Ex Libris: New York Public Library

In chronicling the activities of the New York Public Library across the Five Boroughs, Direct Cinema maestro Frederick Wiseman has produced one of his finest films. As always, the director hovers discreetly on the edge of a seemingly humdrum situation and unerringly detects the drama of everyday life. But a political undercurrent runs through the various speaker sessions, academic lectures, leisure workshops and educational outreach initiatives, as the 87-year-old Wiseman highlights the centrality of a library to communities being fragmented by the digital communications revolution, as well as a range of socioeconomic challenges. Several sequences are filmed at the magnificent headquarters on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, but Wiseman also visits 11 of the 88 satellite branches to capture the dedicated enthusiasm of the staff. It's fun watching celebrities like Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and scientist Richard Dawkins being interviewed, but the real fascination lies in the behind-the-scenes administrative sessions and the workaday programmes designed to help people help themselves and discover the joys and benefits of reading.