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Free for All: The Public Library Screening and Talkback

In Recognition of National Library Workers Day

Discover how public libraries were built—and what risks they face.

Public libraries have served as open civic space in America for over a century, and continue to be a sanctuary for Americans everywhere. But what happens when that access is threatened? 

Free for All: Inside the Public Library traces the rise of America’s public libraries—from the Free Library Movement led by pioneering women to the present-day librarians who continue to service the public while navigating contention around book bans and library closures.

Through archival footage and interviews, directors Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor document how public libraries were created through grassroots effort and how they continue to be defended by library workers across the country. Viewers will gain an understanding of the political, cultural and institutional forces shaping library access today—and how library staff are responding in real time. 

Attendees will hear directly from the filmmakers in conversation with Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan following the screening. . They’ll share how the documentary was developed, what stories emerged through their research, and what’s at stake for the future of public libraries across the nation. The event offers an opportunity to engage with the role libraries have played—and continue to play—in the creation of a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.

This program is presented in partnership with WETA-TV in celebration of National Library Workers Day. 

For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice. 

Learn more about the filmmakers below.

Dawn Logsdon (Producer, Director, Editor) produced, directed, and edited Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, and co-directed Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton. Her editing credits include Jacques Pepin: The Art of Craft, The Weather Underground, Paragraph 175, The Castro, The Vanishing Line, and Have You Heard From Johannesburg among others.

Lucie Faulknor (Producer, Co-director) is an arts management and documentary film professional. Founder at Serendipity Films, LLC, she produced the award-winning documentary Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans. Lucie has worked with SFJAZZ, City Arts & Lectures, Dublin Fringe Festival, and more. She holds a Master of Nonprofit Administration.

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