A new documentary checks out the many ways libraries are a ‘Free For All’

The new PBS Independent Lens documentary about America’s public library system arrives with a very clever, two-edged title: Free for All: The Public Library.

The “Free for All” part refers, of course, to the beauty and generosity of the library system, which lends books, for free, to virtually anyone. But “Free for All” also refers to the many fights surrounding that idealistic institution: fights against segregated libraries; the banning of books; tax cuts and local library closures; targeted reductions of federal funds; and, quite recently and famously, “Drag Queen Story Hour.”

Free for All is co-directed by Dawn Logsdon, who also narrates, and Lucie Faulknor. At first, it sets out as a nostalgic memoir, with Logsdon explaining why and how, as a child, her parents took her on road trips traversing the entire country — always stopping at local libraries along the way.

But then, like a road trip that keeps heading to new places, this documentary ends up covering all sorts of ground. The historical beginnings of American libraries, with nods to Ben Franklin and Andrew Carnegie. The growth and importance of tiny branches in rural communities. And, at each stop, a focus on individual libraries, librarians and everyday patrons.

One librarian given a lot of air time, and due credit, is Ernestine Rose, who arrived in New York City in 1904 as a newly trained librarian. The city and its inhabitants thrilled her — but also made her wonder how she could best serve such a diverse, and largely illiterate, immigrant population.

By 1920, Rose was serving as the branch librarian for Harlem’s 135th Street Library. Thanks to the generous contribution of a collector who donated his vast personal library of books written by Black authors or about Black and other minority cultures, this particular library fueled what came to be known as the Harlem Renaissance. Sculptors and painters held art classes and honed their craft in basement spaces set aside for just that purpose. Local theater productions and workshops were held in other spaces in that same basement, launching the careers of such talents as Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. And upstairs, the Harlem residents reading the library books included other future talents, such as author James Baldwin.

Those are just a few of the stories. Free for All tells many, many more, painting a portrait that is personal, passionate, and, in the end, unapologetically supportive. By examining the value of libraries in the distant and recent past, Free for All: The Public Library also makes a compelling case about their value today. It’s a very informative, and ultimately very persuasive, documentary about the legacy and importance of the American public library system. My recommendation is that you really should … check it out