The Free Library of Philadelphia is on the chopping block and may be closing as of October 2, 2009. According to its website, all branches, regionals and central libraries operated as part of the Free Library are included. Services to cease include all inter library loans, holds for books and other materials, and classes for teens and adults, as well as all children's programmes. This includes visits to seniors, schools, daycare and community centers, ESL classes and GED preparation as well as computer and small business and other programmes, home bound services and those for persons with disabilities, among others.
With a collection of 6 million items, varied programmes and services, the shutting of this system of libraries neither bodes well for its diverse constituencies nor the legislators who have thus far failed to fund its continued existence. Those who care to can visit the Free Library of Philadelphia virtually at http://libwww.freelibrary.org/closing/ for more information. Its blog, together with links to legislators can be found at http://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/.
Its political and financial landscape still rife with deregulation, as well as moral and fiscal bankruptcy, the U.S. may be years in dealing with the fallout of the current economic downturn and its effects on jobs, institutions and services at all levels.
Bailouts to banks, the auto industry and other entities, in the face of huge corporate bonuses, while municipal governments wrestle with closings, layoffs and cuts to already slim budgets is just the surface of an increasingly ugly and complex situation many struggle to understand even as attempted remedies fall short of expectations.
Against a backdrop of often vitriolic political in-fighting, basic needs and services go wanting. Americans have failed to answer some fundamental questions, including but not limited to: What kind of society are we? How can we bolster the working and civic lives and productivity of the people? Are our business and other models for institutions still effective? Do we need to re-evaluate our practises? Is capitalism as we have known it viable? What must we do, personally and collectively, to live within our means? If we want continued and better services, we must find ways of funding them, including raising revenue. How will this be done? Beyond these, I would ask why institutions such as libraries, which provide literacy, educational and other services to growing numbers of citizens, particularly during periods of economic downturn, find themselves always on the short end of budgets?
Sacrificing one library system in a city like Philadelphia may not matter to you unless you live there or visit regularly, but what does it say about our priorities as a people?
Until Next Time,
7 comments:
OMG! e, this can't be! But this just goes to show where the politicians think their priorities lie. Bail out the corporations and dumb down the cattle public, even further. I am abhored, shocked and disgusted.
Our town library managed to stay afloat but had to close for an extra day. I contribute what I can, as every little bit helps( in both time or money ).
Hell, why don't they just shut down the whole Library of Congress? Auction it all off! Sorry, I digress...
Nothing much is safe these days. Newspapers, libraries, what's next to go?
Oh this is truly dreadful news. So many people who rely on it will suffer. Suffer is not too strong a word.
The economic crisis has not reached our libraries yet...
ps did you see my comment at the end of your last post about VBC?
e it says a lot. It says that we're still reluctant to embrace a new economic model which clearly we have to do because the old one doesn't work. What worries me more is the current 'buoyancy' of the stock markets and all this talk of recovery which leads to people behaving in exactly the same way they did before the GFC. Libraries here are funded via the local councils, I imagine similar to your municipal councils. Our rates go part way to supporting them. Perhaps libraries are also suffering a lack of patronage. I know I haven't visited mine for years. We were very fortunate that thanks to legislation and regulation of financial institutions by our Federal Government, some Government stimulus (nowhere near the extent of the US) and I think in no small part the 'devil may care' attitude of Australians, we were barely scratched by the recession. In fact we didn't officially even get there.
the death of a library is a sad sad thing. all those thoughts, lost to those that it services. sad.
this is a shocking bit of news.... I am going to call my relatives in the philly area and ask what's up with this! and ask if they are doing anything to prevent this....we've had layoffs and curtailing some hours in our system because of the economic troubles, but nothing as dire as what the free library of philly is facing!
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