Press Releases
Indie Lens Pop-Up Presents “Free for All: The Public Library,” the Story of a Simple Idea that Shaped a Nation
by
April 21, 2025
Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS, and WCNY-PBS will host an event featuring a shortened, preview version of “Free for All: The Public Library” and a community discussion. “Free for All: The Public Library” tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who created a civic institution where everything is free, and the doors are open to all.
The public library is one of America’s most valued yet endangered institutions. Director Dawn Logsdon travels the United States, discovering historic and modern-day figures, especially women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy. “Free for All: The Public Library” 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 commons are defined and defended.
WHAT: FREE preview screenings of “Free for All: The Public Library” with light reception and a community discussion to include topics such as what does public library mean to its patrons and how do we maintain libraries as free resources for the public.
WHO: Presenters: Indie Lens Pop-Up, WCNY-PBS
WHEN: Sunday, April 27 at 5 p.m. at the Manlius Cinema, Manlius, NY & Tuesday, May 20 at 5 p.m. at the Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, NY.
RSVP: katherine.keeney@wcny.org or 315.551.6838
Immediately following the film, WCNY will host an engaging and interactive discussion about how public libraries shaped the country and continue to be a sanctuary for Americans everywhere, despite the threats to funding the civic institution has faced in recent years.
“Free for All: The Public Library” will debut on April 29, 2025, at 10 p.m. ET on WCNY-TV. For more information, visit Independent Lens.
About Indie Lens Pop-Up
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most. Learn more at pbs.org/indielenspopup.
About INDEPENDENT LENS
INDEPENDENT LENS is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Park Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for t
About WCNY
WCNY was founded in 1965 as The Educational Television Council of Central New York. Today, it is a public communications organization that produces content across multiple platforms, including television and radio, dynamic web and targeted email content, the WCNY CONNECT magazine, and social media. Through its media platforms, in-person and virtual events, WCNY brings local coverage and educational services to Central New Yorkers. WCNY operates four digital, pledge-free broadcast channels and three radio stations. Classic FM is one of the few radio stations in the world dedicated to locally programmed classical music, and Pulso Central is Central New York’s first Spanish-language radio station.
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