The Friends Win Big for Your Library

This was the situation in 2005 before the City Council and Mayor Street agreed to increase the library's 2005-06 general operating budget by $3.5 million to hire more staff because of the vigorous grass-roots advocacy campaign of library Friends. Since that time our city officials have maintained the increase to the library budget so that all branches are open for full 6 day per week service and staffed with 2 accredited librarians per branch. We thank Philadelphians for declaring their love and need for their public library and our policy makers for listening.

The Cut

On January 3, 2005 17 Library employees are laid off as part of Mayor Street's mid-year budget adjustment. 13 of these staffers were accredited Librarians with Master of Library Science degrees who deliver direct patron services at Branch Libraries.

To absorb this further reduction in staff, the Library administration designates 20 Branches as "Express"-open for only 4 hours per day and staffed by library clerks with high school diplomas but no college degrees or Library of Science Maters Degrees.

The Friend of the Free Library of Philadelphia (FFL) waged a 6 month long grass-roots advocacy campaign to restore money to the library budget so that all 53 branches could have full 6 day per week service with 2 Accredited Librarians in addition to support staff.

The Big Win

On May 26, 2005 under the leadership of Councilman Frank DiCicco and Michael Nutter City Council votes, and Mayor Street signs on, to increase the Library 2005-06 budget by $3.5 million in order to hire enough staff to restore full 6 day per week service to all 53 Branches with Accredited Librarians.

This significant achievement was accomplished by library Friends Groups and the citizens of Philadelphia who declared their love and need for library services in every neighborhood. They let their elected official know how unhappy they were reduced services by doing the following:

  • Collected 20,000 signatures on petitions asking for increased library funding
  • Held 3 Rallies attended by more than 800 people
  • Held 3 Town Meetings attended by more than 300 people
  • Jammed City Council Library Hearings on March 17th with more than 350 people with testimony from 10 am - 7 pm
  • Sent thousands of letters, emails, faxes and made phone calls to lawmakers and Mayor Street declaring their love and need for adequate and sustained library services in every neighborhood in the city

Below is a detailed chronology of FFL actions and events between January 2005 and May 2005 that resulted in increased funding for adequate staffing throughout the 53 branch library system.

The Situation

  • City Hiring Freeze since 2002
  • Before the first round of layoffs, Library staff level was 673
  • January 3, 2005 17 library employees were laid off - 13 of who where branch librarians
  • Mayor Street's target number for all library employees is 630, leaving 26 more staff positions on the chopping block
  • Of the 673 library employees, less than 136 are librarians who deliver direct patron services

Effects of the Cut

  • 20 Libraries will be EXPRESS branches - open only 4 hours per day and staffed by clerks who do not have Master of Library Science degrees and are not trained to do the work of full librarians (this requires training in print and on-line research, program development, customer/community relations) (Click Here)
  • 10 Branches became EXPRESS libraries in February, (Click Here)
  • 10 more Branches will become EXPRESS in mid April
  • Overworked Librarians - the remaining librarians will serve 2 branches instead of 1
  • 128,112 Programs per year will be cut
  • 649,607 Reference Questions per year will go unanswered
  • With 26 more library staffers leaving by June 30 - EXPRESS Libraries are the future of all 52 Branches

