Committee Hearing, March 17, 2005

- - - COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, March 17, 2005, 2:15 p.m. - - - RESOLUTION 050030 - Resolution authorizing the Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the proposed changes to the hours of operation at the City's branch libraries and the impact of these service cuts to the Free Library System; and further authorizing the Committee to examine contract cost savings that may be utilized to restore services to the Free Library System and other critical operating departments. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK DI CICCO COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2 - - - P R O C E E D I N G S - - -

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome. This is the public hearing of the Committee of the Whole, regarding Resolution 9 Number 050030. I would ask Mr. McPherson to please read the title. MR. McPHERSON: authorizing the Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the proposed changes to the hours of operation at the City's branch libraries and the impact of these service cuts to the Free Library System; and further authorizing the Committee to examine contract cost savings that may be utilized to restore services to the Free Library System and other critical operating departments.

Thank you. I think before we proceed with the hearing, there are some ground rules that I would like to make mention of. We do have groups that would like to 3 speak in a panel form. They will be given 15 minutes. Individuals will be given three to five minutes. We have a very, very lengthy list of people that want to be heard. So, in fairness to everyone, I would ask that you please abide by the regulation. Thank you very much. Our first panel will be? COURT CLERK: The panel of the Friends of the Free Library Panel, Judge John Younge, Amy Dougherty, Karen Lash, Darren Cottman, Sally Reed.

Good afternoon. Welcome. We do have a copy of your testimony. It will be given to the stenographer. It will be transcribed in full. So, if you would like to summarize it, we'd really appreciate it. JUDGE YOUNGE: Yes, ma'am. I will be very brief. Thank you, Madam President, and good afternoon to the other members of Council. 4 My name is John Milton Younge. I'm a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. I am here in my capacity as President of the Friends of the Free Library. And I want to thank Council for this opportunity to address you on the impact of service cuts to libraries throughout the city. The Friends of the Free Library, Madam President, is an umbrella organization that's comprised of various Friends' groups attached to library branches around the city. The mission of the Friends of the Free Library is to support the activities of the free library through our branch Friends' groups. I'm here today to speak about service cuts in our branches. And in a moment I'm going to introduce Amy Dougherty, who is our Executive Director of the Friends of the Free Library. And she will talk about the actions that have been taken in response to these service cuts by the various Friends' groups around the city. Before I do, I'd like to make two 5 brief comments from my perspective as President of the Friends of the Free Library, as well as my perspective as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Madam President, libraries are an integral part of the fabric of our community. They are places of learning. They are places of fellowship. They are places of safety. Libraries contribute to the overall well-being of our community. And it is our contention, Madam President, that it is the responsibility of government to enhance and even to maintain the public's free access to information. I understand, Madam President, that from where I sit I may not fully appreciate the extent of the difficulty you face in trying to prepare a fair budget in a time of declining revenues. And I understand that. But please understand our perspective. Libraries contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by our people. If this quality of life continues to deteriorate, we will continue to lose 6 population. Those who can move will. And Philadelphia will be left with two groups of people: Those who are very transient and have the resources to leave at any time and those who simply cannot. In that regard, Madam President, as it pertains to the service cuts and the plan and the implementation of a plan to reduce operation in branches throughout the City, 11 these so-called express branches, we 12 understand the stated goal of the library 13 management, which is to keep all branches 14 open, even on Saturdays, by creating these 15 so-called express branches. 16 However, from our perspective 17 despite their good intentions of the 18 library's management, a library without a 19 librarian is simply a book warehouse. It is 20 not a place of learning. ) JUDGE YOUNGE: It is simply our contention, Madam President, that this plan should be rethought. Finally, Madam President, moving 7 towards the end of my comments, I want to speak as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. I have sat on the bench almost ten years. In that time I've spent five years in the criminal courts. And sadly, Madam President, it has been my sad duty to have to sentence to prison, jail, probation, work release, et cetera, many, many of our young men and women in this City. I cannot tell you how many times that I have found that a common thread that connects all these individuals is a lack of education and an ineffective education. Libraries are a basic part of our educational system. And in this country it has been understood in the last several years that we need to make more investments in education, not cut education. I will say to you that investment in education is an investment in the reduction in crime. And I would say that we need to continue that investment in our libraries.

I'd like to now introduce Amy 8 Dougherty, who's our Executive Director.

Thank you, Your honor. Miss Dougherty.

Thank you, President Verna, for holding these hearings. My name is Amy Dougherty. I'm the Director of the Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia. I have the privilege of speaking on behalf of our 38 active Friends' groups, library users and supporters throughout the City. I would like to present to you and enter into the record the more than 20,000 signatures on petitions asking for the restoration of full days' service, six days per week, at all library branches, staffed by accredited librarians. (Applause.)

I also want to acknowledge and thank all of City Council for increasing the library's current budget by $1 million specifically for staff. 9 Unfortunately, because of our City Charter, the Mayor is not obliged to use these funds for library staff; and, in fact, he did not. I am here to speak to you about what we refer to as the library crisis, because it is a crisis, and ask that you find a way to delegate sufficient funds into the library budget to restore a full service and accredited librarians to all branches. What is happening is not about a lack of library trainees. It is not about a mid-year budget adjustment. It is not about the shrinking tax base, and it is not just about next year's library budget. This is about what we believe is the willful dismantling of the library system and what we believe is the administration's plan for library service now and in the future. This is why today's hearings are so important and why the new service configuration needs to be stopped now. The situation is this: Before the first round of layoffs, the library staff 10 level was approximately 673. 17 library employees were laid off in January, 13 of who were branch librarians. The target number of all library employees is 630, leaving more staff 7 positions on the chopping block. 8 And the effect of this is what we 9 all know. 20 libraries will be express 10 branches only open four hours per day, 11 staffed by clerks who do not hold master of 12 library of science degrees and are not 13 trained to do the work of full librarians. 14 Ten branches have already become 15 express libraries. Ten more branches will 16 become express soon. The remaining 17 librarians will serve two branches instead of 18 one. 19 128,000 programs per year will be 20 cut. 649,000 reference questions per year 21 will go unanswered. With 26 more library 22 staffers leaving by the end of June, express 23 libraries are the future of all of our 24 branches. 25 Of the 673 odd library employees 11 less than 136 are librarians who deliver direct service at branches. So, I have been asked by friends and patrons and library supporters, why were branch librarians targeted for elimination over other staff who would not directly affect branch service and require express service, if this indeed is a short-term fix? And this is why we believe that this is not a short-term fix but a new design of library service now and for the future, whatever the budget numbers are. And we need to stop this trend. We all love libraries. But let me take a few minutes to let you know why we need the libraries: Education. Few public schools have libraries or librarians. Equal access to information. Only librarians are trained to run programs, help patrons with questions and do research. Economics. 41 percent of our households are without home computers. So, who will assist patrons in filling out job applications, do job searches, research new 12 job opportunities in these express branches with no librarians? Are they less deserving than those patrons in full-service branches? Of course not. Arts and culture. Lifelong learning for all is important to our quality of life, and many library programs increase our understanding and knowledge of diverse cultures and arts. Susan Rigsby, long-time librarian at Wynnefield -- excuse me -- at Wyoming branch who will be removed because they are going to express service, stated that even during the depression in World War II libraries were open full days six days per week. Leave it to a librarian to do the research. Surely we can do that now, and we can with only $5 million in the budget and the will to keep our branches open and serving everybody in our population. Now, I would like to introduce Karen Lash, President of Forrest Home & School Association, member of the Friends of Holmesburg Branch Library, and an expert on 13 libraries in the Philadelphia public schools.

Good afternoon. Thank you, Council President Anna Verna and Councilman Michael Nutter for hosting these important public hearings on the free library crisis. I am a parent of a Philadelphia public school student, also a public school graduate, and a volunteer president of the Home & School Association for Edwin Forrest Elementary School in Holmesburg. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski serves my community. I know firsthand the poor condition and shameful neglect of our school library system in our 177 elementary schools. Since 2001 the number of accredited school librarians has decreased from 62 to only 37 or percent of our elementary 21 schools. 22 This school year, 94 non-professional staff, including non-qualified aides, bus monitors, assistants and volunteers are staffing our school 14 libraries. In schools with rooms simply housing books on shelves that are passed off as functioning school library programs, our school children are dependent on non-qualified staff at best. For students, the library should be the one place where they are not expected to have the answers. Librarians are there to teach and help students find answers. The library is more than books. It is a learning hub and the cornerstone of our community, offering a full range of print and electronic media that supports student achievement and lifelong learning. In 14 states across the United States, school districts have invested monies and professional library staffing to build library programs because all the data shows that standardized test scores increase in the areas of reading, math and writing with strong library programs. A. reading scores spend twice as much on their school libraries as the lowest performing schools. Yet in Philadelphia, only of our 41 middle schools have 6 accredited librarians. 7 The investment of monies for 8 librarians receives no central staffing. We 9 are spending a mere $6 per pupil, when the 10 state standard is almost $19 per pupil in 11 upgrading libraries. This is shameful. 12 So, when our students are assigned a 13 book report or research project on Black 14 History Month and a famous black American 15 which requires access to biographies and the 16 internet, the majority cannot visit their library because they don't have one in their school. Because their school system has let them down, they must turn to neighborhood free library branch. Yet the school children in my Holmesburg community and many others throughout our Philadelphia neighborhoods in north, south, southwest, northwest and northeast Philadelphia are being 16 short-changed by the City of Philadelphia, who has turned full service neighborhood branches into express branches and has removed our accredited librarians. Removing librarians from our free library branches leaves thousands of Philadelphia school children to fend for themselves. The librarians understand and are experts in children and young adult literature and know what kids like to read. They understand how information is organized and how to find it in different formats and to help our school children learn, research, study. They help students log on to and navigate the internet for homework. They access databases and on-line resources that most parents don't even know about or cannot access because many of us do not have home computers. Clerks and volunteers are not trained to do the work of a librarian. By turning full service libraries into express 17 branches, students cannot visit during the evenings. Many of our students participate in after-school academic and/or sports activities and clubs. And many must wait for a parent or guardian to take them to the library after school. By the time they can make to it their library, it's closed. A. or gasoline for their cars to travel outside their own community to find an open library with a librarian. Access to information and resources should not be a financial hardship.

Many of our families, over 60 percent in my child's school, do not have home computers with access to the internet. Yet students are expected to do research. Again, without school libraries, our students must turn to their free library branch. But in express branches, with reduced hours and no accredited librarians to show students how to access and use 18 information, how will our students succeed? Every student, every child needs the library to succeed. There is no such thing as a good education without good libraries that are opened a full day and staffed by qualified librarians. Libraries are full-time necessities and not part-time luxuries. If we can find monies for sports stadiums, we can find it for libraries. )

This is about priorities. And our children and our future should first and foremost be one the City of Philadelphia's top priorities. In the depths of the great depression, not a single public library in America closed its doors. Millions of people were out of work. Businesses went under, yet we held on tight to our libraries, not only because of their value to our society but because they were symbols of our strength. We must not fail our citizens of Philadelphia by going after our free 19 libraries. They keep all of us informed, enlightened, and they contribute to the education of our children. Free library founder Ben Franklin must truly be rolling over in his grave today. (Laughter.)

