Libraries face harder times with Pa. cuts
DESPITE the proposed state budget cuts, city libraries will not be closed and hours will not be substantially reduced, according to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis.
DESPITE the proposed state budget cuts, city libraries will not be closed and hours will not be substantially reduced, according to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis.
Yesterday's announcement came after the Pew Charitable Trusts' Philadelphia Research Initiative reported that the Free Library faces some challenges and that due to budget restraints, it has been slower to adapt to changes in the city's population.
Under the proposed state budget, libraries face a $330,000 cut, DiBerardinis said.
"It will make everything a little harder, but it will not impact staff and how the system operates," he said. "It's not a giant cut."
The Free Library has been operating with a underfunded budget, while thousands of residents lack Internet access; 22 percent of adults age 16 and older lack basic literacy skills, and fewer than half the city's public schools have libraries. The system, the report says, has been slow to adjust to such community needs as opening centers for teens, increasing children's programming and public-access computers.
Fifty-seven percent of patrons use a library for Internet access monthly. Usage is higher among low-income households, and libraries have been useful in finding jobs, obtaining health information and other services, the report shows. But budget cuts have hindered the libraries' ability to conduct outreach and expand programming.
"Libraries in many ways are serving as multipurpose community services," said Larry Eichel, project manager for the Philadelphia Research Initiative.
Philly's library system was compared with those in 14 cities; 1,600 Philadelphians were surveyed.
The study was prompted by the firestorm that erupted in 2008, after Mayor Nutter tried to shutter 11 libraries to close a budget gap. All branches remained open, but hours were reduced.
Library use is lower here than in other cities, partly due to temporary, unscheduled closings in recent years totaling 8,000 hours in fiscal year 2010 and 3,662 hours in 2011.
The report provided suggestions including prioritizing resources, securing sustainable funding, making the Parkway Central Library more welcoming to young people and re-evaluating branch hours, including a possible shift to more weekend service.
