Let’s be honest. Most of us take our local library for granted. We always tell ourselves that we’ll take advantage of the free archive of books, magazines, and newspapers that the library offers, and then we never even get around to signing up for a library card.  But libraries are more than just institutions that offer free literature and web access; often, they host some of the best cultural events around.  For instance, take a look at a couple of film-related events coming up at the New York Public Library.

Date: Thursday, January 19 at 7pm
Event: “On History with Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone”  — After working on the documentaries South of the Border and, for Showtime, The Untold History of the United States, Pakastani writer/filmmaker Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone continued their famous discourse over the seldom-discussed or deliberately forgotten episodes in American history with their book On History: Taliq Ali and Oliver Stone in Conversation.  This upcoming Thursday the two men will meet up once again as Ali questions Stone on ideas regarding politics, history, and film.
Location: Celeste Bartos Forum of The New York Public Library on 42nd Street at 5th Avenue
Ticket Price: $25 for General Audience, $15 for Friends, Students, Staff, and Seniors.

Date: Wednesday, February 29 at 7pm
Event: “DEATH ROW & Other Journeys with Werner Herzog and Paul Holdengräber” — Five years ago, Herzog and Paul Holdengräber had a well-known discourse that became known as Was the 20th Century a Mistake? Now, Herzog returns to the New York Public Library to sit with Holdengräber once again. This time, he will be talking about his latest work, Into the Abyss, along with his four part TV series Death Row.
Location: Celeste Bartos Forum of The New York Public Library on 42nd Street at 5th Avenue
Ticket Price: $25 for General Audience, $15 for Friends, Students, Staff, and Seniors.

Tickets are available on the New York Public Library Website.