Can you explain the need for a drug-screening service at the cost of $8,000? What is that; do you mind explaining?
Bill Roberts from the Free Library. That is our portion of a City-wide contract for drug-screening new employees, particularly guards and those who work with children.
Thank you. I see that we spend approximately $200,000 a year in postage, primarily for overdue notices. On BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1159 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY average, how much in overdue fines are collected each year?
I'm going to ask Bill to respond to the specific amount that we receive. I would think it's important to know that the overdue notices -- we do collect fine money. The most important thing for us is that we receive the books back because the books are so valuable. Bill what is the figure on the money we receive?
The Library receives almost $400,000 in overdue fines of which 277 is remitted back to the General Fund. The collections have been off a bit because of all the branches being closed for renovation.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Thank you, Madame Chair. Good afternoon -- going toward evening. You mentioned in your testimony the ways you really try to help the libraries be rich not only with books but also be a place where people BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1160 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY can use computer technology to access information. And I know when I went to see the opening of the Lehigh Library, which was beautiful, you had -- I think it was in the children's area, but there might have been an adult area right next to it where you had the terminals. And I know they were somewhere at a lower level so that the children could sit right down and use the computers. What would happen with a parent who might come in or, let's say, a grandfather who might come in with a child, and what would happen if they didn't know how to use a computer?
Well, the Bits and Bytes staff that I mentioned to you earlier, the teenagers that are working after school sometimes in the evening, are there to help adults and kids as well as our own staff who are trained at that. The interesting thing is often what happens is the youngster, even the preschooler, knows exactly how to do it shows the grandparent or the adult how the computer works. But when that isn't possible, and of course, the first BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1161 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY learning that takes place, often our staff are involved in helping.
My second question is everyone concerned about all the changes with the welfare changes and so many people needing to find a way into the job market. Have the libraries been able to collaborate with any other groups to help people get the information and resources and contacts they may need to find their way into the job market?
Well, in addition to the program that I mentioned earlier, our Job Center. We've been working with --
That's right. We've been working closely with Donna Cooper, who's designated by the Mayor as the person to work on various Welfare-to-Work programs. We've submitted a variety of job opportunities that we hope will be part of that. Certainly our after-school program is one that is designed to help to work with BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1162 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY youngsters who are -- who have no place to go after school, have an empty home. And we hope to be able to expand that program.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Clark.
Thank you Madame, Chair. As an old librarian, I never pass up an opportunity to --
As a former librarian of many years, my very first branch was the Lehigh Avenue branch. And I'm very happy that all of the branches are open a minimum of six days a week. Can you tell us the steps you went through to attract the level of volunteerism that permits us to have all of the branches open a minimum of six days with, what, regional and BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1163 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY central open seven?
You must be a national model, and I would guess that there are lessons learned that would be useful to other systems who need to get to where we are. Can you tell us some of the secrets?
There is no single secret, and there is certainly no easy way that that has come about. I'm delighted that we have been able to attract so many people. The use of volunteers has enabled us, as you pointed out, to open our libraries six days a week, not just with the volunteers but has enabled us to spread the staff out further because we can't just have volunteers running libraries. I will say that the Friends of the Library have been extraordinarily helpful and represent a large pool of people who have cared for many, many years about the Library and, therefore, are people who are kind of a pool, you might say, of folks you can -- who are willing to contribute their time. BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1164 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY I also want to say that the staff of the Library, after being somewhat concerned about how effective volunteers would be, have grown to appreciate volunteers and treat them as colleagues in providing services to youngsters. That number, that 42,000 -- and I hope sometime not too long 50,000 youngsters in our summer reading program could not be done with just paid staff. We could never hire enough people to respond to the youngsters and to listen to them describe what they read and the stories that they read. So that too is an area where volunteers have enabled to us expand the program. But I think that the Friends are probably the single most important group as we've been able to expand that.
Thank you. In your testimony, you mentioned that there's going to be approximately new staff members in the 21 budget. 22
I believe that that BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1165 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY number is eight librarians at different levels of responsibility. And I believe there is, let's see, a number of library assistants, about twelve library assistants, and two guards.
