Monday May 11 | 6:00 PM | DCF, screening room Lalka
Discussion: Fahrenheit 451. The Temperature of the Culture War
after the screening of THE LIBRARIANS, dir. Kim A. Snyder
Conservative America is waging a culture war against diversity, even in school libraries. ‘Librarians’ will take us to an unexpected frontline in the fight for democracy, free access to information, and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. It is in school libraries, such as those in Texas and Florida, that an unprecedented wave of book bans has begun – largely concerning issues of race and LGBT+ topics. On the front line of the conflict over freedom of speech and access to knowledge stand librarians and their allies, who are increasingly becoming the targets of a modern-day “witch hunt”. After the screening, we will reflect on the origins of the moral panic surrounding certain cultural content, the forms modern censorship takes, and the divisive – yet also unifying – power of ideas and the strength of storytelling.
Guests:
Kamila Prociów – representative of the Director of the T. Różewicz Municipal Public Library in Wrocław for international relations and cooperation with the City Council and Neighbourhood Councils. Educator, trainer, academic lecturer, PhD in social sciences. Author of the book ‘Żywa Biblioteka. Uczenie się (o) inności w społecznościach praktyki’. For many years, she has been involved in educational and intercultural activities, carrying out social and research projects.
constitutional law and human rights. In his academic work, he also addresses issues related to the legal liability of senior state officials, the functioning of the judiciary, relations between state bodies, and the organisation and powers of the Constitutional Tribunal. Assistant Professor in the Department of Law at SWPS University, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Law and Social Communication in Wrocław.
Mateusz Świetlicki – Professor at the Department of American Literature and Culture and Head of the Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Culture Research Group at the Institute of English Studies, University of Wrocław. Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Modern Languages. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious scholarships (including a Fulbright) and the author of many academic papers published in Polish and international academic journals. His latest book won the IRSCL Book Award 2025.
Moderator:
Iwona Morozow
PARTNERS: SWPS University, University of Wrocław, Tadeusz Różewicz Municipal Public Library in Wrocław