I ask City Council for your support in restoring funding full-service hours and accredited librarians to our free library branch system. Our future and our children's future depends on it. Thank you very much. (Applause and cheers.)

Our next speaker, kindly identify yourself for the record.

My name is Darren Cottman and I'm the adult team librarian for the Cecil B. Moore Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Good afternoon, Madam President and City Council.

Good 20 afternoon.

I received an award as the new librarian of the year for 2003 from the Pennsylvania Library Association, and I am not here because I feel I am endangered of being laid off. I am here to emphasize the necessity of not only libraries maintaining their hours of operation, but the importance of the presence of the librarian in every branch throughout the City. Our library, like all throughout the City, is a place used to increase and support the intellect of our citizens, from the smallest newborn to the most savvy senior citizen. Their quality time to learn computer usage or research current events with the librarian is done in the morning. The seniors at the Clara Baldwin Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center didn't have or desire an active library card until they came to our branch to see what we, the librarian and the library, had to offer. 21 They have become loyal patrons by coming individually and by scheduling group visits to the branch during our early hours. We are a consistent staff, and we are open by 10:00 a.m. with a librarian present. The community counts on that consistency. Team classes for programming and research have sought out the library during school hours. We have a teen author series that begins in the morning, and students are brought by their teachers to review a book, meet the author of that book, and then get their books signed. Nicole Bailey Williams, a teen author, has met with students from Vaux Middle Transitional School, the Boone School, Strawberry Mansion High School, and the George Washington Carver High School for Engineering and Science, to discuss her book entitled, A Little Piece of Sky. Many students are now aspiring writers and avid readers because of programs like this. Due to the after-school climate 22 and school schedules, there is no way to begin a program of that magnitude in the afternoon or without a librarian in the building. Middle schools, charter schools and foundations geared towards helping adults earn their G.E.D. will be without reference materials to support their lessen plans. These neighborhood schools and organizations frequent the library at least twice a week, using it as a valuable resource to support the learning needs of their students. This needed service... This needed service that the library is providing is being jeopardized at a critical time in their education process. I conducted 94 programs in the 2003/2004 fiscal year, which boasted an attendance of 1,007 individuals. 31 public relations contacts were made and 75,891 people came into our branch. These programs could not have happened without a professional librarian in 23 place. These programs could not have happened without a librarian. Don't deny everyone the opportunity to gain what is rightfully theirs. We need full-time libraries, and we need present librarians to have a productive future for all. Thank you. (Applause.)

Our next witness, Sally Reed.

Hello. Thank you, Madam President, and thank you especially Councilman Nutter, for helping us raise this very critically important issue. I am the Executive Director of an organization called Friends of Libraries U.S.A. We happen to be headquartered here in Philadelphia. We work with friends groups across the nation to help them in their support for libraries. And so, I am very glad to be here today with the Free Library of Philadelphia Friends. To believe that you can provide 24 library services without a librarian is to entirely miss the educational and cultural nature of libraries. And since those before me have so eloquently expressed the value of librarians, I just want to say that add to that that the one word I would use to help understand what a librarian really does is the word connect. The librarian is trained and educated to know how to connect to the community and to the individual. To make this connection requires a specialized knowledge in the areas of publishing, information retrieval, collection development and community needs assessment. To decide not to make this connection by removing the unique educational expertise of the librarian is to further denigrate the cuts that have already been placed or are being proposed for the libraries. And so with that, I would like to talk just a minute or two about the economic and political and social ramifications of 25 shutting these libraries to half time and to call them express libraries without a professional. I hesitate to use the word library. First of all, as I understand it, approximately one percent of the City's operating budget goes to support the Free Library of Philadelphia. I cannot believe that by cutting further into that minuscule support that we're going to solve any budgetary problems in Philadelphia. That's on its face obvious. (Applause.)

Thank you. The second point I want to make is that in my opinion as a taxpayer here in Philadelphia, it is economically irresponsible to close the doors on the investment that we've made, the millions of dollars that are sitting on the shelf and in databases in our libraries. We have invested millions of dollars. We need to open the doors, and we need to be sure that we have the expertise, in the form of a librarian, maximizing the value of these tremendous resources. Judge John Younge very eloquently talked about the kids that he sees come up before him and end up in jail or in youth programs, and their lives are really heading down the wrong track. And we all know that there's very few who recover from that. One of the things that we happen to know is that children from pre-school from age zero to five who have a book-rich background, end up entering kindergarten with the tools and resources to learn. But children who don't have book-rich environments enter far behind. And sadly, many never catch up. 80 percent of kids who have dropped out of high school and end up in front of the Judge have come from an environment that is both poor and resource poor for learning. We know. Studies are conclusive. There is no controversy. Kids who enter kindergarten with a reading background, a learning background, enter ready to succeed. 27 There is no other institution in this City, none, zero, that serves all kids, all ages, up until -- the future almost all the time, with professional expertise to help parents and children connect with the book learning environment prior to kindergarten. It's critical. And it's going to cost us on the back end. And if you don't believe me, I think the Judge could well tell you that we spend a lot more money in rehabilitation than the $5 million we're asking you for today. And I also want to say as the very last thing, the importance of the professional expertise in using the information databases that the library has. We do know that the digital divide is closing, but in some ways that's not a good story because as the digital divide closes, more and more people are getting on the information superhighway. That means the fewer and fewer left behind are left far, far behind. They are on a dirt road while everybody else is on the interstate. And 28 these people will suffer tremendously. They need to be able to have access to resources. But not just that, not just to come in and play games. They need to come in and have educated librarians help them use the resources that are their future, and use them in a meaningful way. We need librarians and we need hours fully staffed, fully open. It's economically stupid to do otherwise. (Applause.)

Just a moment, please. Just a moment, please. I certainly want to thank you for coming in and your testimony was absolutely wonderful. Councilman O'Neill, your light's been on. Do you want to be recognized?

Thank you, Madam President. I want to say something about my district on a personal matter, not a pleasant one. But I just want to say before I leave, everyone here in Council, not just those sitting here, but this is our second 29 go-round, supports this issue. I think what we have to find is a way to make it happen, and bring these librarians back, go back to the full hours, six days a week, and find the right balance between building Taj Mahals which we all support, as long as we can keep our neighborhood libraries open. And that's the addition to the Central Library. But I think we know about the state cuts which have been drastic. I'm not sure -- We in Council know about it. I'm not sure people that stand with state officials know about it, because it isn't just the Mayor that's been cutting the libraries. It's been the Governor. Beyond those two issues, we're going to hear testimony -- and I think it's going to be very informative testimony -- about the Library's Foundation. Not just that it has $22 million that both Governor Rendell and Mayor Street are obviously aware of, but that a good bit of that money comes from fines. I thought 30 all the money from fines went to support the library, not to support a separate fund. The second thing on that is that oftentimes books are sold, manuscripts, fine works, and very rare maps, and other things that the library has, that's going into the foundation. We've got to turn every stone that there is over and even look in the hole under it because we need all the information we can to get a resolution to this that the Mayor can live with, because while I don't agree with the Mayor's cuts, I know that I have to get him -- we have to get him to agree to whatever restoration we put together. And it's got to have more coming from other sources if the Mayor knows they're there and are not being used. The foundation is an area that I think you're going to hear a lot about. But also -- And I saw Tom Cronin and other representatives from District Council 47 here. I've heard a lot about the 31 librarians being cut. And that is something like the rec centers being open without the rec leader and the pools without the lifeguard. And I don't want to say that publicly because that may be the next thing we hear. (Laughter.)

But I want to know where, when Mr. Shelkrot was told that he had to cut, what else was cut? What management positions were cut... (Applause.)

...instead of the... (Applause.)

The critical front-line people that make the libraries libraries. You have to call them something else. I wouldn't even use the word library with express library, it's that much of a downgrade. They have to come up with a new name for it. A place where we have books on shelves or something. A library connotes so 32 much more than that. (Applause.)

So, I hope in our budget deliberations we bring everything out in the open. Many things I think we're going to be hearing about today for the first time. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. Thank you very much. I would ask Mr. McPherson to please call our next witnesses. MR. McPHERSON: The next group is the LEAP Students & Philadelphia Student Voices Participants. It's Steven Lee from the Roxborough branch. LEAP students are Tiffany Pierson, Allie Black, Lisa Short, Katie Donnelly. And the Student Voices Participants are Andreas Moschovis and Jennifer Kuntz.

Good afternoon. Welcome. You're on a panel. So, the panel will be given 15 minutes. 33 Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

I am Jennifer Kuntz.

I am Andreas Moschovis.

And I am Ian Young. And I'm here because I'm concerned about the library.

Fine. Why don't you just pull the chair up. Who's going to testify first?

Me.

Please start.

Need to go online for something at a library to get research, to do homework, or just to find some books you want to read? Do you plan on any of those activities at one of the Free Libraries of Philadelphia branches? You better think again before starting the car's engines or putting on those shoes. Mayor Street has announced an 34 arrangement to cut library service. This will hit of our free library neighborhood 4 branches hard. 5 Libraries have always cost a lot of 6 money to keep running. That might be seen as 7 a bad thing; but it's a good one, too. Every 8 dollar spent to improve the libraries has 9 always come back to help us. 10 The allotted money we had before 11 made a difference in what's in our libraries. 12 From the 2004/2005 budget of over $38 13 million, the Library got the necessary 14 computers, books and librarians we needed. 15 A library is a place where we want 16 to be able to go to get information. If 17 Mayor Street cuts the money given, we will 18 slowly lose that choice. 19 Every day school kids have to deal 20 with poor books and broken computers. Once the bell rings, they know where the good stuff is. That's the free libraries. It's the same deal for parents and teachers themselves. Now, if the Mayor cuts the service 35 hours, they really won't be able to do that. Those materials they wanted to use would be cut short; no extra time for that book report or to get help from the librarians. The issue itself surrounds the city's budget. It started in January when the Mayor started cutting the services. Mayor Street is always trying to save money one way or another. They are the free libraries, and he chooses them as the easy target. All citizens are affected by the decision. Whether you are a kid, parent, or a teacher who uses the free library for educational reasons or someone employed at the library, you don't want to hear the news that they are going to be getting closed early. Also for people who have to go -- who have to work late or go to -- or stay after school, it's bad news for them because they might not be able to reach the libraries before they have to close early, especially if you're an actual librarian working there, 36 because you are in the worst position. Your job is on the line. These librarians are people who are working there to help the No Child Left Behind Act. They want to help further children's education but are learning that a place where that can happen is facing financial problems. People's viewpoints are something that this decision lies on. Everyone has their own opinion. Most people think it is overall bad. Protesters totally against the thought of library cuts shout to get their voices heard. Two main quotes are "Got homework? " Amy Dougherty, Executive Director of the Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia was one of those protesters. She believes that libraries are essential and should stay open. That opinion also lies with three other outspoken individuals, Councilman 37 Nutter, Millie Camisa, and author Peggy Dye. They think Mayor Street's idea of cutting libraries is absurd. You do have the few citizens who stand by the decision because of the other possibilities that could happen. E. L. Shelkrot, Director of the Free Library, thinks the decision was for the better. He would rather have shortened hours to help keep the budget still running than have the library be closed totally. From the pros and cons mentioned by the other people, I believe the Free Library should stay the way they are and open. A library is a place of community, of education and help. First, I know myself that I wouldn't want my local library closed or getting cut services, whether it be people getting fired, money be taken away or the shortened hours. That would affect me and other people who use them. Also, it's such a big deal now about the grades of children. People keep hearing 38 about the needed improvements and the No 3 Child Left Behind Act.