Well, that sounds like 22. It's four municipal guards, sorry, sorry about that.
Okay. With all the technology in the branches, what is going on in Central, technology-wise?
That's a very good question. And the program that we call the "Changing Lives Program" has been designed to bring technology and renovation to every one of the branches. We decide that had that's where we needed to start. That's where we needed to put this public-private partnership together. We. Are looking to the Central Library. We BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1166 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY are beginning to put in a small way some of the computers and the technology in there. Some of money in the capital budget will be going to that. But most of all, we're engaged with the Board in a major planning effort to look to the future of the Central Library. It was built at a time when the technology certainly wasn't dreamed of as we know it today; nor, as a matter of fact, was the state of publishing. The building was built in the twenties, it was designed in the latter part of the 19th century, when the number of books and magazines published every year was something like, you know, 3,000 different titles. And now, of course, it's 30 and 40,000 different titles. But the technology is something we're working on slowly and, above all, are putting some plans together so that we can manage that on a in a broader scale sometime in the future.
Miss Tasco left a question for you. She says, "The renovations and technology in branches paid for with public and private dollars is adding computers and web access BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1167 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY to children and families. How will the Free Library continue to keep these systems up and running as technology continues to evolve?"
That is a challenge that we are considering. We estimate that it will cost us close to $3 million a year just to sustain the technology in all the branches as it's been put into place. I'm very optimistic and am working very hard with the State as well as the federal government. On the federal government, you may be familiar with what is called the "E Rate," the education rate, which will allow for lower costs for technology -- lower costs for the transmission, I should say, telecommunications costs, and we hope that we -- we expect to be part of that, which will help a little bit. You also may recall seeing in the newspapers starting with a series last June in The Inquirer about the state of libraries across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the funding problems that they are all facing. I've been asked to be on a task force looking at some of the legislation that's been BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1168 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY proposed to deal with that, and I am hoping that sometime within the next two years, there will be a change in the State Aid to Public Libraries Program that will allow us to absorb those incremental costs.
Thank you. One last question, Madame Chair. Are there currently any programs not in effect that you believe would further serve the educational needs of our children for economic development and the goals of the City? What are we presently not doing that, in a perfect world, you would choose to do?
In a perfect world -- and the world's never perfect, I believe that the -- if, in the State funding area, which I anticipate will improve significantly not just to cover the technology but perhaps some of these other areas, I would anticipate the next step for us would be to make sure that our libraries are not just open three nights a week; they're open four nights a week at least. That we move to having our branches open in the summer on Saturdays as well as during the school year. BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1169 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY But more than that, I would envision a staff that can go out to the various day care centers, that can go out to the housing developments, that can go out to the recreation centers, and create Library programs in those locations so that we could then enrich all of the programs, especially the day care and the preschool programs, in a way that would bring books and quality preliteracy programs into those areas.
Are there any underserved areas of the City which, in the old days we used to meet their needs with book mobiles? Do we have a way to go into underserved areas now? And are we doing so?
Well, we don't have book mobiles, as you point out. Interestingly enough, one of the largest underserved populations of the City is that area which is the area of Center City east of Broad and between Girard Avenue and Carpenter. There's a large population there. And we have no 24 library service in that area. We do have -- we are able from time to BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1170 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY time to go to the housing developments and to the homeless shelters. But at this time, with today's economy and the problems of vehicles, I don't see us recreating a book mobile service as much as utilizing our staff to take books and materials into the other locations so that youngsters and families can have them on a permanent basis.
Thinking back to the coordination would be using school libraries which, again, I think are very underutilized in a lot of neighborhood because the schools aren't open in some cases more than the school hours, certainly on weekends, and not that many elementary schools are open in the afternoons and evenings, so that might be a structure that you could use where we don't want to invest in capital for new capital for libraries. I would love to see a much closer connection between school libraries and the public libraries. BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1171 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY The other place would be -- you were mentioning reaching out as part of the Philadelphia Reads are ways to really reach out to young children. I know in Boston in the waiting rooms of doctors' offices and hospitals, they have a book-rich waiting room environment. And then the physician at Boston City Hospital and some of the others, the physician gives each child a book for each of their checkups. And it's gotten so kids are really just eager to have the doctor give them a book. So as we're thinking about how to reach this goal of having every child on grade level and able to read by the third grade, that may be something where the Library could find some way to take initiative and work with doctors and hospitals to create that book-rich environment.
