, calling it “heinous” and stating:
  “We are very much against book banning. It’s wrong. People ought to be able to read what they want to read.”
• [02:39] Kate shares her passion, reinforced by her library science studies, highlighting libraries as vital to democracy, privacy, and personal discovery.

2. Introducing the Documentary and Its Subjects

• [04:09] The show describes the documentary’s focus on two librarians:
  • Audrey Wilson Youngblood: Fought back against Texas’ sudden book bans under the Kraus List, endured harassment, and transitioned from anonymous participant to public advocate.
  • Amanda Jones: Louisiana librarian targeted and harassed for speaking out at a public library meeting.

3. Personal Stories of Harassment and Resistance

• [05:47] Audrey describes how the Texas book bans began and the effects on school libraries.

  Notable Quote [06:51] Audrey:
  “It was a very unusual experience to go from one of the COVID heroes [...] And then the next school year, I started to be targeted and harassed online. I was doxxed. They called me a pedophile, a groomer.”

• [12:54] Amanda details the escalation after she spoke at her public library and the deeply personal nature of the attacks.

  Notable Quote [13:51] Amanda:
  “I went as a resident of my community and spoke out at the public library in defense of an attempt to ban books. [...] they started posting pictures of me. One was a meme of my face that said that I advocate the teaching of anal sex to 11 year olds. The other [...] a target around my face saying that I give pornography and erotica to 6 year olds.”

4. Whiplash: From Hero to Villain in Their Communities

• Both Audrey and Amanda recount the rapid switch from being celebrated during COVID to vilified as “groomers” and “pedophiles,” with Amanda’s former supporter even writing a state bill targeting her.

  Notable Quote [14:31] Amanda:
  “That same woman who said that about me is now our state representative. She filed a bill called HB 777 in the Louisiana legislature that they nicknamed the Amanda Jones Bill. That had it passed, I could go [...] to serve 2 years hard labor for attending a [...] library association conference.”

5. Motivations, Faith, and the Burden of Activism

• Both guests cite their faith and family roots as sources of strength and motivation.

  Notable Quote [17:10] Amanda: “I'm the eldest granddaughter. And so [my grandfather] didn't do that in order for his granddaughter to back away from anything that looks like fascism. So I'm not going to. And I have zero regrets about it.”

• Audrey ties her advocacy to a generational fight for democracy, saying:
  [18:29] Audrey:
  “Just in a different way with a book and a cardigan instead of a gun.”

6. The First Amendment and Library Ethics

• Both discuss librarianship’s core around the First Amendment, access to information, and providing marginalized youth with representation and agency.

  Notable Quote [18:58] Audrey:
  “When information is denied [to students or marginalized communities], their power and agency is removed. And that's something that librarians are here to stand up for and to fight for.”

• Amanda recalls being raised to defend the Constitution and helping “the underdog,” now ironically vilified for those same principles.

  Notable Quote [20:15] Amanda:
  “So, to me, it's very odd that I'm now being vilified for doing the thing that they taught me, the person they taught me to be.”

7. Personal Consequences and Building Community

• Both note the emotional toll: loss of community, struggles with faith communities becoming unsafe, and ongoing harassment.

• The documentary community “family” offers crucial support, with daily connections among featured librarians.

• Amanda notes a slow shift in local attitudes due to the film and her book, but acknowledges irreparable personal reputational damage.

  Notable Quote [26:11] Amanda: “I don't think it's ever going to shift back. Like, my reputation in my community is ruined forever... People are starting to realize, hey, maybe we jumped the gun.”

• Audrey affirms the importance of telling their stories, for their own healing and for influencing others.

8. On Leaving or Staying in Hostile Communities

• Amanda is resolute about staying:
  [28:00] Amanda:
  “Never. Not once. Because if I leave, who's going to be there for the kids?”
• Audrey admits to fleeting thoughts of leaving, but chooses to stay and fight for her community.

