December 2009

Dear Library Friends and Supporters,

A year ago, the writing of our holiday letter coincided with our Save the Library campaign. Friends of the Free Library (FFL) and hundreds of our friends and neighbors countered the city’s plan to permanently close 11 libraries, most of them in troubled neighborhoods, where hope and opportunity are scarce.

Library supporters from Philadelphia and the adjoining counties came together in unprecedented numbers to declare their love and need for our Free Library’s 54-branch system.  Together, we contacted elected officials, rallied, signed petitions, wrote letters, packed the courtroom where our suit against closures was heard and won, and volunteered to form new Friends Groups.  And, we saved our libraries!

Many of you responded with donations, large and small, enabling us to take an important leadership role and transform the public outcry into a powerful force for equitable library services, the continued vitality of this resource, and engaging people in library stewardship.

Unfortunately nothing we did could change the 20% reduction in the library’s current budget, but FFL’s “shared sacrifice” agenda prevailed - today, all 54 branches operate on a five-day per week schedule, serving job seekers, children, students, teens, adults, seniors, and neighborhood groups for meetings and activities.

As we acknowledge the public good that came out of this crisis, and express our sincere appreciation for your help, we want you to know that there is much work ahead.

Although we averted permanent closures, the Free Library system is still struggling.  The reduction to library funding from the city and state has caused the elimination of 117 library staff positions.  Branches are so critically short-staffed that each day as many as seven libraries are unexpectedly shuttered and patrons are turned away.  Last year there were 7 million visits to our libraries and 7.5 million materials circulated.  Due to unscheduled closures, these numbers are slipping, not because of less interest or need, but due to lack of access.

At least as troubling is the devastating impact of these cuts on the materials budget.  No new books or other library materials can be purchased, except for those our Friends Groups are paying for.

Our heroic groups are working harder than ever to raise money for children’s and adult books, DVDs, periodicals, and more, so that library shelves can be stocked.  Instead of augmenting the library’s materials budget, our volunteers’ fundraising has now become the prime source for book purchases.  It was never meant to be this way, and we are grateful to be able to help.  Our volunteer Friends Groups are more important than ever.

And so are our libraries.  They are the path to the future.  As the local and national economies reinvent themselves, so does the public library.  Long gone are the days when they were simply places for borrowing leisure reading materials or entertaining the kids for a few hours.  Libraries always have been sources of knowledge and information, but now they also are centers of access to Internet connectivity, culture, community, and jobs.  Recent data shows that Americans are flocking to public libraries as never before, often waiting in long lines for help and computer time.  They are searching for employment, job training, and re-writing resumes.  Librarians have become the new career counselors.

This is especially pertinent in Philadelphia, where most of our public schools do not have libraries, 25% our citizens have low literacy and computer skills, and 50% of households lack computers.  Nearly one half of our workers, according to recent Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board research, are unprepared for the new knowledge-based economy.

In response to these new realities, FFL soon will launch our Libraries of the Future project.  This will be a series of public forums to engage residents in a discussion about the ways their library enhances the quality of their lives and communities; and how these services can become still more effective and relevant in the future.

The events of the past year show how absolutely indispensable libraries and our Friends Groups are.  We demonstrated that even during fiscal crisis, essential services such as public libraries can be maintained through creative management and a commitment to serving everyone, rich and poor.

We know that libraries are important for individuals and the stability of neighborhoods.  Friends of the Free Library will continue our efforts through the organization, training of, and assistance to our civic-minded neighbors who volunteer to be part of Friends Groups.  These groups now number 50, and our modest staff works hard to keep pace with requests for assistance.  To do this, and to support the Libraries of the Future forums, we need your financial support.

Please help us continue our stewardship of the Free Library and all the citizens it serves.

Sincerely,
Amy Dougherty
Executive Director

P.S. - As you consider a donation to Friends of the Free Library with a tax-deductible contribution, we have a great suggestion for imaginative gifts sure to delight some on your list, and at unbelievably reasonable prices.  Stop by our used bookstore, Book Corner, at 20th and Wood Streets adjacent to the Central Library.  Titles in every category are available to help you finish your shopping, and all the proceeds are used for our community outreach.

Click here to donate online!