A screener and discussion at Henrietta Hankin Branch Library
To kick off this year’s Summer Reading program, Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS in partnership with Henrietta Hankin Branch Library and WHYY, will host a screening of “Free for All: The Public Library,” followed by a discussion led by a panel of special guests. The discussion panel will feature Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch Director, Jenna Persick, and Branch Manager, Carey Bresler, together with Michael Skay, President of the Chester County Library System Board of Trustees. “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: 5:00 pm refreshments and activities; 5:30 pm a FREE preview screening of “Free for All: The Public Library” followed by a community discussion.
WHEN: Thursday, June 5th, 5:00-7:30pm
RSVP: To register, click here.
Doors will open at 5:00 pm for participants to enjoy pizza and light refreshments as they take part in activities designed to get everyone thinking about what has made public libraries important in their own lives. Participants can also enter a raffle drawing for family passes to Longwood Gardens. The screener will begin at 5:30 pm. After the screening, our guest panelists 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” had its debut on April 29, 2025, on PBS and the PBS app. 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 the Arts. Stream anytime on the PBS app. For more, visit pbs.org/independentlens.