Thank you, Madame Chair. Mr. Shelkrot, I have one major issue which is a follow-up to a discussion that took place on the record, I believe, either last week BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1172 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY or the week before during capital budget. There was eloquent testimony presented regarding the need for gap funding for the renovation project of approximately $900,000. I believe the Mayor's Chief of Staff or Mr. Kaplan, who is here, took back a message both from many of the Members, including the Council President, that the Council wanted to see that funding put in place so that there was no question about the renovation project. There was testimony presented that indicated that there would be a meeting soon between, I guess, yourself and the Mayor, to try to get to the heart of this and get this matter resolved. Can you give us an update as to what's going on with that.
Yes. Councilman, that meeting has been set up. That meeting is set up for Monday, a week from today. And it's my understanding -- well, the meeting's with the Mayor, the Budget Director, and the Chief of Staff.
Okay, okay. Would BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1173 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY you be in a position or should we expect that some representative from the Mayor's Office will come back during the course of the budget process to let us know what has come out of that meeting?
I'm sure that either the Budget Office or the Chief of Staff will get back to you in response to that question.
Okay. Lastly, is the Library system the recipient of a Dewitt Wallace Foundation grant?
I'm Helen Miller, Director of Public Services for the Library. We do have a Dewitt Wallace grant at the Northwest Regional Library that's working with adult basic education students through a poetry program. That has been extremely successful. It's been going on now for about a year. And all I can tell you is that it's been enjoyed but lots of students who have stuck with the program and have developed an appreciation for poetry, in addition to skills that they need for their adult BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1174 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY basic education diploma.
And that's a program operating out of the Northwest Regional Library.
The Northwest Regional Library, that's correct. It was relocated, while the Regional was closed, to one of our other Northwest branches.
Right. Do you anticipate any expansion of that program?
I really don't know. It has been very poplar. It depends on whether or not, you know, there would be some additional funding to keep it going.
Thank you, Madame Chair. Good afternoon. On of your testimony, you talk about the Library's participation with other organizations and BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1175 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY representatives from the four surrounding counties on the Career Development Marketplace One-Stop Shop.
Well, I guess I just wanted to know, what is this one-stop shop, how is different from the one they already have in the job centers, and is something going to be coordinated? 'Cause, see, the job centers supposedly have this concept that Harris Wofford put forward when he was Secretary of Labor and Industry. They had a one-stop shop job center where people could go and access jobs Statewide with the computer system. How is this different if it's any different? Or don't they have their anymore?
My understanding -- and perhaps Miss Miller could provide a little more information, but my understanding is what we have been asked to do is to support that program to be part of it, to feed it with the people who are coming to us. We provide certain kinds of information, but we would be working closely with BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY 1176 BILL 980003 - FREE LIBRARY them. That program does exist and it is to expand that network is what the proposal is about.
Okay. Will you be having any on-site training for people? For instance, maybe someone needs some computer literacy. Other than the children, what about the adults? Is there anything like that that will be happening at the Library?
We have in many of our libraries adult literacy programs and GED programs. We don't, you know, operate the program itself. Often it's the Center for Literacy or the School District or another agency that actually does the training, but we provide the space and the environment, which we think is an enriching environment for that kind of program.
Okay. And, lastly, I just want to thank you for the time and the number of years you've spent doing the Ogontz branch, which is very beautiful, and look forward to the official reopening of the Northwest Regional and any others in our district. Thank you.
We're hoping to have the BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1177 BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION official reopening of Northwest Regional in April. But, as you know by your comment, it is open for service now, and it is quite a beautiful place.
Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments? (No further questions at this time.)
The Historical Commission is next. (Richard Tyler of the Historical Commission come forward.)
Thank you so much for your patience. It's been a long day.