A library is a place where that can help them without no problems, yet Mayor Street seems to think that it doesn't matter. It seems that he just wants the money and doesn't care about our future. I do think Mayor Street should find some other way to help the budget issue. I feel this way from the cons presented by the people and the thought of no libraries. Sure, the libraries will be open, but not like they used to. Education is important for a better future, and a library does bring that. There is going to be -- This is why the hearing is here today, to hopefully make a sensible agreement so that libraries can stay open with reasonable hours, materials, and librarians. Our budget might be the problem now, but if you mess with one of our educational locations like the library, our problem will go much further than money. 39 Thank you.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Our next witness.

Thank you. One of Mayor John Street's --

I'm sorry. You're going to have to identify yourself for the record.

Andreas Moschovis. One of Mayor John Street's proposals to cut City spending is to reduce funding to the City's public libraries. The Mayor plans on reducing the library's budget by about $3 million, by making staff cuts and also by reducing of the City's public libraries 20 hours. Because of these cuts, many students may not be able to get the help they need from librarians who help teach the City's after-school programs, as well as the times in which people can visit the library. 40 Due to Philadelphia's budget deficit, the Mayor tried to solve the problem by making cuts in unnecessary services, amongst which the Free Library of Philadelphia was one of them. Another reason for the cuts is that the state has removed some of its funding from the libraries because of its own financial problems. Because of these cuts, many librarians will lose their jobs, while others will get a pay cut. Many people support the idea of the library budget cut because they believe that the number of people who use the library has decreased dramatically over the past couple of years because students can now get the information they need from the internet. Yet the people who oppose the cut state that not every student has access to the internet or even a computer, and also because not all the information they need is on the internet. Another reason is that people of all 41 ages just want to read a book for pleasure or to help them solve a question that they might have. I myself am against these cuts because libraries are a great way to get information, since the internet does not always have reliable information you want. I am also against the cuts because not everyone has an internet connection at home, such as one of my friends, who relies on the use of a library computer to do school projects and research. Another reason that I'm against the cuts is that the amount of work librarians do to help out children, such as the after-school program which helps children who need help improving their grades. My final reason is that the number of books and knowledge that a library has which helps builds reading skills for young children. The library has helped me get a good foundation in education because of its books which are free. 42 Because Philadelphia is in a fiscal deficit, the Mayor has decided to make cuts in the budget. One of these would reduce library hours and the number of librarians. I oppose the cuts because the library provides many educational opportunities, like after-school help, a place to get information for school work, and a place to get books which are a fundamental part of early education. Thank you.

Thank you. Are you testifying? Is anyone else testifying on your panel? PANEL: No. 17

Fine. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Our next witness is? MR. McPHERSON: Cathy Scott, President of Local 2187, Joseph Perry, Jane Gottfried, Susan Rigsby, Rita Urwitz, Pataricia Hoberg. 43 And from Local 2186 is Michael Walsh. We just have the 47. We'll just have 2187 come first.

If that group is here, I'd appreciate them coming up to the witness table. Identify yourself for the record and please proceed with your testimony. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.

Good afternoon, Council President Verna. My name is Cathy Scott, and I am President of A.F.S.C.M.E. Local 2187. As you are aware, the City and Free Library administration have decided to lay off 15 librarians and cut in half the hours of of the 50 branch libraries. This is a 20 decision which in effect closes 40 percent of the branch libraries in the City of Philadelphia. Now, I am sure that the administration would strongly disagree with my statement. However, the effect of their 44 decision is just that. They are closing of 50 branches. Let me use another department as a comparison. I know Councilman O'Neill went into this a little bit. And you will see -- and see if you reach the same conclusion I have reached. Suppose, instead of a library, we were talking about the Fire Department. Suppose City administration and the Fire Department decided to remove all the firefighters and the lieutenants from 40 percent of the fire stations and call them express stations. (Laughter.)

Instead, the deploy a 18 full-time automotive driver, two full-time 19 machinists of seasonal labor to those fire 20 stations, leaving the fire engine and the firefighting equipment in the station. Then they cut the hours of the station that's staffed from hours per day 24 to 12 hours per day. They use the rationale that because the fire engine and equipment 45 are still there, and there's a driver for the fire engine, and a maintenance and laborer staff to keep the equipment running, that is still a fire station. Then they partner the station with another fire station two or three miles away to assist the express station, but there are no more firefighters assigned to the partnered stations to help out in case of a fire. And finally, they justify this by calling it an innovative way to provide firefighting services to the City of Philadelphia. (Applause and cheers.)

I believe that everyone would agree, if given that scenario, that those fire stations are closed for all intents and purposes associated with firefighting. This is the same situation in the library branches. The buildings may be open half the time. The books and computers for the time being are still there, but they are 46 no longer providing library services to the community. The City has already converted of 5 the 20 targeted branches to be expressed. 6 The initial feedback on this action is what 7 you are hearing as testimony today. 8 Since 1996 our union has had 9 redesigning government initiative language in 10 our contract with the City. It is an excellent process specifically tailored to address situations like the present situation which the City administration is facing. Mike Walsh, President of Local 2186, will outline the economics of restoring basic library services to all 50 branches in his testimony. But our plan does not stop there. We continue to offer redesigning government initiative to the City as the way to provide a win for the taxpayers and community, a win for the administration, and a win for our members, by looking at the way library services are delivered, to see if there are economies to be gained without sacrificing 47 services. I am sure that the library administration is aware of Section 141.24F2, subsection IV, of The Pennsylvania Code which addresses state mandated minimum staffing standards. Populations 20,000 and above, certification as a professional librarian by the State Library of Pennsylvania. of the 11 20 targeted branches have populations of 12 20,000 and above in the communities that they 13 serve. 14 Now, while the City may argue that as a City of the First Class it is exempt from the Pennsylvania Code requirement, we ought to be setting a standard for a world-class library system befitting the fifth largest City in the United States. (Applause.)

We should not be laying off librarians and denying some communities the vital services that libraries provide. I am asking that you stop the pending layoff of 15 librarians, in 48 conjunction with the Mayor; restore librarians to the libraries which have been converted to, quote, express branches; stop the City from converting more branches to expressed or partnered branches; and restore the necessary funds for the library as outlined -- as will be outlined in Mr. Walsh's testimony. Thank you for the opportunity to address the panel. (Applause.) MS. DeJOSEPH: Is it possible if I could stand?

I would just ask that you identify yourself for the record, please. MS. DeJOSEPH: Me llamo Juanita Vega-DeJoseph, y soy bibliotecaria, de ninos para la Biblioteca de Kensington en la systema de bibliotecas de la cuidad de Philadelphia. Don't worry. I'll translate for you. (Laughter.) MS. DeJOSEPH: My name is Juanita 49 Vega DeJoseph, and I am a children's librarian for the Kensington branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. (Applause and cheers.) MS. DeJOSEPH: Located at 104 West Dauphin Street. And I'd like to thank Hunter Elementary School for being here and supporting me. (Applause and cheers.) MS. DeJOSEPH: Kensington's unique distinction is that it has the largest children's Spanish book collection in the Free Library system. The population near the Kensington branch is primarily Latino, Asian, and African-American. As a librarian who is trained in outreach and story-telling it is my job and my mission to instill in our children as early as possible the infinite advantages visiting the library will have on their lives. Thousands of studies from the U.S. Department of Education have shown how 50 reading children's literature enhances everything from school achievement, emotional development, even increased lifespan. And in my opinion, most importantly, the studies have shown that reading can contribute to higher standards of living. (Applause.) MS. DeJOSEPH: Taking children's literature a step further, by reading aloud children's literature to our youngest patrons increases the following: Print motivation, a child's interest in and enjoyment in books; phonological sensitivity, the ability to hear and play with the small sounds in words; narrative skills, the ability to describe things and events and to tell stories; letter knowledge, knowing that letters are different from each other and have different names and sounds; print awareness, knowing how we follow the written words on a page and how to handle a book; vocabulary, knowing the names of things. All these benefits from just reading aloud. Often the children's only 51 opportunity to hear stories read aloud are at the centers and when they visit the library. Limiting the Kensington branch to a paltry four hours a day will deny our youngest innocent patrons from day care and pre-school centers these essential life-empowering skills. Do you realize these centers only use the libraries in the mornings, due to their early dismissals? The Kensington Branch is a crucial resource for these centers. Kensington's children need every advantage available to them. They come from households where the following statistics will tell you reading and visiting the library is not a priority. 44 percent of Kensington's families live below the national poverty level. Does anyone here know what the national poverty level is? $18,850 for a family of four. The median income for a Kensington family is $18,906 a year. 45 percent of the families are headed by single females. 52 And the most frightening of all these statistics is the educational component of the Kensington household. 58.5 percent of adults over years old are without a high 6 school diploma or equivalent. I repeat. 7 58.5 percent of adults over 25 years old are 8 without a high school diploma or equivalent. 9 Please help our Kensington children 10 to do better. Maya Angelou once said, if you 11 know better, you live better. Give 12 Kensington's youngest children the advantage 13 of hearing Maya's words, Nina Crew's 14 Neighborhood Nursery Rhymes, Countee Cullen's 15 beautiful poem called Incident in this 16 collection, or even Pura Belpre's wonderful 17 Juan Bobo stories, in the beautiful magical 18 setting of the Kensington Branch. 19 Give the branch back to the 20 community with full-time hours and full-time 21 staff. 22 Gracias. 23 (Applause and cheers.) 24