FFL: Actions - 2005: Activating Grass-roots support

  • Jan 3rd layoff letter went out
  • Jan 7th - 9th FFL contacts the city wide and local media
  • Jan.7th - ongoing on - Communications with Friends Groups through emergency meetings, phone calls, FFL web site Home Page notices
  • Jan. 19th Friend of Wynnfield holds an emergency meeting, Councilman Nutter calls in, Councilmen Rizzo sends a representative, Joe Hilton represents library administration,. FFL Board Chair John Younge attends
  • Jan 20th FFL delivers petitions for signatures to 53 library Branches and to all Friends Groups stating: We, the undersigned, would like to protest the layoff of 13 Branch Librarians and the reduction of 20 Branches to half-day service. We ask that funding be allocated so that all Library Branches can open for full day service 6 days per week-staffed by Accredited Librarians
  • Feb 3rd Friends of Lawncrest hold an emergency meeting - Library Director, Elliot Shelkrot, City Councilwoman Marian Tasko sends a representative,. Phila Inquirer and Northeast times reporters attend
  • Feb 12th Love Your Rally on the steps of Central Library at 19th and Vine street attended by 350 people carrying placards. Speakers include: Senator Kitchen, Representatives Mandarino, McGeehan, Kohen, Councilman Nutter, FOLUSA Director Sally Reed, author and NY community organizer Peggy Dye. The Story is covered by in Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday, Channels 3, 6, 10, 17 -signed petition drop-off begins and lasts throughout the campaign
  • Feb. 25th 10 Branches go 'Express', (Click Here)
  • March 2nd Rally at Wyoming Branch - 250 attend-Councilman Mariano, community leaders, librarians speak
  • March 7th Rally at Holmesburg Branch - 100 attend - Representative McGeehan, Senator Stack, Karen Lash, school children, librarians speak, local media attends
  • March 17th Councilman Nutter holds City Council Hearings on the Library Crisis - 300 Friends and supporters attend-delivering 20,000 signatures on petitions and eloquent testimony from library patrons and staff. FFL President John Younge, Director of FOLUSA Sally Reed, Karen Lash, C.B. Moore Librarian Darren Cottman and many others spoke from 10 am-7 pm. Testimony included information on the lack of libraries in public schools
  • FFL keeps City Council informed about actions and progress
  • March 23rd Library Employees Union District Council 47 goes before Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Carrafiello to halt the second round of 10 "Express" Branches from going forward - FFL is subpoenaed as 'voice' of community - 20,000 signatures on petitions are entered into the record
  • April 7th Judge Carrafiello's ruling halts the second round of 10 Branches to go 'Express' until July 1, 05 after City Council's budget process
  • Mayor Street threatens to appeal Judge Carrafiello's ruling, but does not do so
  • April 13th City Council public Budget testimony
  • FFL TOWN MEETINGS draw lawmakers and 300 Friends who speak to their lawmakers about why the library is important to their communities and families
  • May 6th Santore Branch Friends' Town Meeting - Senator Fumo, Representative Babette Joseph, Councilman DiCicco, Library Director Elliot Shelkrot, FFL President John Younge speak
  • May 14th Fox Chase Branch Friends' Town Meeting - Councilman Brian O'Neill speaks and presents Fox Chase Friends with at $2,000 check for their senior computer classes
  • May 21st Oak Lane Branch-Council woman Tasko and Rep. Dwight Evans send representatives, Elliot Shelkrot, FFL Board Member Terry Gillen, FFL Board of Directors, speak
  • May 26th THE BIG WIN $3.5 million increase to library budget to hire branch staff
  • June 2nd City Council President Anna Verna and Councilwoman-at-Large Blondell Reyonolds Brown introduce a resolution asking for the state legislature to increase State Aid to Libraries
  • October 31st All branches are staffed by accredited librarians and open for full 5 day per week service, with 9 braches and 3 Regional open on Saturdays from 1-5
  • Jan. 7, 2006 beginning in November new Library staff are hired, trained and deployed - 38 Branches are open for Saturday Service between 1-5 pm

Congratulations to Councilman Frank DiCicco and Councilman Michael Nutter who have been given the Politicians of the Year 2005 award by the Library Journal for their leadership role in increasing the budget of the Free Library of Philadelphia by $3.5 million. Trish Palluck of the Library Journal states that they achieved this by utilizing "confrontation and classic urban political strategies to held rescue library branches and their librarians, restoring relatively normal operations to the system". Please join us in thanking and congratulating these two dedicated public servants for making our grass-routes campaign a success. Go to www.libraryjournal.com. for the full story.