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"Free for All" documentary celebrates public libraries

Explore new PBS film and resources for your library

PBS Books partners with Indie Lens Pop-Up to share the film with community libraries /
a young woman studying at a desk in a library
Photo courtesy PBS Books/Indie Lens Pop-Up

Imagine having an easy way to engage your library patrons in a conversation about the importance of your library. That’s the idea behind Free For All: The Public Library, an exciting new documentary premiering on PBS Indie Lens this April. The film chronicles the evolution of the nation’s public libraries, tracing the battles over who can enter, what belongs there, and who makes these decisions, while exploring how public spaces are defined and defended. 

Directors Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor traveled the US, discovering unsung historic and modern-day figures, often women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy. The film charts the institution’s trajectory from America’s original Free Library Movement that began in the mid-19th century to current struggles in a digital age amidst budget cuts, closures, and polarizing book bans. Following the stories of public library visitors and staff striving to implement innovative policies, the documentary celebrates a civic institution whose offerings are free and whose doors are open to all.

The film explores the following themes:

  1. American democracy, civic ideals, and the public square;
  2. Literacy and citizenship;
  3. Women’s contributions to the public library movement;
  4. Segregation, immigration, and racial justice; and
  5. Libraries and contemporary public spaces. 

Host a screening at your library

Libraries across the country are invited to screen this film in their libraries and take advantage of turnkey educational resources, including booklists, an engagement guide, and more. Librarians can watch an informational webinar and complete this form to host a screening event in your community. You can also watch a preview here. 

PBS Books is thrilled to continue to bring free high-quality resources to public libraries to share with their communities.  If you would like to learn more about PBS Books, visit pbsbooks.org or email [email protected] with questions. To learn more about this film on social media, visit Facebook and Instagram @IndependentLens.