Good afternoon. My name is Richard Tyler, Historic Preservation Officer for the Historical Commission. The proposed budget requests $253,842. This increase of $5,667 results from a negotiated BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1178 BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION agreement between the City and District Council 47. The budget will fund a staff of five. With that budget and staff, the Commission can reasonably expect to meet its major obligations of designation, permit review, and the conduct of the federally-mandated Historic Resource Assessments. If there are any questions, I'd be glad to try to answer them.
Mr. Tyler, I know it's been a number of years that the State has been waiting for the area to be classified as an historic district. And I know that you have not had ample personnel to deal with that. Does this budget deal with the help that you need?
Yes. And, in fact, I think you're aware of some of the personnel backgrounds, Councilwoman. Tuesday of last week, a new person started to work.
So hopefully, Girard will be -- BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1179 BILL 980003 - HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Yeah. Meanwhile, though, we are proceeding with the National Register Nomination for it, which is easier than a local nomination. And representatives of the community have been advised of that and seem pleased with that step forward.
Very well. Are there any questions from Members of the Committee? (No questions at this time.)
Thank you. I guess we could have called you up a long time ago. Thank you for your patience.
Atwater Kent Museum. (Members of Atwater Kent Museum panel come forward.) BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1180 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM
Good afternoon Councilwoman. My name is David Rasner, and I am President of the Board of Trustees of the Atwater Kent Museum. To my right joining me is Nancy Moses, our Executive Director. I am pleased to present the testimony in support of the proposed Fiscal Year 1999 operating budget of $200,000 and the capital budget of $1 million. I believe that you have our report before you.
It's been a long day so I won't take up a whole lot of time, just a few minutes and a few highlights. As you may know, the Atwater Kent Museum was founded 60 years ago City Department 18. I think we have the distinction of being the only City Department per se, and we function within the Recreation Department, just so you know. We are the official Museum of the City of Philadelphia. Since our establishment 60 years ago, we have protected the City's precious BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1181 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM historic treasures, interpreted its heritage, and educated generations of children and adults. Before detailing the Museum's objectives for this fiscal year, it's important to provide some background on why the Museum's budget has been reduced by 40 percent, from approximately $330,000 in FY '99, to $200,000 in FY '99. And with a decrease in budgeted positions from about eight members down to five members. When the Rendell Administration entered its first term, it called for ending in '97, Fiscal Year '97, the City subsidy that had covered virtually all of Atwater Kent Museum's operating costs for its entire history. I was placed on the Board, by the way, by the Mayor, I'm the Mayor's appointee on the Board. So I was very appreciative that Mayor Rendell one day appointed me, and the next day cut the budget. (Laughter.)
But in response, quite seriously, we have initiated various programs that have energized the Museum, which I think in the last five or six years have been significant. BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1182 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM One of the thing which I did by becoming a Board Member, a Member of the Executive Committee -- the Museum was run by six individuals. One was selected by the Mayor, one by City Council -- that's Marian Mitchell -- and another individual by the University of Pennsylvania, another by the Franklin Institute, and one by the family. This Museum had been used to doing business in customary ways established over the past 60 years. And it really did not look upon itself in terms of enterprising itself, in going out into the community and developing support in the community. It relied on the City funding. And we all know it's a different age today, and I think the Museum has come to recognize that. I was unhappy when I became a trustee and helped, through various efforts, including Nancy's, to expand the Board to 27 members, with each having equal voting power. Before, it was run by 6 individuals, and now be 27. I can say that the Mayor has energized the Board. I think by cutting back on the funding of the Museum and asking us to get our act BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1183 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM together, he has caused us to come together and to think in ways that we had not thought about ourselves before. And I think the Mayor has shown his commitment to the Board and to the Museum this year by including us in his budget. Because I think this year, we were slated not to receive any operating funds from the City. And the Mayor has seen fit to provide us with support, and we're very appreciative of that support. Energized by the Mayor's challenge, the Board of Trustees has more than met its various goals. The last five years have seen a bold effort to transform this Museum into a vibrant institution. The achievements, like I say, are documented in the Atwater Kent Philadelphia History Museum Package Progress Report from 1993-'97, which