It encompasses 92 branches throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, and receives 32 million online visitors annually. NYC’s beloved institution is an incredible resource of knowledge as well as community support for all the city’s inhabitants, no matter their social status or ethnicity.

Wiseman goes behind the scenes to record animated board meetings, talks with guest speakers such as Patti Smith and Elvis Costello, book club events and donors’ dinners, as well as the day-to-day activity of lending books.

Wiseman’s patient, observational style, combined with his deft editing, draws you into this fascinating world. The result is a thought-provoking love letter to a model of inclusion and knowledge sharing, and a topical reminder of the preciousness of libraries everywhere.

With a groundbreaking career spanning seven decades, Frederick Wiseman is one of the great American storytellers. Cinema Expanded - The Films of Frederick Wiseman is a comprehensive season of the documentarian’s work, taking place throughout 2026.