Please 25 identify yourself for the record. 53

My name is Harry Wachstein. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

And Councilman Nutter and Committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. I am employed as the library coordinator for the northeast region of the Free Library. I schedule public programming at 12 agencies in northeast Philadelphia and provide training and staff development to professional staff in those agencies. I have years of service with the Free Library. 17 One of the aspects of my job that I 18 love the most is the requirement that I visit 19 on a regular basis library branches located 20 in neighborhoods as diverse as Feltonville 21 and Fox Chase, Bustleton and Frankford. 22 When I visit branches, I am forever 23 struck by the deep bonds that have been 24 forged from generation to generation between 25 the people of these neighborhoods and their 54 local library. These libraries function not only as vital extensions of the school day for tens of thousands of latchkey children but also serve as community meeting places, offering free programming at night to families that are economically pressured, and filling our seniors' days with the joy of reading and socializing. To say that the Free Library will operate more efficiently by downgrading 13 branches, shortening their hours, and 14 stripping them of librarians is disingenuous. 15 It is facetious. It is a slick con game 16 perpetrated against the residents of the 17 affected neighborhoods. 18 (Applause and cheers.) 19

It is in effect 20 tantamount to a school board solving a school funding crisis by cutting classroom hours and replacing all of the teachers with non-teaching assistants and then congratulating itself for saving money, not realizing that it is destroying the very 55 thing it is hoping to preserve. When Elliott Shelkrot became director of the Free Library, he often used statistics to point out the contribution the library makes to the quality of life in Philadelphia. Although statistics never tell the entire story, here are some numbers I hope that you will consider when evaluating the library's flawed reorganization plan. In FY'04 the agencies slated to 13 be downgraded circulated over 1.1 million 14 books, videos, and other library materials. 15 They attracted over 128,000 citizens to free 16 programs, most of which took place in the 17 evening. Librarians at those agencies 18 fielded over 649,000 reference transactions. 19 And the combined population of these 20 service areas is 489,000. That's nearly one-third of the population of the City. And it includes 78,000 seniors and 96,000 school children. Tragically, many of the schools in these very same communities also lack 56 librarians and functioning libraries. Finally, I would like to close with this fact. The average distance between the downgraded agencies and the branches the administration has designated to serve as so-called partner full-service branches, is 1.64 miles, a distance that puts particular hardship on seniors and pre-schoolers, and truly stretches the definition of neighborhood library. If this reorganization is allowed to continue, your constituents will want to know why one neighborhood in your district has a library that is open in the evening while another one does not, why one neighborhood in your district has a library offering pre-school programs and another does not, and why one neighborhood in your district has a library with two librarians and another has no librarian at all. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Councilwoman Verna, one 57 final note. There are two packets up there for the Council members. They are profiles of the express, quote, branches and the partner branches and gives you a lot of information about the schools, the circulation, and a lot of the statistics that we've had.

Thank you so much. I will make certain they're circulated. Do we have all of the witnesses who wanted to testify from Local 2187 and Local 2186? Have they all been heard?

2186 is coming up. Kim Robinson.

I'm sorry. Just a moment, please. I didn't realize that Councilman Nutter wanted to be recognized. No?

No, not at the moment, Madam Chair. Thank you.

I'm sorry.

One member is handing in her testimony to abide by the rules you laid 58 down.

Oh. Very well. And we'll make certain that the stenographer has a copy of that, and it will be transcribed in full.

Kim Robinson.

Thank you very much. Will members of Local 2186 please approach the witness table. Members are being given a copy of your testimony. We will make certain that the stenographer also receives a copy. It will be transcribed in full. Because of the time constraints, if you could summarize your testimony, it would be certainly appreciated.

Yes, Council President.

Thank you.

Council President Verna, Councilman Michael Nutter, committee members, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. 59 I am Michael Walsh, A.F.C.S.M.E. Local 2186 President. This union represents first-line supervisors of administrative, professional and technical employees in every board, department, and agency in the City of Philadelphia. I am here today to express the disappointment of the librarians who I represent who have worked for many years in developing a world class library system. To their dismay, our libraries have been gutted to the level of book storage facilities. Day care center programs have been cancelled. Senior citizens are no 16 longer valued customers. Their programs have been eliminated by scheduling them at the wrong time of the day. We believe that other solutions are available to respond to the current fiscal crisis. The union has branch librarians here today to testify. They will discuss the proposed service cuts and their impact on our communities. I will testify briefly on the budget 60 and the union's alternative to the express branch with branches in the communities. The proposal that we have before you today is to deal with the first question of how much money was saved in this fiscal year by laying off librarians and closing the branches? The City is going to save the huge sum of $164,722 by laying people off and closing library branches this year. We think that there is a solution where not only can you find -- can the money be found to stop the layoffs, but to also hire 12 additional people for the remaining portion of this fiscal year. Where would they get the money? Where the money can come from is, the City has given the foundation the fine revenue of $488,901. This comes from the Free Library's foundation, I.R.S. filing form 990 from the year 2002. Why are they giving money to a foundation when we can't keep the community branches open? (Applause.) 61

The other part is what will we do for fiscal '06? For fiscal 2006 the union's proposal is to bring everybody back who was laid off and hire an additional librarians so we can keep the community 7 branches open. 8 (Applause.) 9

Not only Monday through 10 Friday but Monday through Saturday. 11 How much would this cost? The 12 proposed cost would be $1,861,117, as I've outlined on my -- on the third sheet. Where could they get the money? The additional -- If you look at the bottom half of the third page, the first topic that should be looked at is Class 200, the category of professional service contracts. For fiscal 2006, this category has been increased by $31 million in just one year. This increase could fund the entire Free Library system, central, regional and community branches for nine months. If we couldn't touch that, there is the Class 306 which is the purchase of 62 materials. It seems incredible when you can't keep a library open, that the library administration would increase the purchase of materials by $1.3 million. How could the library adjust if you didn't give them that money for that Class 306? They could once again defined income would stay with the Free Library and not go to the foundation. And also according to the Free Library Foundation's form 990 for the year 2002, which they filed with the I.R.S., they received from the sale of library books $1,487,756. What we're suggesting is that the revenue go to the community branches, not to the foundation. (Applause.)

There is another option. At a time when they're cutting the professional librarians, the people who perform the reference works, the day care -- the day care programs, they have increased hiring seasonal employees by another -- an 63 additional $1.3 million. What we're saying is that you should -- that librarians should be hired before seasonal. In summary, the library has several choices: Temporary seasonal hirings or librarians. Today children's literacy is a top priority. The free library has several options to maintain full service in every community branch. For fiscal 2006 the most direct actions would be, keep the fine income, freeze temporary and seasonal hiring at the level of June 30 of '04 and reduce the purchase of materials. That will give the necessary $1.8 million to do this. These minor actions would maintain full service libraries Monday through Saturday with librarians. This proposal is a short-term solution. A long-term answer is necessary. We, the employees, recognize that change is constant. We are committed to providing communities with world class 64 libraries. Since 1996, the union has promoted our redesigning government programs as a viable solution for service and funding problems such as today's libraries. Today District Council 47 and the Friends of the Library are testifying together to promote alternatives to the express branches. R.G.I. works through the cooperative efforts of the citizens, union and management. Two of the three components needed for a successful R.G.I. are here now. We need your assistance in prompting management to join us in maintaining a world class library system. Cathy Scott spoke about the R.G.I. program. I will not say any more about that. I would just like to thank you for the opportunity to testify today. (Applause.)

At this time what I would like to do is have Susan Rigsby testify. She is a branch librarian from one 65 of the most diverse libraries we have in the city's Wyoming Branch.

Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record. And again, I would ask you please to be conscious of all of the other people that really wish to testify today. I'd love to keep within that 15-minute window for all of the groups. Thank you. Please identify yourself.

Thank you, Madam President and members of City Council. My name is Susan Rigsby. I am the branch manager and children's librarian at the Wyoming Avenue Branch of the Free Library. My branch is located in the Feltonville Section and is one of the branches designated to become express in the near future. Wyoming branch is currently fully staffed: One librarian who is the branch manager and children's librarian, an adult teen librarian, three full-time library 66 assistants, and a full-time municipal guard. I have three masters degrees and credits towards a Doctorate, and our adult teen librarian has two masters degrees. When Wyoming Branch becomes an express library, we will be replaced by one library assistant with a high school diploma, and of course none of the current full-time staff will remain at the branch. Wyoming Branch serves one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the City. It is also one of the largest immigrant populations in the City. Our patrons are natives of Puerto Rico, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nigeria, Kenya, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Korea, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Morocco and Yemen. Our branch has collections of books, magazines, and movies in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian, and Arabic. Nearly 60 percent of our patrons speak a language other than English in the home, and over 40 percent have not completed 67 high school. Over percent have less than a 3 fifth grade education. D. class, and English 7 tutoring. We also have a large collection of books and tapes for English self study. We partner with Indo-Chinese American Council, Nueva Esperanza, Asociacion de Puertorriquenos En Marcha, Episcopal Community Services, Tabor Lutheran Church, Aspira, and other community-based agencies to identify community needs, select library resources to meet those needs, and then direct residents to the library to utilize our resources. Because of our outreach, Wyoming branch has had the fifth highest program attendance in the Free Library for the last two years, 13,100 in 2003 and 12,200 in 2004. There are 14 schools that use Wyoming Branch, particularly Central East Middle School, Clara Barton Elementary, Olney 68 High School, Feltonville Elementary, CEP Hunting Park and St. Ambrose Parochial. Central East Middle and Clara Barton Elementary are located directly across the street from the library. There are nearly 1,900 students between these two schools. And by the end of this year, the school district will open a new K through 8th grade mega-campus directly across the street from Wyoming Branch. Its anticipated enrollment will be 2,500 or more students. Just a few months ago, in October 2004, I received a phone call from a member of the library administration who was retiring. She said that she had spoken with Elliott Shelkrot, the Library Director, about the new school being built across the street from Wyoming. And Mr. Shelkrot, quote, in her words, nearly fell off his chair. She then told me that he was concerned that we would be needing more staff and maybe even an addition to our building to accommodate all those students. 69 Then, just a matter of weeks ago, we found out that we were instead going to become an express branch with no librarians, less staff and drastically reduced hours. As for our neighborhood schools, Clara Barton School has a very small library and no librarian. Feltonville School has neither a library nor a librarian. And Central East Middle has a librarian but a rather small library. None of these schools have the resources to meet the homework and research demands of their students. m. L. class for speakers of Vietnamese and Cambodian. L. classes in the City that is geared solely to speakers of these languages. L. 70 tutoring. We will lose our community partnerships because most of the outreach and cultivating of partnerships that I do takes place in the mornings.