9. Reflections on the Librarian’s Role and Importance of Libraries

• Charlie and Kate trade personal stories about libraries as inclusive, near-sacred spaces essential for agency, empathy, and civic growth.

  Notable Quote [29:28] Kate:
  “Libraries are kids’ first taste of agency... And kids deserve as much agency as possible in a library.”

• Charlie concludes:
  [30:47] Charlie:
  “There’s a lot of books in libraries that I hate. [But] they ought to be there.”

Timestamps: Notable Segments

• [05:47 – 11:33]: Audrey’s story, harassment, local policy, and the impact of book challenges
• [12:48 – 17:30]: Amanda’s story, public library speech, local backlash, and legislative targeting
• [18:42 – 22:34]: First Amendment, faith, and relational consequences of activism
• [23:35 – 28:32]: Publicly revealing their stories, finding solidarity, and staying in their communities

Interview with Director Kim A. Snyder ([32:04 onwards])

• Kim describes the film’s genesis with the Texas “Kraus List” of 850 suggested banned books, and her contact with the Texas Freedom Fighters, a group of librarians resisting censorship.

• Discusses the shock of criminalizing librarians for upholding First Amendment rights, fueled by misinformation about “pornography” in libraries.

• Addresses the deeper, coordinated campaign, linking book bans to broader attacks on public education and using school boards as a strategic entry point.

• Explains the idea of librarians as “canaries in the coal mine”—an early warning against creeping authoritarianism via control of information.

  Notable Quote [35:36] Kim:
  “I think she meant that it was a Trojan horse, that it was a way to infiltrate a swath of the American public... not really about the culture wars in the books, but about a more concerning precedent that we've seen throughout history... of controlling information to the public.”

• Kim urges viewers to become civically engaged at a local level, especially via school boards—an area where participation is typically low but high-impact.

  Notable Quote [40:00] Kim:
  “I want them to feel outrage... to get civically involved on a hyper local level. [...] This is a particular issue, unlike maybe abortion and guns, where actually you can have agency in your own town by getting involved in a school board, because this is where the protocol is being determined and—or broken.”

• Kate recaps the crucial role of libraries in giving “mirrors” to children through representation in books.

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• [14:31] Amanda (on being legislative target):
  “They made me an accidental activist is what they've done. They chose to target me, and then instead of being quiet, I did the opposite, which was to just get louder and speak my truth about it whenever I can.”
• [18:58] Audrey (on First Amendment):
  “When information is denied their power and their agency is removed. And that's something that librarians are here to stand up for and to fight for.”
• [26:11] Amanda (on community perception):
  “I don't think it's ever going to shift back. Like, my reputation in my community is ruined forever [...] But I do think people are starting to realize, hey, maybe we jumped the gun.”
• [34:20] Kim (on broader motives):
  “There was this sudden idea of our kids are being indoctrinated rather than looking at representation... Underneath it... is a 2025 agenda with white Christian nationalist underpinnings and a lot about an attack on public education.”

Conclusion

The episode spotlights the urgent issue of book bans and the personal cost borne by the librarians fighting against censorship. Through deeply personal testimony and broader analysis, the episode advances the case for libraries as bastions of democracy and empathy. The documentary "The Librarians" is presented as a vital, moving call to action—not just for readers, but for anyone who believes in the First Amendment and a pluralistic society.

Kate and Charlie close with literary quotes that celebrate the calling of librarianship and the unheralded courage of those who defend access to books for all.

Resources

• The Librarians documentary premiers February 9th on PBS.
• Amanda Jones’ book and screening information can be found in the episode description.
• For more on the ongoing fight against book bans and censorship, check local library advocacy groups or the American Library Association.

For Listeners

If you care about libraries, books, or democracy, this episode—and the documentary it features—will move and inspire you. It’s an impassioned call to defend the right to read and to support the librarians who quietly, courageously hold the line.