It’s impossible to put into words just how important and fantastic an institution the public library is, so I won’t bother, and assume you know and agree.

What you might not know, however, is that your library’s services extend beyond its walls in myriad manners. Enter: Kanopy, the single best streaming service out there, free without ads to anyone with a library card.

Boasting more than 30,000 titles (more than 30 times what Disney+ has to offer at over $100 annually), Kanopy has everything: old movies, new releases, documentaries, TV, shorts, kids programming, blockbuster and arthouse fare, alike. In fact, it’s got so much available, it’s basically impossible to know where to start!

For what it’s worth, here’s my suggestion: Frederick Wiseman’s “City Hall” (2020).

Frederick Wiseman, 94, has made more than 40 documentaries over the course of nearly 60 years, and he isn’t slowing down. All his works (practically all of which are available on Kanopy) share a single focus: the in-depth analysis of institutions (museums, schools, neighborhoods, a boxing gym, etc.).

Wiseman’s process is to go with a cameraman to his location for six to eight weeks, sit off to the side while amassing hundreds of hours of footage, and then go home and edit it all down into a single piece. There is no music, no narration, no interviews or on-screen text — the audience is treated to the simple, riveting pleasure of watching people about their daily endeavors.

At 284 minutes, “City Hall” is Wiseman’s most ambitious (and second longest) film yet. Its subject is the running of city government in Boston, Massachusetts. Centered around the titular, brutalist building during the winter of 2018-19, we follow the mayor, his cabinet meetings and press conferences, but also clerks, committees, even garbagemen.

One of the highlights is an extended sequence at a town hall meeting, where the owners of a proposed dispensary are met with citizens rigorously scrutinizing the business’ intentions and preparations.

In “City Hall,” everyone understands their role, everyone is dedicated to doing their best, and everyone is critical to the ultimate functioning of the city. It’s a beautiful, humbling thing to watch.

As another fraught election year rages on, this film serves as a much-welcome reminder that when all is said and done, it will be our local officials affecting our daily lives — best we make sure that they’re up to the task, and keeping our libraries in good health.