Unemployed adults will lose access to our resources for preparing their resumes and searching for jobs. Because the schools are right across the street, adults must come to the library in the morning before our facility becomes overwhelmed with students. Because this is a poor neighborhood, families do not own cars. A. and this will be both costly and time consuming. No other library in our vicinity has the extent of language resources that Wyoming Branch has. Our patrons will be deprived, and it will place an undue burden on other library branches which cannot accommodate heavy demands in Haitian, Arabic, Vietnamese and Spanish. Wyoming is one of only two branches in the City with a Haitian language collection. West Oak Lane is the other. 71 Wyoming branch is five blocks from Roosevelt Boulevard. Our nearest library neighbor is Greater Olney which right now isn't even open. A. alone. 11 Wyoming Branch has been paired with 12 Bushrod Branch which means that our patrons are supposed to go there to receive full library service. 55 miles away, again across 12 lanes of Roosevelt Boulevard. Neighborhood teens will not have a safe place to gather in the evenings to study and spend time with friends. Many of the students in the community use the library as a place of refuge to escape for a while from unpleasant home situations. Examples include mothers strung out on crack, alcoholic fathers, and families where physical and emotional abuse are the norm. 72 Pre-school groups cannot cross Roosevelt Boulevard to get to another library. m. will not be able to use Wyoming Branch's resources at all, as they will just be arriving when the library is getting ready to close. m. Classes will not be able to visit Wyoming Branch as part of their school day and do research under the assistance of professional librarians. On a final note, when Wyoming Branch was closed for renovations in 1998 and 1999, I received a phone call from a kindergarten teacher at Feltonville Elementary. She was very upset that the branch had been closed during that entire school year, and she said that it was the first year that her kindergarten class was not adequately prepared to go on to first grade. She directly blamed the closure of the library for her students' incomplete 73 preparation. If Wyoming Branch becomes express and loses its librarians, how many more students will be inadequately prepared because they've lost access to resources vital to their educations? Changing Wyoming from full service to anything less will leave more than one child behind. It will leave the community of Feltonville drastically behind. And considering that so many of our patrons came to America to seek out better lives for their children, we owe them the best, not a mere shadow of what American education is supposed to be all about. )

Again, may I just be recognized a moment, please. I think the panel has long gone over their 15 minutes. And again, I'm going to ask... I'm truly very appreciative of your being in here. I'm finding your testimony very, very informative. But as I said, we would like to hear everybody that's on the list. So, if 74 you would try to simply cooperate with us, I'd appreciate it. Please identify yourself for the record.

My name is Joseph Perry. I am the Library Chief Steward for Local 2186, District Council 47, A.F.S.C.M.E. I'm also a librarian supervisor II, head of the General Information Department at the Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia. I have been a Free Library librarian for over years. 14 We are gathered here today to talk 15 about finding money for the library. How 16 much money and where can we find it in order 17 to stop the plan to turn our world class 18 library into a warehouse of books? 19 Can we do this by cutting taxes? 20 Should we have used the money to keep libraries open instead of for our new stadiums? Should we fund another Safe Streets Initiative for kids who don't have libraries with librarians and that are open only four 75 hours a day? More kids will be out on the streets this year because the library will have fewer hours. I wonder what seniors and families will have... who have had their most needed branch hours cut will say when they are asked in the library's next citizen survey about how satisfied they are with library services. They use their branch in the morning and evenings, and now find their branches essentially closed to them. The idea that Saturday hours are necessary to replace lost weekend hours [sic] does not fit the facts. Saturdays at the branches are among the slowest days of the week. Back in the 1890s, Philadelphia City government used available money to establish the Free Library, staffed with librarians, to serve a population that rose to over 2 million. Today we have a population of 1.5 million. We are losing about 10,000 people each year. Every year more people leave 76 Philadelphia, but those who choose to stay continue year after year to increase their use of the Free Library. Where do we find the money to reverse the decline in Philadelphia's population? One important thing we can do is keep our libraries open and staffed with librarians to meet the growing demand for libraries. Why, then, has the city administration decided to cut library hours and take librarians out of libraries? Why are there Free Library staff cuts in each year of the current five-year plan? Will this help stem the flow of people out of Philadelphia? Why is the City with its ambitious strategic marketing plan, lead by the consulting firm of Civic Entertainment Group, trying to develop a plan to best market the city's assets such as the Free Library when these assets are being reduced to the lowest state possible? The City administration has money 77 for consulting, and then tells us that it is not their fault that there is not enough money for the Free Library. It just shrugs its bureaucratic shoulders and says that is the price you pay to play. Why did the library administration choose the very life blood... (Applause.)

Why did the library administration choose the very life blood of our great library to eliminate the staff that keeps neighborhood branches open and that have the education, training and experience to run these libraries? How can we call ourselves librarians if we turn our backs on the life work of so many that have come before us in. The library's plan is counter to every statement we make about quality of service and the strength of the library profession. This plan is destroying one of the City's great institutions. Every citizen that cares about this City and its library 78 needs to step forward and stop this plan before it is too late. For over 100 years the librarians at the Free Library who have worked and lived in Philadelphia built a world class library. For the same number of years, the Free Library has benefited from the private contributions received through its fund-raising non-profit, the Free Library Foundation. The foundation reported assets of over $22 million for fiscal years 2001 and 2002. The 2002 assets included $488,901 in fines collected by the Free Library. The foundation sold library books and other material for the sum of $1.5 million in fiscal 2002 and $1.4 million in fiscal 2003. Where does this money go? We raised the fines in January 2003 and in July of 2004. Fines go up and the material is sold off. The hours are cut and the librarians are sent away. Is this any way to run a library? 79 Many of us, including myself, believe so strongly in the need to raise private funds that we gave money to the foundation. Now we are questioning the use of this money. I believe that the foundation funds should be used to keep libraries open. City librarians have been demoted and very soon will be without jobs. According to the five-year plan, during the next fiscal year, which starts in less than four months, we will have more staff reductions. The reason we are here today is that we are concerned, bewildered and outraged and fearful of what is happening to our library and our profession. It's humiliating to see librarians being removed from their libraries. These public servants have worked very hard to improve the quality of life for those visiting the Free Library. They are now being demoted, laid off and generally forgotten. What in the world is going on at the Free Library? 80 We hope that the disclosures we are making here today will enlighten the public as to what is happening to their library. The library that is and will always be an extension of the human spirit, Philadelphia's Free Library, open to all, Philadelphia's treasure and Philadelphia's future. Thank you for this opportunity to testify today. (Applause.)

Excuse me, sir. I think you mentioned an amount of money that the foundation has. What did you say that figure was?

The assets for the foundation reported in fiscal 2001 and 2002. It's not a total. It's each year. $22 million. It's right on their web site. On our annual report of fiscal year 2003 you can get the library foundation operating support and revenue.

We're already making a phone call on that. Mr. 81 McPherson is already on the phone on that issue. (Applause.)

Thank you. Just a moment please. The Chair would like to recognize Councilman Mariano.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. I'll make this really quick. I came down here a little late. I had some meetings upstairs. But I was listening on the phone, and I met with some of the union leaders. And they were explaining -- before this happened they were explaining to me about the Library Foundation. And I noticed Mr. McPherson is making a call. And I just spoke with Councilman Nutter. It's unbelievable to someone like me, and also to Councilman Nutter and the rest of the Council people in here, about this library foundation and them not spending the money that the union alerted us to. I was a library kid. My mother 82 wasn't born in this country. She was born in another country. My father was born upstate. And I'm the first person in my family to graduate from college. When I went to high school, it was a librarian at her branch that helped me... You weren't there. You weren't there.

No. 10 (Laughter.)

She helped me form sentences and paragraphs. Now, at that time no one spoke Arabic or Vietnamese or Cambodian or Hmong up there. But that is my Council district, that strip of Wyoming Avenue. And I also use the Overington Branch Library, which gives me another thought. But that strip on Wyoming Avenue is like a United Nations. I mean, you missed a couple languages. There are so many languages. When you go to certain mosques there, there's Iraqis there. You go to another mosque, there's people that are from 83 the Middle East but they're from Jordan. It's a whole different culture. Cambodians, they totally speak a different language than Hmongs, the Vietnamese. So, I fought to get that school, that new Central East Middle School, along with some other people. To put that school there and not have adequate resources where libraries -- There's another child whose mother may not have been born in Ireland like mine was, but maybe she was born in Haiti. And he doesn't know how to structure a sentence. I mean, librarians are important to my life, the librarian there and the one over at the Overington branch. But I had a horrible thought. Bushrod is in my district, too, on Castor Avenue. For those children to leave there, if I gave them tokens, and they went down took the 75 -- I think it's still the 75 -- and went down to Margaret and Orthodox, and made a free transfer there, and went up 84 Castor Avenue on the 59, that is exactly where them shootings were Friday night at Frankford and Oxford Avenue which is right where at Margaret and Orthodox. So to put these children in that kind of harm for some foundation is unbelievable to us. And I know when Councilman Nutter's working on something, we'll find out the answers. He's been really into digging these things up. I'm sure we're going to find out what's going on. But I pledge to you, no matter what it takes -- And I don't know what they're thinking about downstairs on the second floor. And I'm sure they have an idea of the drastic effects that this is going to have on these young people that have no idea what it is to do these things that I have been able to achieve because of the Free Library and the librarians that were there. I don't think that temporary librarian is going to be able to speak... Spanish, maybe. But definitely not Cambodian 85 or Vietnamese or Haitian. They don't speak Spanish. They speak French. There's some Portuguese people there. That's going to be really hard. So, whoever's doing the thinking on this budget to close the libraries, it's just unbelievable and unfathomable, for someone like me, who came from that background and understands that this is the only chance that some of these young people will get. And hopefully someone will be sitting in this seat because I don't want to be here forever. I want to be out of here in at least 40 years. There will be somebody sitting here. To be able to say, I also learnt at that Wyoming Library Branch, and it wasn't an express library. That's a place where you stop and grab a donut and a coffee and go to work. That's not a place where you learn to read and you learn English as a second language. (Applause.)

So, I pledge to 86 you and to the people in this room, especially to this librarian, it's not closed yet. Hopefully we can work something out within the next couple weeks with the people in the second floor, the administration, to make sure that this happens. Okay. (Applause.)

Thank you, Councilman for your remarks. Thank you, Councilwoman Verna.

Thank you very much. You've all been very informative. Thank you. Our next witness. MR. McPHERSON: Tom Cronin.

I'm sorry. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.

Thank you. During the transition and before Mr. Cronin gets up, I just want to make sure that we recognize a group of students who are here from Northeast High School with their teacher, Emily Foot; and there may also be students from Bartram Communications High 87 School. Their teacher is Walter Clark. And Daniel Boone High School, their teacher is Henry Demby. The students are participants in a program called Student Voices which is a civic education initiative of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, which is funded from the Annenberg Foundation. The Student Voices Project encourages civic engagement of our young people by bringing the study of government, policy issues and political campaigns into the classroom. And so, I wanted to recognize these young people for their participation. And if they are...

I believe some of them may be up in the balcony. Are you up in the balcony? Please stand so that we could recognize you. (Applause.)

Thank you, Madam President. 88

You're welcome. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Thomas Paine Cronin. I'm President of A.F.S.C.M.E. District Council 47. First of all, happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone that's here.

Thank you. Same to you. (Laughter.)

