A beloved American institution, the public library’s founding principle is simple: build a place where anyone can enter, free of charge, and encounter a universe of ideas.

Independent Lens Free for All: The Public Library airs Tuesday, April 29 at 10 p.m. on  WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

This film chronicles the fascinating evolution of the American public library’s trajectory, from the original “Free Library Movement” that began in the late 19th century to the present, when many libraries find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the culture wars and struggling to survive amid budget cuts and closures.

By the time she was 12, director Dawn Logsdon had visited over 100 libraries in almost every state as she and her teacher-parents road-tripped across America during their summer vacations. In “Free for All,” she and co-director Faulknor embark on a new journey — a fun and eye-opening jaunt from Louisiana to California, Massachusetts to Wisconsin, New York to Oregon, and more, visiting landmark sites in library history and uncovering the stories of the colorful personalities who shaped our libraries and the communities they serve. 

The film highlights inspiring librarians, past and present, mostly women dedicated to upholding the library’s integral position within our democracy, spreading literacy, offering solace and refuge, and uplifting their communities.

Plastic is vital in so many ways to our modern way of life and well-being—but not all forms of it.

Single-Use Planet airs Monday, April 21 at 9 p.m. on  WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI & PBS apps.

In search of why evermore single-use plastic debris enters the ocean despite all efforts to recycle, Single-Use Planet goes upstream to where millions of tons of raw plastic are being made amidst the ruins of America’s bygone steel industry in Pennsylvania. The special also looks at the economic and political realities that have boosted the new industry—realities reaching all the way to rural Louisiana where plans are laid to build the biggest plastic plant in the world. Can the powerful industry be persuaded to temper their production of single-use plastic? Our search leads to Washington D.C. and finally to France.

In honor of Earth Day, WXXI presents a week of Environmental Connection episodes with host Jasmin Singer who discusses what matters — and what should — when it comes to environmental preservation.

Environmental Connections airs Monday, April 21-Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. on  WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

From the impact of food choices and electrification to the future of rainfall and the choice of whether to have children, Environmental Connections explores the climate-related topics affecting people in Rochester and beyond.

Host Jasmin Singer is also host of Weekend Edition, as well as a guest host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She’s the author of the books “The VegNews Guide to Being a Fabulous Vegan” (Hachette, 2020) and “Always Too Much and Never Enough” (Berkley, 2016). Jasmin is the co-host of the Webby-recognized podcast, “Our Hen House,” and “The VegNews Podcast.” 

A small coastal town in England, close-to-home murders, and an engaging crime-solving duo make for the latest mystery series to charm U.S. viewers.

Whitstable Pearl airs Saturdays at 8 p.m., June 14-July 19 on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

Pearl (Kerry Godliman, After Life) is a single mother with a caring nature and a small family restaurant — the perfect draw for locals facing all kinds of problems.  Pearl’s lifelong dream of running a private detective agency gets a boost when she discovers the body of her friend and oyster supplier chained to the anchor of his ship.  

Adding to the intrigue is the arrival of a new cop in town, DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles, The Musketeers), who disapproves of Pearl’s interference. Challenges arise all over Whitstable, including leaky boats, questionable suicide notes, and mysterious piles of cash. As Pearl and Mike hash out a way to work together, they come to an understanding that might lead to more than just a working relationship.  

Photo: Kerry Godliman as Pearl. Credit: Provided by APT

Throughout his career as a cartoonist and editor, Art Spiegelman has never shied away from provocative storytelling in his comics.

American Masters “Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse” airs Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

From his early art for the countercultural underground comix movement to his acclaimed graphic novel Maus, Spiegelman’s legacy in the comic arts world continues to grow and has inspired many of today’s beloved cartoonists. Discover Spiegelman’s career and how his life story inspired his groundbreaking work, even in the face of looming censorship.

The film is part of The WNET Group’s Holocaust Days of Remembrance exploring antisemitism through the history and personal stories of the Holocaust, and their impact on Jewish life and culture. Featuring archival footage and stills, illustrations and new interviews with Spiegelman, Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse follows Spiegelman’s early career as co-editor of comic magazines Arcade and Raw before becoming a contributing artist for The New Yorker, as well as the origins and impact of Maus, his autobiographical work that became the first and only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Photo: Art and his parents, Anja and Vladek. Credit: Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly

Follow Scott Yoo and pianist Jan Lisiecki as they explore Chopin’s life, his Polish roots, and his journey to Paris taking a closer look at the composer’s musical evolution and his deep connection to his homeland while living in France.

Great Performances – Now Hear This “Chopin’s Polish Heart” airs Friday, April 11 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

Fleeing Russia’s invasion of Poland, Frédéric Chopin sought safety and inspiration in Paris, where he merged the music of his Polish homeland with ideas from French Romantic-era composers and artists. Host Scott Yoo explores these connections with world-renowned Canadian-Polish pianist Jan Lisiecki, through Chopin’s letters, his original musical manuscripts, and visits to Poland and the homes he shared in France and Mallorca with the writer Aurore Dupin, known by her pen name, George Sand.

Enjoy the behind the scenes of the 1964 stage premiere of “Swan Lake,” choreographed by Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

Great Performances “The Magic of Nureyev” airs Friday, April 11 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

On October 15, 1964, Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev’s “Swan Lake” took the stage at the Vienna State Opera. In his novel interpretation of this iconic ballet favorite, Nureyev revolutionized the role of the male dancer in the ballet with his choreography, seeking to be the prima ballerina’s counterpart. With great British ballerina Margot Fonteyn as his partner, Great Performances: The Magic of Nureyev features extensive excerpts from the production that was captured for posterity two years after its 1964 stage premiere. In new interviews, dancers Michael Birkmeyer and Gisela Cech, who danced alongside Nureyev at the premiere of “Swan Lake,” share personal insights on Nureyev’s peerless virtuosity as well as his mercurial off-stage personality. In addition, contemporary experts look back at Nureyev groundbreaking technique from a modern-day perspective. 

Photo: Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn with Vienna State Ballet dancers in “Swan Lake” in 1964. Credit: © UNITEL