Producers' Forum: Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor

Free for All: The Public Library by Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor (USA, 2025, 85 minutes)

Free For All: The Public Library chronicles the more than a century long 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. The film examines historical elements such as the central role of women, the institution’s role in cultural movements such as the Harlem Renaissance as well as current struggles in a digital age amidst budget cuts, closures, and polarizing book bans. Director Dawn Logsdon travels the U.S. following library visitors and staff verifying how the institution continues to play a vital role in urban and rural areas.

Director Dawn Logsdon also 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 The Weather Underground, Paragraph 175, and Have You Heard From Johannesburg? among others.

Producer and Co-Director Lucie Faulknor co-founded Serendipity Films, LLC and produced the award-winning documentary Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans.

Host or Publisher Scribe Video Center