Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A post-screening conversation of the preview of the new documentary The Librarians Indie Lens Pop-Up program is presented by KQED, San Francisco Public Library and Independent Lens.
The Librarians follows a growing movement of library workers responding to book bans and defending intellectual freedom across the United States. Set amid rising censorship efforts in Texas, Florida and beyond, the film highlights the essential role of libraries—and the people who sustain them—on the frontlines of democracy.
Through personal stories and firsthand accounts, The Librarians explores the importance of access to information, a range of viewpoints and the right to read.
A moderated conversation with Drag Laureate Per Sia and SFUSD librarian and author René Peña Govea follows the screening.
René Peña-Govea is a teacher-librarian, writer, and musician born and raised in San Francisco. René published her first poem and released her first album at age fifteen, and since then, has been named an inaugural Bay Beats musician, a YBCA-100 Honoree, a Las Musas Hermana, an SFPL Brown-Handler Resident, a Creative-in-Residence at The Ruby, and a Nomadic Literary awardee. She works as a middle school librarian, and performs music with three generations of La Familia Peña-Govea and as René y Familia. Her debut novel, Estela, Undrowning (Quill Tree, HarperCollins) will be published on March 3, 2026, and she is currently drafting her second novel.
Per Sia is a first-generation Trans Mexican-American artist and educator whose work is rooted in storytelling, community building and cultural advocacy. Raised in South Central Los Angeles and shaped by San Francisco’s 16th Street Queer Latine scene, shePer Sia portrait began her drag career at the historic Esta Noche and has since performed across museums, cultural centers and nightlife venues. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, she cofounded Drag Story Hour in San Francisco, now an internationally recognized program, and teaches in SFUSD’s Children’s After School Arts Program. Per Sia currently serves as San Francisco’s Drag Laureate, championing LGBTQ+ artistry, visibility and joy through performance, education and public engagement.
Moderated by Baruch Porras-Hernandez, a SF–based writer, performer and organizer. He is the author of the chapbooks I Miss You, Delicate and Lovers of the Deep Fried Circle, a two-time winner of Literary Death Match and a regular host of KQED literary programs. His work has appeared with Write Bloody Publishing, Foglifter and Assaracus. He is the head organizer of ¿Dónde Está Mi Gente?, a Latinx literary performance series, and is currently the lead artist on a multidisciplinary project with MACLA developing new Queer Latino superheroes.
Connect:
The Librarians Film - Website | The Librarians Film - Instagram | The Librarians Film - Facebook
A post-screening conversation of the preview of the new documentary The Librarians Indie Lens Pop-Up program is presented by KQED, San Francisco Public Library and Independent Lens.
The Librarians follows a growing movement of library workers responding to book bans and defending intellectual freedom across the United States. Set amid rising censorship efforts in Texas, Florida and beyond, the film highlights the essential role of libraries—and the people who sustain them—on the frontlines of democracy.
Through personal stories and firsthand accounts, The Librarians explores the importance of access to information, a range of viewpoints and the right to read.
A moderated conversation with Drag Laureate Per Sia and SFUSD librarian and author René Peña Govea follows the screening.
René Peña-Govea is a teacher-librarian, writer, and musician born and raised in San Francisco. René published her first poem and released her first album at age fifteen, and since then, has been named an inaugural Bay Beats musician, a YBCA-100 Honoree, a Las Musas Hermana, an SFPL Brown-Handler Resident, a Creative-in-Residence at The Ruby, and a Nomadic Literary awardee. She works as a middle school librarian, and performs music with three generations of La Familia Peña-Govea and as René y Familia. Her debut novel, Estela, Undrowning (Quill Tree, HarperCollins) will be published on March 3, 2026, and she is currently drafting her second novel.
Per Sia is a first-generation Trans Mexican-American artist and educator whose work is rooted in storytelling, community building and cultural advocacy. Raised in South Central Los Angeles and shaped by San Francisco’s 16th Street Queer Latine scene, shePer Sia portrait began her drag career at the historic Esta Noche and has since performed across museums, cultural centers and nightlife venues. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, she cofounded Drag Story Hour in San Francisco, now an internationally recognized program, and teaches in SFUSD’s Children’s After School Arts Program. Per Sia currently serves as San Francisco’s Drag Laureate, championing LGBTQ+ artistry, visibility and joy through performance, education and public engagement.
Moderated by Baruch Porras-Hernandez, a SF–based writer, performer and organizer. He is the author of the chapbooks I Miss You, Delicate and Lovers of the Deep Fried Circle, a two-time winner of Literary Death Match and a regular host of KQED literary programs. His work has appeared with Write Bloody Publishing, Foglifter and Assaracus. He is the head organizer of ¿Dónde Está Mi Gente?, a Latinx literary performance series, and is currently the lead artist on a multidisciplinary project with MACLA developing new Queer Latino superheroes.
Connect:
The Librarians Film - Website | The Librarians Film - Instagram | The Librarians Film - Facebook
