Beyond Boundaries : The Librarians

THE LIBRARIANS (Kim Snyder, 2025)

Winner of a 2026 Primetime Emmy and 9 additional awards. This film highlights the stories of U.S. librarians and citizens who find themselves at the forefront in the fight for our First Amendment Rights. 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 of governmental censorship for education and public life. Facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work, The Librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale. The film will be followed by a panel of Western New York librarians.

Beyond Boundaries Screening & Discussion Series is a distinctive program at Buffalo State that has been running since 2014.  This annual, six-part film series is organized around categories of diversity including, but not limited to race, gender, class, sexuality, and abilities, with an emphasis on intersectionality.  It creates an opportunity for open dialogue on social justice issues among college students, staff, faculty and members of the greater Western New York community. 

Beyond Boundaries is sponsored by the Office of Equity and Campus Diversity, the Communication Department, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center.  All screenings are held in Burchfield Penney Art Center and are free and open to the public.

The series is curated by Professors Ruth Goldman and Meg Knowles