Let me just say that I'm going to do probably everybody a favor and not give my testimony; just hand it out to Council staff. And they can give it to...

And we'll make certain that the stenographer has a copy.

I appreciate that. I just want to say a couple things. One is, I think first of all, that both of our Locals 2187 and 2186 did just a 89 magnificent job outlining not only the problems involved and the hardship on the community and the members, but also offered some solutions to that. And we are noted as a union that will not only come and criticize, but we will also try to provide constructive suggestions to remedy that situation. I think the issue of the R.G.I. program -- I just want to make one point -- that we have in our contract that we proposed way back under the Goode administration, the second term of Wilson Goode's administration, can really go a long way to solving this problem. I just want to say that on behalf of the Council, with respect to the struggle that we have had with the cutbacks in the library system and their devastating impact on the community, that the Council and its locals will continue to fight and struggle, whether it is here providing testimony, whether it is across the bargaining table, whether it is with the administration, 90 whether it is in the street or whether it is on the radio, in the media. In fact, we're going to be on the radio tomorrow, WHAT 1340 AM. Most of the program... That's Wendell Young Show on WHAT... is going to be devoted to the situation with the Free Library in the City of Philadelphia. We're going to have an opportunity to present our case to the people of Philadelphia, and there will be an opportunity for people to call in with questions. So, I'm hoping that some of the people that are here that will have a little bit of time on Saturday can listen in on WHAT and give us a call and ask our folks there some questions. But the bottom line here is that, you know, March 17, 2005 is an important day for us because it gives us an opportunity to present our case. But the fight regardless will continue. And we honestly believe that there 91 are solutions out there, if there's a political will, to solve this problem and restore these libraries. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. MR. McPHERSON: The next witness is Stephen Lee.

Good afternoon. Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon, Madam President. I represent -- I'm Stephen Lee from the Roxborough Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. And I represent, as you've been talking about today, one of the branches that has become an express branch and is now librarian-less. We have three people -- we hope to have more -- but we have three people representing different slices of the -- of what's going on at our branch. 92 The first one to speak is Sylvia Myers, who runs the Roxborough Historical Society out of our branch. The second one will be Allie Black who is a student who represents all the students who come into our after-school programs and who use the library after school. And I'll speak finally. And we're going to give you a slice of what is occurring at a branch that no longer has librarians and has four hours a day.

Thank you.

Madam President and Council members.

Can you just pull the microphone closer to you please. Thank you.

Madam President and Council members, my name is Sylvia Myers, and I am here to speak on behalf of the Roxborough Library. I have been a member of the Roxborough Library for many years, and I am a 93 member of the Roxborough Historical Society for over years. And we currently have our 4 archives stored in the library in an office 5 set up for us. 6 Up until the recent budget cuts, we 7 held all our meetings and special events in 8 the meeting room of the library, and just as 9 many other committee groups -- community 10 groups did. 11 We can no longer do this because of 12 the library cuts. It is not open past 5 13 o'clock. There is already -- This is already 14 having a profound negative effect on our 15 organization, in terms of organization and 16 consistency. 17 I fear the long-term effects of 18 these changes on our organization and 19 disseminating the history that we, as members 20 of the Roxborough Historical Society, have 21 worked so hard to keep and preserve. 22 Our children and adult citizens need 23 to know their history. Due to the budget 24 cuts and changes at the Roxborough Branch, 25 the Historical Society may be forced to move 94 to another place. The Roxborough Society should be in Roxborough. Please reverse these cuts and give our library back to us. Thank you, Madam. (Applause.)

Thank you.

My name is Allie Black, and I'm a sophomore at Roxborough High School which is right across the street from one of the new express libraries in Roxborough Branch. I also live in Roxborough, so I go to this place often or at least I did before it was only open four hours a day. And this library is a major part of our community. It's not only a place where you can do research for school programs, after-school projects, but we have a lot of educational programs there for children. There is workshops, that acted as a free day-care center with the L.E.A.P. program, and it's also a meeting center and a place for us to hang out. 95 And it also has a lot of computers. And there's plenty of people in Roxborough that don't have them at home. And they're from low income families. And they otherwise wouldn't get to use computers. So, not only have the library cuts been taking funding from our programs, but now we have extremely limited access to the library because it's only open for four hours a day. It's even worse for students because we don't get out of school until 3:04, walk over to the library, and then we only have two hours a day that we can actually use it. Now, of course, evening hours are gone. So, people who work all day can't go there. And they -- A lot of people don't even have a chance to go at all. So, it's completely ridiculous that the City of Philadelphia would consider libraries a low priority. The school system's messed up enough. And now we have another major... (Laughter.) 96

...contributor of education that's getting screwed over as well. (Applause.)

Where is the money that's saved by cutting library's going? It's not going to improve our schools. It's not going to, like, reduce pollution in the City or stop gun violence or racial tension. It's probably just going to go, you know, help us build more sports stadiums. And it would, of course, save a lot more money if we just stopped worrying about the sports stadiums. But evidently the City's government just cares more about sports than it does about knowledge and education. Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Mr. Lee.

Madam President, I guarantee that the three of us combined will come in under 15 minutes. Okay?

Thank you. 97

Hello. My name is Steve Lee. And although I'm disappointed with the fact that we're here after these changes have been enacted, I would like very much to thank Councilwoman Verna and Councilman Nutter for calling these very important public hearings. Better late than never. I am also here to speak out against the current set of library cutbacks. Although I accept that speaking here may cost me my job, it is necessary for me to do so, because I am the only one at my branch, the Roxborough Branch, who does not have years invested in the very system that is letting us all down, as well as the only one who does not have a family to support. But I can assure you, everyone at my branch recognizes the problems and feels as I do. I am in the fortunate position to be part of what was an excellent, hard-working, efficient and caring staff at the Roxborough Branch of the Free Public Library. As of February 11th, I have been in the unfortunate position of seeing firsthand 98 the negative effects of the budget cuts on our ability to function as we did previously, as well as the negative effects on the patrons of the library, especially the children who utilize our services for a wide range of reasons and uses. These cuts have affected adults who work until 5:00, the various groups who make use of the library as a community center and meeting place, and young people who not only do their homework and project research, but also take advantage of the after-school programs, as well as use the library as an educational save haven after school hours. I help run one of these after-school programs at the Roxborough Branch which is now one of the Elliott Shelkrot's express branches, and can assure you the effects of the budget cuts have been nothing but negative from their inception. I take that back. We now have a few Saturday hours, and that has been the only positive byproduct, but even those aren't really enough. 99

Excuse me, Mr. Lee. What are the Saturday hours?

At our branch they are 1:00 to 4:00. I read over someone's shoulder out there that at some branches they're 2:00 to 6:00. Excuse me. 1:00 to 5:00. And at some branches they may be 2:00 to 6:00.

Sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to know that.

You're the President. (Laughter.)

Our craft and tech projects in the after-school program which we used to begin once all the homework had been completed on our open late days, which for us run Monday and Wednesday -- we are open until 8 o'clock -- are virtually impossible to start, let alone complete, due to the fact that we must be cleaned up and out now by 5:00 p.m. Safety of our children is now an issue, due to the lack of staffing. We all know who Brian McCutcheon is and what he did. He was in my mind on Tuesday, two days ago, 100 when we had 50 kids to work with at once, and I lost track of an adorable little seven-year-old name Jada. I had to take myself away from what are now my two jobs. Because we no longer have a librarian, I am also charged with finding books and resource materials for kids, in addition to the job for which I'm being paid, and search all of our three floors of library, like a very worried headless chicken. After several minutes of searching, this particular incident turned out okay. But the fact remains that we are understaffed, not only from a service standpoint, but from a safety one as well. Libraries... (Applause.)

...are large places with many nooks and books and crannies. And we have -- and having a library for each section 23 kills two very important birds with one stone. Please excuse the violent metaphor. I would like to point out here that 101 I am not for closing libraries or express branches. I believe that every neighborhood branch of the Free Public Library System should be fully funded in order to be fully staffed and fully open. That said, why not diminish the libraries in the wealthier areas where the clientele has computers in the home, probably multiple computers, and no dire need to head out to their local branch? These library appreciants [sic] can afford to hop in their Lexii [sic] and drive to another branch, and also have the personal resources to actually purchase books, a luxury many residents in the neighborhoods of the express branches do not have. (Applause.)

Why must Philadelphia City government always cater to the wealthy, at the expense of the majority of City residents? I believe it was an Inquirer editorial that claimed that decisions on what branches to diminish were being made based on 102 a one-day attendance survey. On Thursday of last week, during the hours of 3:30 to 5:00, we had six children at our branch, six. On Monday of this week, during the exact same hours we had 53. A one-day attendance check is not enough to determine what occurs at a library branch. (Applause.)

The library needs to be open so when people need it it is there. Our public libraries are the very best aide to our failing public schools. I know everyone thinks that Paul Vallas is Mr. Wonderful, but the fact is our public schools are not getting the job done for an overwhelming number of students, and the public libraries are doing everything in their power to help fill the gaps. I work with students every day, and I have eighth and ninth graders counting on their fingers. (Microphone noise.)

Should I stop? VOICE FROM THE AUDIENCE: Listen to 103 him, please.

I'm sorry. Should I stop? VOICE FROM THE AUDIENCE: That's rude.

I work with students every day, and I have eighth and ninth graders counting on their fingers, who get noticeably upset if you ask them to try and do some simple addition without the use of a calculator. This year I had a high school senior who did not know that the Capitol of Pennsylvania was Harrisburg. But that's not the worst story. And I'd like you to bear with me for a second while I tell you the worst story. In a round table discussion with several high school seniors earlier this year, the topic turned to modern religion. I made the point that I didn't think heaven was anywhere near as crowded as people might think, that a lot of modern religious folks were so in name only. I called on as an example these 104 people who stand outside of abortion clinics and scream at people, in effect judging them, and since that is God's job, these folks probably wouldn't be welcome in heaven. Our librarian, the same librarian who is no longer there, is unfortunately gone now, correctly pointed out to me that, Steve, you can't really say that. People are a mix of good and bad and there are very few cut and dried examples of who's not going to heaven. Very few cases as clear as, say, Hitler, she said. You can pretty much bet he's not in heaven, to which a Roxborough high school senior replied -- not Allie Black, mind you -- to which a high school senior replied, who's Hitler? Because we were in a library, after ascertaining that she wasn't just messing with us, we were able to give her various materials to help fill in this flagrant gap in her education. This is a high school senior who wants to go to college next year asking who Hitler was. 105 In addition to filling in the gaps for the average high school student, where's the young person go who's decidedly not in tune with the conformist, racist, sexist, homophobic, historically skewed and intentionally omitting curriculum of our failing public schools? Where's that student go to grow on their own, to expand their breadth of knowledge and curiosity, if not in the public library? It is the lack... (Applause.)

