Philadelphia is allowing its libraries to wither and rot | Opinion

Libraries are a place of calm, where young people can find shelter and nourishment for their souls and minds. And yet in a time of crisis — both from gun violence and the COVID-19 pandemic — we are treating our libraries as stranded assets, no longer valuable.

Philadelphia is allowing its libraries to wither and rot. Our city’s 54 branch libraries have faced year after year of neglect. Does no one in city government notice? Does no one in power care?

As a former librarian and the current president of the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library, I notice and I care. But the city needs to step up and fully fund the Free Library of Philadelphia in order to solve this problem.

We and our kids make our way to the steps of our local library branch, only to find the inevitable sign, “CLOSED.” Again? Why?

The reasons are numerous. The boiler hasn’t worked for ages. The doors are falling off their hinges. The library is full of mold. Or the roof leaks and is so weakened that a raccoon falls through into the library and wreaks havoc, leaving a bloody mess. The library branch is closed for another week. This happened last October at the local Chestnut Hill branch.

Or, as for years now, the branch has only one staff librarian, Prather O’Donnell. Pray she doesn’t get ill and needs to take a day off. She would like to open the branch for more regular hours that serve working families, but often, because of understaffing, the library cannot even be open for the paltry hours that are set.

The libraries that are open tend to be closed on weekends and weeknights when working folks and kids could visit. This has been allowed to go on for years. Where is our civic pride? If we do not care about these places of lifelong learning for our citizens, then what do we care about?

» READ MORE: Free Library is understaffed, undervalued and budget cuts won’t help | Opinion

Mayor Jim Kenney and members of City Council have one large tool at their disposal to help redeem this lost time. They should increase the library’s budget by $30 million this year to allow neighborhood libraries to open six days a week and to make sure that each branch has a children’s, teen, and adult librarian, in addition to a digital resource specialist. This funding would also ensure that all building infrastructure is safe and in good working condition. The buildings already exist in our neighborhoods, and they should be saved and buttressed.

This disinvestment in our library system is nothing short of tragic. The city manager’s quarterly report from September 2007 shows that the Free Library’s budget was $41,531,065. In 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars, that would be $57,379,660. Yet the most recent quarterly report shows that the current budget is only $42,786,864.

“In today’s dollars, our current library budget is only 75% of what it was 15 years ago. This is unacceptable.”

In other words, in today’s dollars, our current library budget is only 75% of what it was 15 years ago. This is unacceptable.

In addition to underfunding, over the years many budgeted positions have remained unfilled for reasons unknown, as evidenced in our empty branches. Not only does this leave our libraries bereft of staff, but it also begs the question: Where did that money go? Why can’t the city authorize the Free Library of Philadelphia to hire 100% of those budgeted positions?

Please, somebody, explain. Our libraries are precious. Who will step forward to save them?

An ordinary Philadelphian does not have to spend money to take advantage of the riches that libraries offer. Not only do they provide shelter on hot and cold days, but they also offer the chance to transcend one’s circumstances, encounter new ideas, and imagine something better. There are countless stories of a child propelled by a book she borrowed from her local library to fly to a career in science, discover others like her who succeeded in the arts, or even just learn of broader horizons.

Even without proper funding, many of Philadelphia’s branch libraries offer programming including storytimes, homework help, fitness groups, Lego clubs, meditation classes, and teen reading lounges. There is something for people of all ages, most particularly kids and teens, who have lost two years of essential education.

But right now, these services are often more aspirational than a reality. It is impossible for libraries to deliver math and science programming or job-seeking assistance if the building is closed.

Jan LeSuer is a former librarian, a grandparent of children in Philadelphia, and a longtime enthusiast for public libraries.