Librarians have been fired, harassed and threatened with arrest. Now they’re fighting back

Americans last year challenged more book titles than ever before, according to a new report by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Much of that increase came from groups or individuals trying to censor dozens or hundreds of titles at a time, the organization said. It’s part of a conservative push across the country to ban certain books based on the claim that they are inappropriate for children. Many of the books were about or written by LGBTQ+ people and people of color.

Librarians are often caught in the middle of these campaigns and state legislative attempts to censor library materials. They’ve faced criminalization and harassment and in some cases have been fired after refusing to move or remove books.

Suzette Baker lost her job as a librarian in Llano County, Texas, after refusing to put a third edition of Critical Race Theory behind the counter where patrons couldn’t find it unless they asked for it.

“Libraries are a neutral space. And they should be protected as that neutral space. There's no protections for them,” she said. “We need a free library, a library of everything, a library that reflects the good, the bad and the ugly.

She is among the librarians across the country fighting censorship and trying to engage their communities.

PBS NewsHour digital video producer Casey Kuhn spoke to some of them to hear their stories.

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