It is the last bastion for those who choose to think and research for themselves, for those who desire to travel but for financial reasons can only do so from the comfort of a chair with a library book, for those who yearn to grow at a pace more suitable to themselves. I truly hope and for the moment do believe that this is not the reason our government chooses -- this is not the reason our government chooses not to support libraries; that once the electorate starts 106 thinking, observing and acting upon what they learn, will be the end of blatant corruption in government. I really don't know anything about City Council members and in no way seek an adversarial relationship with anyone, let alone public officials who could probably ruin my life. I don't know if you guys are the type of politicians who choose to care only about retaining power by maintaining an uninformed, unintelligent, unmotivated and beaten-down electorate. If so, then by all means continue with your cuts until all the libraries doors are permanently locked. If instead, however, you are who I believe you are, and you care about the children of the City, about expanding their intellect and curiosity, about providing for them and not working against them, then please expand libraries services and not destroy them. We always seem to be able to find money and/or land and/or tax breaks for 107 wealthy team owners who want new stadiums or else, for corporations that will locate here or else. Fully staffed, open six full days a week, accessible libraries are as fundamental to the long-term health of a City as garbage pickup. Please stop these cuts. (Applause.)

Madam President, I still think I'm under the minutes. So, I'm 12 sorry if I've run over my allotted time, but 13 I'd like to take 20 seconds for a brief 14 experiment. 15 I'd like all the people -- Forget the library cuts for a second. I'd like all the people in the room who are Eagles fans to raise their hands. If you're an Eagles fan, raise your hand. Hold it up. (Indicating).

I'd like to add to that, all the people who are Phillies fans, raise your hand and hold it up. (Indicating).

Okay. Now, one last 108 thing. I'd like everyone who believes that the wants -- not the needs -- the wants of the Eagles and Phillies are more important than the education and general welfare of the children of this City to keep their hands up. Everybody else put your hands down. (Indicating).

Members of City Council, Mr. Mayor, the people seem to have their priorities in order. (Applause.)

Do you? One of the most popular refrains of politicians in America is how children are our most valuable resource. Let's stop telling our children what a valuable resource they are and start showing them. (Applause.)

Thank you very much for your time, and please reverse these cuts and return to fully staffed, fully open free libraries. Thank you very much. (Applause.) 109

You're welcome. Mr. Lee, you made a statement. And I just want to set the record straight. These were not City Council cuts. You're aware of that?

I am.

You're aware that during -- I beg your pardon?

You guys can stop the Mayor. You have the power. Do it. You can do it. (Applause.)

Well, let me just set the regard straight, if I may, Mr. Lee. During our budget process for the current fiscal year, we were told by the Library's Executive Director that he needed an additional $1 million to maintain Saturday hours at the branch libraries. During the budget deliberations, members of City Council restored the $1 million to keep the libraries open on 110 Saturday. (Applause.)

Unfortunately, we in City Council cannot force the administration to spend this money as we want it. So, I just... You said that we made the cuts. We did not make the cuts. In fact, what we did, at the request of Mr. Shelkrot, who said that he needed an additional $1 million to maintain Saturday hours, we put the $1 million into the budget.

Yes. I know.

But we can't force the administration to spend it.

I was actually informed of that by Ms. Dougherty last week. Really what want to do is, we want to work with you and we want to help these children. We don't want to fight with you.

We're not here to dispute what you're saying or what we're saying. I think we're all here for the same reason. How we get to achieve what it 111 is... Now, I heard today for the first time that we're going to need not $1 million but $5 million, not only to keep Saturday hours but to keep the regular hours. So, as I said, we have a lot of work to do. Yes, sir.

I just have one quick thought. We gave Jeffrey Lurie about $400 million for a stadium of taxpayer dollars. We gave Bill Giles I don't know how many hundreds of millions of dollars. The money is there. We need to decide what our priorities are. (Applause.)

And I think that we believe that those guys don't need gifts. Those guys -- Comcast does not need a gift from the State and the City of Philadelphia to build. If Comcast only wants to come to Philadelphia to exploit us, let them go elsewhere. Let's look out for our kids first, not corporations. 112 (Applause.)

Our next witness. MR. McPHERSON: Shelly Yanoff and Sharon Ward, Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth.

Good afternoon. Welcome. Please identify yourself for the record.

Good afternoon.

I see you have written testimony.

Yes, I do. And here it is.

Can we have someone circulate it to the Council members, please?

Thank you for the opportunity to speak and for convening this hearing to assess the impact of the proposed cuts to the Free Library of Philadelphia. I'm Shelly Yanoff. I'm Executive Director of Philadelphia Citizens for 113 Children and Youth which, as you know, is the region's advocacy organization for children. For more than years we have 5 advocated for the lives and life chances of 6 our most precious and vulnerable citizens. 7 We speak out in Washington. And I have to 8 say, Council President, there's actually good 9 news to report. 10

Oh. We 11 certainly need to hear that. 12

The Smith Amendment 13 passed this afternoon, and that will bar any 14 Medicaid cuts for a year. 15

Wonderful. 16

That saves about 17 400,000 people in Philadelphia. It saves 18 their health care. 19

That's 20 wonderful. (Applause.)

We haven't had good news, Councilman Cohen, for a long time in the Federal Government. So, that was a good news piece. Now we move on. 114 We speak out in Washington and Harrisburg and here at Broad and Market on the need for and the wisdom of public investment in services for children, particularly children whose incomes are low. Nutrition and health care, early childhood education, quality public education, recreational facilities and libraries. Our argument is simple. And it's increasingly being articulated by economists in the country. Investing in children is not only the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do. Babies with health insurance who are immunized, see a dentist, are stronger and have fewer health problems later on. Children with quality early childhood experiences are better adjusted socially and are better prepared for school. Children with better resourced schools in small classes, with qualified teachers, score better on tests, are more likely to graduate, go to college, get a 115 skilled job, become productive citizens and raise healthy families of their own. The opposite, of course, is true as well. When we deprive children of these resources, we have sick children, poor school performance, truancy, crime, unskilled workers and unhealthy families. As a City and as a society, we pay a cost for our failure to fund prevention. We pay at the back end when we have to, not at the front end when we should. Among the most basic services we can provide to children and families is access to a public library that's open at convenient hours, with trained librarians to help those users get the most out of the experiences. Librarians help new mothers learn to read and enjoy books with their children. They're critical to providing research and reference help to elementary, middle and high school children, for whom libraries are necessary to complete their school work. The City of Philadelphia, we believe, must make a firm commitment to keep 116 its library branches open at least eight hours a day. There are many competing and compelling needs in our neighborhoods. This one should be given priority. Several groups will be unduly affected by the proposed changes. We focus today on two. The first are school children who will be deprived of the research assistance and accessible library they need to successfully complete work. Ironically, at this time, as you'll hear, Councilwoman Blackwell, just in a month, Philadelphia schools across the City are closing their libraries. So, Philadelphia school children who increasingly rely on the internet and books to learn and know things are going to be more at the mercy of open public libraries that are adequately staffed. If current trends continue in Philadelphia, these children will have no 23 facility available that will enable them to complete a basic research paper. And if they are lucky enough to have 117 a facility that is open when they need it, it's likely they won't have a skilled librarian to help guide them. Y. recently surveyed elementary schools that surround the 7 libraries that are proposed to have reduced 8 schedules. Our results are disturbing. Of 9 the 56 schools, elementary schools, in those 10 communities, 20 percent have no libraries and 11 60 percent have libraries but no librarians. 12 So, the City that urges its children 13 to read to succeed, the City whose work force 14 needs strengthening and improved literacy 15 skills is somehow deciding to cut back on the 16 places that children and grownups can turn to 17 for a chance at a better future. 18 Today, as you know, children and 19 schools are held to a higher standard under 20 No Child Left Behind. , emphasize writing and analysis. Without the resources of the neighborhood library, our children run the risk of falling farther behind. 118 Today businesses are moving out of communities all over the country in search of a better trained work force.

We fear our community will fall further behind with the planned and sustained disinvestment in our libraries. The impact of these cutbacks on families with young children will also be serious. These families tend to use the libraries most during mornings. Often their children nap in the afternoon. Again, denying this resource will have a long-term negative impact on our kids and our neighborhood. Research demonstrates that the best predictor of a child's third grade reading scores is his or her language development at age three. Book-rich environments promote language development. Low income families have fewer resources and hence access to books. There are areas in this City, Council people, as you know, where there are no children's book stores. We are closing 119 the libraries in those areas. Researchers have identified a language gap. Low income children acquire 5 percent fewer words than middle and upper 6 income children. 7 The language gap is directly related 8 to success in school. The libraries play an 9 important role here. 10 Equally important, the simple act of 11 holding a child and learning about reading 12 that to that child often is learned in 13 libraries. We should not be taking away 14 those advantages. 15 The proposed budget for '05/'06 16 includes a five percent cut in funds for the 17 libraries and a seven percent reduction in 18 personnel. 19 This cut is part of a disturbing 20 reduction that's taken place over the last few years. The number of full-time City-funded library staff has declined by 120 positions or 20 percent since 2001. This decline should be rejected. We support your efforts to 120 scrutinize budgets, including sole source contract budgets, to find deficiencies and opportunities to restore library funding. We want to note, however, that many of those contracts are for the provision of direct services to individuals. They support early intervention for children with developmental delays, foster care and adoption services for vulnerable children, prenatal care for pregnant women, and mental health services for low income adults. We don't want to be in the position where we take from one group of needy people in order to survive and provide something for the other. We would urge a degree of caution to make sure that we don't do harm when we look for places to find support. We are concerned as well that the very same factors that are driving the deep cuts in Federal programs, the zeal to cut taxes, are at work here and will play some role in the fate of the library and the fate of many City services. Municipalities across the state, 121 when faced with rising costs and increased burden on social services that comes from a changing or stagnant economy have raised taxes. In 2004 a large number of counties did just that. Philadelphia has been able to keep a schedule of steady and generous tax cuts, but it's not to our credit if the cost of these tax cuts are decreasing needy services and the quality of life for Philadelphians. Economists, including Robert Inman of the University of Pennsylvania, have cautioned that the benefits of tax cuts are wiped away when the result is declining services. Our libraries, our rec centers, our public health centers all are suffering from inadequate provision of resources. We are aware of the difficulty of decisions that our City government faces. We urge you to do what you can to support and maintain vital services here. Against all odds, against all 122 predictions, our libraries have been able to be open and expand service to a public that more and more needs them. They have been performing miracles with less and less money. It's time to stop the cuts, end the threats, and act on your best interests -- instincts and the interests of Philadelphia children and families.

We urge Council to think very carefully about the consequences and enacting more tax cuts in the face of significant cuts in Federal funding, in light of the City's ability to pay for basic services like the library. Philadelphia needs to be a City of readers, a City of neighborhoods that have services the community needs. Among those services are open, appropriately staffed libraries. Thank you. )

Thank you very much, Ms. Yanoff. MR. McPHERSON: The next witnesses are Tammy Gavitt, Edward Lloyd, Cheryl 123 Johnson, Evelyn Cruz and Vinh Ho. If they could come forward, please.