I believe is part of your package. We have various goals, and there are three goals that the Museum has. One is tourism, the other is education, and the other is the preservation of our City's history. Taking the last one first. Because the goal -- the mission of the Atwater Kent Museum is BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1184 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM established to preserve the significant artifacts that form a part of our history. And I think this past year, we have all read about the problems with various museums in Philadelphia going out of business, the problems confronting HSP and other institutions in the City. And Atwater Kent has really stepped up to the plate and has accepted the challenge to become the City's treasured history museum. With respect to education, we are working closely with the Board of Education. Local history, Philadelphia history, is now required in three grades. And through the efforts of Nancy Moses and our staff, we are working collaboratively with the City of Philadelphia in those endeavors. With respect to tourism and increasing the outward nature of Atwater Kent, the Board has taken some great steps to revitalize itself. We commissioned this past year Leslie Gallagher Dilworth to do a long-range planning study for the Atwater Kent Museum. As such, a number of things have happened and have basically coalesced. " And with the reconfiguration of the Independence Park where the Liberty Bell is going to be moved, we are literally at the front door of American history. As a result, we have been working with our fine corporate neighbor Rohm and Haas and have developed a plan with them which we intend to implement shortly, which is to change the front of our museum from Seventh Street to Sixth Street and have access through their walkway and courtyard onto Independence Park.
And they are cooperating with us and are helping us, and that will change accessibility and visibility to the Museum. We are also engaged in discussions to use their south lobby building space that was once occupied by a bank at that corner; it is now vacant. And we are having discussions with them to see what kind of use we can have of that building. As Council may know, one local museum which has gone out of business was the Norman Rockwell Museum, and we managed to acquire that collection. The Norman Rockwell Museum, I think, BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1186 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM had 40,000 visitors a year, and we hope to get all of those visitors coming to the Atwater Kent Museum. We are making plans to put up some of the lithographs and other works and prints that they have to show people that we now have that collection. Our Board, as I said a moment ago, has been energized. And as part of our long-range plan -- and by the way, we believe that we can make use of the garden behind the Museum and expand our building space, which is approximately 16,000 square feet, and build an addition to the rear of the building into the garden, and provide various amenities in that building to service the tourists, the people who come there, such as a cafe, an expanded Museum store and the like, including increased exhibit space and increased educational space for the, I think, close to 40,000 visitors from the School District, the school children that we have each year. I think this past year, we had about 35,000 school children come to visit the Museum -- no, I'm sorry. We had 9,000 school children come to visit museum, and I think we're looking to BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1187 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 10,000. We've had 35 to 40,000, all told. And with the addition of the Norman Rockwell collection and other things, we hope to double the number of visitors that come into the Museum, plus whatever foot traffic we get by creating our entrance onto Sixth Street. We are also grateful that the Mayor has placed us squarely in the capital budget cycle. I believe that the Mayor has pledged to a maximum of $5 million. For every dollar that we raise by funding that the City will commit dollar for dollar of the $5 million for that match. I am pleased to say that our Board of Directors, which I said earlier, has about 27 individuals. 6 million just from our Trustees, which I think is an amazing vote of confidence in the future of this institution. All of this would not have been possible but for the Mayor challenging and City Council challenging us to do our job. And we are now finally at long last doing our job and more. And we welcome continued support from City Council, and we hope that City Council will BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1188 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM see to it that the $200,000 of operating expense monies in the capital budget are approved and that we continue to do great work through those efforts.
Thank you very much. Councilman Nutter had to leave the chamber to attend a meeting. However, he asked me to express his gratefulness for the great work that you're doing. And he also suggested that I assure you of his continued support.
Are there any questions from Members of the Committee? (No questions at this time.)
The Committee of the Whole will stand in recess until 9 o'clock BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM 1189 BILL 980003 - ATWATER KENT MUSEUM tomorrow morning. That's Tuesday, February 24, 1998, at 9:00 a.m. (Adjourned at 4:30 p.m.) - - - 1190 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Monday, February 28 1998 were reported and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE BUDGET HEARINGS __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, RPR