Ex Libris: New York Public Library

EX LIBRIS: NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY: ENTERTAINING

Whether I would last three and a half hours to watch a documentary about New York's public library was a question I asked myself when I landed in Eye Cinema (Amsterdam). So without a break.

IMAGE

It went excellent. Frederick Wiseman tells you a story in such a 'zen' way that it's easy to keep looking. The beauty is: there are no voice-overs. He lets the image speak for himself.

INSIGHTS

You get different insights into what happens within the walls of the central building at Bryant Park and the other locations of the library in the city New York. And that's a lot. The library organizes activities for a wide variety of audiences. The film also let you listen in on the board's conversations.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

For people who love learning, books and archives, your interest is always stimulated with this film. Still, I do not think everyone will entertain themselves with Ex Libris: New York Public Library. Basically, the idea of a documentary about the public library in New York should already appeal to you, otherwise I think this film will get you bored.

CONCLUDING

An entertaining, three and a half hour documentary, for those who want to know more about the New York Public Library. Recommended.

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I was surprised and delighted to learn of the various services and facets of the NY public library, especially how they are trying to ensure everyone has an opportunity to access services and information. I wish our library services in the UK were as diverse and well funded. Only criticism of the film is the running time. I felt I could have understood the intended impact of the film in half the time.

4/3/18. Oh, so the New York Public Library isn't at all like the way I would envision what happens to a museum like in those Night at the Museum movies. The books still sit on the shelves as silent as ever, but the people who go there do so for than just the books. Apparently, a lot more is going on than just people sitting around and reading or looking at a computer screen. This documentary takes a slice of life approach to looking at what goes on at this iconic library. I should say it's more a swath than a slice. I get that it's an extremely large library and there's a lot going on. However, nothing is ever explained, so it's like being a ghost wandering through the halls and looking into the meetings and programs going on. Not sure if spending over 3 hours of wandering around actually helps the viewer develop an appreciation for the library itself. I suppose it like visiting another country - you can wander around and discover new things, or get a good tour guide who can really help you tear the city apart for its precious secrets. I think I would have enjoyed a more historical approach that commemorates the building of the library and how its mission and vision have changed over time. Just going into some detail about its architecture would have been quite enlightening - the building is absolutely gorgeous. So, this documentary may be more for the curious than for the librarian at heart, who would definitely prefer the Dewey Decimal System for organizing people's thoughts and ideas embedded on the printed page.

This is possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. It is a seemingly endless series of scenes that are only related in that they take place at the New York public library. There are so many wonderful stories that could be told of the NYPL; it is truly sad that this movie tells none of them.

OK, I'm biased. I love libraries. If you don't, let it be. If you do, prepare for bliss. The movie wanders from one branch of the NYPL to the other in a way that seems aimless at first, but builds a rhythm that becomes almost musical while remaining completely natural. The glimpses we get of what's happening at every branch tell an uplifting story. A library is no longer just a place to store books. It serves its patrons in surprising ways: providing Internet access and teaching computer skills; hosting groups of young parents with toddlers chanting nursery rhymes together; not evicting the odd homeless person who dozes off there in winter; finding private funding for what the unreliable distributors of public spending won't cover this year. Where this venerable institution really comes into its own, though, is in providing a platform for all the incredibly articulate and inspiring people who keep popping up throughout the movie. What a joy to watch. Discussions, lectures, interviews, concerts, poetry, passionate arguments, everything nerds thrive on. And not just nerds. Elvis Costello and Patti Smith are among the guests. Keith Richards is on record as saying that the library was the only place where he willingly obeyed the rules. Toni Morrison called libraries pillars of democracy. I was a believer before seeing this. Now I know why. If you are too, this is a must.