Good afternoon. Thank you for your patience. Please identify yourself for the record and begin your testimony.

My name is Tammy Gavitt. I'm the Secretary of Philadelphia NOW. I also chair the Reproductive Rights Committee of the chapter and am its newsletter editor. I'm also a Democratic Committee person in Ward 23, Division 4. I am here today representing not only my organization, which adamantly opposes the closing of our public libraries, but also the many voices of our community for whom the public libraries are an indispensable service. More than ever children and the poor, those who will be most affected by the library closings in the City are expected to quietly stand aside while another wrongdoing is done to them. For certain, though, it will be the 124 children who bear the brunt of the closings of the library, if not immediately definitely in their future. I find it difficult to fathom in particular how it is that services are cut that affect children, that is, the public school budget, day care and health care programs, and now public libraries. And we say that we are a society that has only the best interests at hand for our children and that no child should be left behind. I really wish someone would explain that to me. On a personal note, as a young girl growing up in a low income household in Fishtown in the '70s and '80s, it could be quite difficult, if not impossible sometimes, to occupy oneself without getting into trouble. There was no extra money in my household for going to the movies, buying games or for that matter buying books. For me the public library served not only as a place where I could read the latest preteen books, but a haven to escape the 125 harshness of an outside world that wasn't always kind to adolescents. Further, while continuing my education later on in life, the public libraries were a vital resource for my work and papers. Publications, books and periodicals that could not be found at college libraries most certainly could at public libraries. I believe that the public libraries are a good part responsible for who I am today, a dedicated activist, a hard worker and an educated citizen. And I am giving back to my community what the libraries and other public services gave to me. And I am not the only one who has benefited by the public libraries and given back to my community. There are scores of people like me who have benefited from these services just the same. The Philadelphia Chapter of NOW believes that a serious injustice has been done and served on the citizens of this City, and in particular the children, if any of the 126 public libraries are shut down. We ask that Council consider the dire effects such closings would have on us, and in particular the children who gain nothing by such closings. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you very much. Welcome. Identify yourself for the record and begin your testimony.

Yes. Hello. My name is Cheryl Johnson, 42nd Ward, 22nd Division. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to address the concerns of the library and librarians located at B and Wyoming. Mayor Street would like to cut the hours in the Feltonville area. There are a lot of problems in the area. The children are losing out, due to the stress of the streets. And we cannot let them lose the life force of a library. In the Greater Northeast, Philadelphia, the hours are not cut. So 127 please, the children are our future. And their education is so important. We need the hours not to be cut in Philadelphia public libraries. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you very much. Sir.

42nd Ward, Edward Lloyd. Chairman and committeeman. My division is right where the Wyoming Library is, 6th Division. We voted for the Mayor to fight for everything that's right for us in the City. And this here is number one, for our children to be able to read, write and learn. The schools have closed certain libraries in certain schools. Barton Elementary School is one of them. Our children, which I have two children that go to school there, they go to the library where they could read, take out books, work with the librarian. If they take that away, where will 128 the kids learn? It's going to force more kids on the street, where there's crime every day. We just read where a young man took a store owner's life over the weekend. My kid's mother was coming home on the bus. And she actually seen where a young man got shot three times in Frankford riding the 75. If we force our children to go to a library in Frankford and we're in Feltonville, that's putting our children at risk in other neighborhoods, too. There's a lot of gang wars going on now and turf wars going on, and you're forcing children to go from one part of the City to another part. It's only going to cause trouble. I believe the Mayor should really sit back and go back 20, 30 years when he was in school, how he became who he is today, and think about the children of the future that's going to take care of him. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you 129 very much. MR. McPHERSON: The next group is Jason McMisheaux, Terry Gillen, T. Kim Robinson, Tara Miller and Nora Levitt.

Thank you. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself. Yes.

Excuse me, Councilwoman. I'm T. Kim Robinson. My testimony is in written form. There's other more important people to speak today.

Thank you. Thank you for your patience. Thank you very much. Miss Gillen, please identify yourself for the record and begin.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Terry Gillen, and I am the chair of the Advocacy Committee for the Friends of the Free Library. And I just want to make two quick points. The first issue I want to address is this myth that is floating around that the City does not have enough money to pay for 130 libraries. (Laughter.)

Some people like to blame this on wage tax reductions and some on other things. However, I worked for the City, as you may know, in a previous administration for many years. And I want to make one point, that the City can find funding for whatever it thinks is important. When the previous administration came in in 1992 we were literally facing bankruptcy. We could not issue bonds or pay our bills. When we came in, there was not a single observer or reporter in the City who thought that we could balance the budget and cut taxes with no layoffs. Absolutely no one believed it, but that's what we did. And we were able to do it in large part because in almost every department there are always efficiencies that can come from good management. Even in this administration which has not been known for its careful oversight 131 of the public purse... (Laughter and applause.)

...this City is running a small surplus. Revenues, in fact, are up in the current fiscal year at a higher level than the inflation rate. Moreover, the administration's own five-year plan projects revenues to go up in the next five years at a rate higher than the inflation rate. So it is not true that the City has no money. We have money for whatever we think is important. If the City wants to fund libraries, it will find money or if it wants to fund lucrative contracts for people's girlfriends, it will find money to do that. (Applause.)

A budget is a reflection of the government's values. My second point is related to that, and it is about an effort by City Council to address the injustices that were caused by slavery several hundred years ago. 132 I am always in support of efforts to honor history, painful though it may be. However, I just wish that every Council member who supports that effort would also support funding for libraries, because taking books and libraries away from poor people is also an injustice. Expecting your children to compete for jobs against kids from the suburbs who have good schools and abundant books is also an injustice. (Applause.)

And it is an injustice for the government to understand that people in underserved neighborhoods need to read and write and get their degrees in order to make a living, while refusing to provide adequate funding for libraries which are tools to help them to do these things. So, I hope that members of Council will address the unfairness of a budget that cuts funding for libraries, because what the City cannot afford is to let another generation of our children grow up without books and computers and skills. Because as 133 the saying goes, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Thank you. MR. McPHERSON: Would the next witness please identify themselves.

Good afternoon. My name is Tara Miller. My neighborhood branch, the Wadsworth Avenue Branch, is one of the branches affected by the cutbacks. First, I would like to thank Councilman Nutter for inviting me to this hearing. We all know that the City is financially strapped and tough choices regarding our City are inevitable. However, we have not made good choices for our libraries. My first concern is the replacing of librarians with library assistants. No 21 disrespect to the library assistants, L.E.A.P. leaders, and everyone else who works at the library, a library without a librarian is just a book store. It may be a free book store, but it's a book store nevertheless. 134 Why do you need a librarian in every library? For their guidance. A child or even an adult may have an assignment and not know where to begin. Sometimes you need help just forming your question. That's where the librarians' education and expertise comes into play. I read that there are million 10 items in the entire Free Library, thousands 11 in every branch. But what makes that information so valuable is the librarian who is there to guide you through the material and come up with the answer. I know this because I've used Philadelphia's libraries all my life. I read that if the patrons' question cannot be answered by the library assistant, the patron will then be able to phone in the question or soon be able to go online. Well, who's manning the phones? How many people are manning the phones? Will children be spending their evenings sitting on the phone trying to get through to the library to get their question answered? A 135 library without a librarian is unacceptable. My second concern is the cutback in hours. School lets out between 2:30 and 3:00. By the time a child gets to the library to complete their homework, time is already running out. With the smaller staff, it's safe to assume the line at the reference desk will be longer. The library assistant is going to be overwhelmed and may be less inclined to go the extra mile to answer a difficult question. The full service libraries will also be overcrowded with an overwhelmed staff, and the patrons will then become shortchanged. Our school system has its own issues. The schools, especially the elementary schools, depend on our public libraries. When the decision was made about which branches to cut, did anyone take a look at which schools were in those communities? Did anyone think about how a fifth grader would get to his or her closest full 136 service library? In my neighborhood it's a two-bus trip to the next closest full service branch. What about the morning story hours for day care and the after-school programs? Will they really survive outside of the library? I am pleased that the Friends of the Library are working so hard on this issue. However, I'm worried that the spotlight will soon shift from the library and focus on some other issue facing our City. I worry that Philadelphia will become complacent about its former world class library system, and the one place that was known as the people's university in neighborhoods all around our City will disappear. I beg Councilman Nutter, Council President Verna, and all of City Council to not let this happen to our libraries. The editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer said it was okay for half of our libraries to be open four hours a day. This 137 is not true. We owe it to our children and we owe it to ourselves. Thank you. (Applause.)

Please identify yourself for the record. Oh, I'm sorry. Councilman Cohen.

Is there anybody here representing the Mayor or anybody in the City administration? I'd like to hear some response. (Applause.)

How do you justify this terrible treatment? Is there anybody here authorized to do that? I think, Madam President, I would like to ask them to speak.

I don't know who's here. Mr. Vaughan?

Yes.

I didn't get that.

Kevin Vaughan is here. 138

How many people are here representing the City of Philadelphia, meaning, the Mayor's Office and part of the Mayor's administration that he controls? Because I think that even though City Council did not have an especially good day today, having failed by a single vote to enact either the no-smoking ban or the pay-to-play legislation, we're trying. But right here I'd like to know, is the Mayor interested enough to know of the impact of his library cuts, to have sent a number of representatives here to report to him or is he totally indifferent to what happens? (Applause.)

Councilman, I think that Kevin Vaughan is --

Who are the representatives who could speak for the Mayor who are here?

I don't believe there is anyone here from the 139 administration. However, Kevin Vaughan, the Associate Director of the Library is here.

Well, I don't know who they represent. They certainly don't represent the people of Philadelphia.

The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo for a point of information.

I just want to relay a message. I think he's prepared to testify but somewhere on the list.

Who is "he"?

Mr. Vaughan.

Mr. Vaughan.

For the library.

For the Library. But that's not what Councilman Cohen is asking.

He works for the Mayor. Well... 140

Would somebody... Who's here who can represent to the Mayor what's happened or has the Mayor stuffed his ears to make sure he's not going to hear this? The Mayor knew there was a public hearing today, that citizens were invited to come and express their feelings. Why isn't he represented? Why isn't he here to hear how the people feel about it? (Applause.)

How can the Mayor claim to be the Mayor of the neighborhoods, and yet support an express library which is no library at all? How do you have a library without a librarian? I'd like to hear from the Mayor, Madam President.

Councilman, I think when we go into budget hearings we will definitely bring him in or someone from his administration.

Let's note that. And I think everybody ought to bring home the 141 message that the Mayor of this City and his whole administration didn't care enough to even come and hear how the people felt about their efforts to close the library. That's a telling message. (Applause.)