Doesn't the Mayor talk about Philadelphia being a world class City? He always finds money for economic development or sports development or the things that the people who are witnesses pointed out. But when it comes to the poor, when it comes to young people, he forgets that he's the Mayor, allegedly, allegedly only clearly, of all the people because he seems to think only of those that have money to contribute in very large amounts to his political campaigns. Do you agree on that or do you disagree? (Applause.)
Madam President, I think that Council is going to have to 142 reassert itself in the power of the budget. We're going to have to amend the Home Rule Charter to take back the power we don't have. The problem I have with today's hearing, without the Mayor listening to this or having representatives who can face him to report to him, is that City Council under the current Home Rule Charter has no power. We can go through the motion of passing a budget to restore money to the library, but as our President mentioned some time ago, we did it last time and the Mayor ignored us. So, we have to change the Home Rule Charter to give the Council the power at least to provide that money for the library that has to be used for the library. And then there won't be any effort to destroy the library system. (Applause.)
Will you work for an amendment like that. Thank you, Madam Chair. It's just agonizing to listen to this testimony. It's 143 like Philadelphia is a little country town stuck away somewhere with no resources. You know, we have a budget in Philadelphia. If you counted all the money that's been spent on the City of something like $6 billion to $8 billion. The City's budget only tells you half the story, the $4.5 billion in our budget. But actually, we spend $8 billion or $9 billion. Surely there's enough money to have libraries in Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Okay. I know. You're patiently waiting. Thank you, Councilman.
Thank you, Madam President, yes. But it's agonizing to hear this, and then to learn that nobody from the official City government which is responsible for making these cuts is even here interested enough to hear the impact of the cuts. It's absolutely a disgrace that the Mayor shows such little interest in this problem. 144 Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. I would ask you to please identify yourself for the record. Thank you.
Thank you very much. President Anna Verna, Councilman Michael Nutter, and the committee members of the whole. Thank you for letting me speak today. My name is Nora Levitt, N-o-r-a, L-e-v-i-t-t. That second T is essential. Thank you. I am a member of the Friends of Wynnefield Library. Luckily, the Wynnefield Library has been spared the budget cuts. We are a full service library. However, our three-and-a-half year term branch manager was laid off, then demoted, then sent to Paschalville. So we have a new clerk, and we have a new branch manager who came from the Haverford Avenue Branch which is now a half-service branch or an express branch. I was President of the Wynnfield Cultural Center Advisory Council for six 145 years and am currently vice president. And I was a member of the Board of Wynnfield Residents Association for years. In a democracy an informed public is essential, but how can a public be informed in an era in which cable, the internet and video games have replaced newspapers, magazines and books? The answer is, use the library. A library is not just bricks and mortar. Lending libraries have been serving Philadelphians since Ben Franklin began the first one in America right here. For children in these troubled times, with all the stress that they face, their neighborhood library is a safe haven. It is a place to do research, a place to hear a story, and a place to read books that transport their imagination to other lands and other worlds. It is said by many people today that children are our future. Therefore, it is imperative that full funding for the operation of all the libraries be restored so 146 that future generations could continue to use and enjoy their neighborhood libraries. I wrote this speech on Saturday, and on Tuesday night I received letters written to Mayor John Street and Councilman Michael Nutter. They were written by four students and one volunteer from a local high school from Robin Duncan's after-school program at John C. Anderson Cultural Center in Wynnefield. Their topic was... Their topic was, why should we save our libraries? I will read portions of two letters, as written with the mistakes. And copies of all the letters have been given out to all the Council members. All right. Keep the libraries open because they have special programs, and the programs teaches you about stuff what happened back in the days, and sometimes it teaches you a lesson. My sign, Jasmine Kittrell. If you take away libraries, where would we find books to read? It would be too 147 expensive to buy but so many books. It's unfair. What did we do? With disappointment, Amber Deshields. Hopeful for a future with libraries, I am Nora Levitt. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank all of you. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witnesses are Claire King, Maryanne McHale, Andrea Shumsky, Beth Ann Triplett and Jeremy Congdon.
Good afternoon and welcome. Please identify yourself for the record, whoever's going to testify.
Oh, okay. Good afternoon. My name is Claire King. And I am a patron of the Roxborough Library Branch. I have written testimony that I'd like to put on record with the City Council.
That would be fine. We will give a copy of it to the reporter. In fact, I believe it's being 148 circulated now.
Very good. Because I also did a study that I also wanted to accompany it.
Oh. Okay. We will give a copy of your testimony to the stenographer. It will be transcribed in full. If you can summarize it, we'd appreciate it.
Good afternoon again. Now, I'm a patron of the Roxborough Library, the Roxborough Free Library Branch. And there were some things that I was very upset, obviously, about the changing of our library to an express library. And so, I started to do some research. And I did a demographic study which is contained in my testimony which you can review, based on the University of Pennsylvania, the studies of neighborhoods, 149 as well as the 2000 census, as well as up-to-date data on circulation from the Free Library System. Based on that, the things -- And just to give a synopsis because I'm here in particular for Roxborough Library. The Roxborough Branch services a population of roughly 18,000 residents. Its circulation for the adult section in the year 2004 was 119,303 books, ranking 15th out of the 55 branches in the City. The circulation ratio to population as served was 7 books per the 18,000 residents that it would serve for every service -- for every resident in the service. The circulation ranking itself is 9th highest in the City. The circulation ratio is higher than the Andorra Branch which is located several miles away, as opposed to a one-block walk for us. I'd like to say in regards to the staffing with library and professional librarians and assistants, I'd like to relate a story regarding my 11-year-old son who's 150 been a patron at the Roxborough Branch for the past five years. Over the years Victor has been befriended by Miss Pat, who is a veteran of the Free Library System. When Victor is working on a school project, he goes to see Miss Pat. He tells her the subject of which he is working on, and she directs him to the resources he needed. In many cases she did not even have to look in the computer for what he wanted. She would say, I know exactly what you need. My other children have worked on similar projects in the past. Miss Pat, you see, calls them her children. She remembers their names, and is always on the lookout for material that her children would enjoy. Often Victor would visit the library. Miss Pat would say, hey, Vic, have you read this book? With the advent of eliminating professional librarians and veteran staff members, basically those with fully loaded 151 salaries and benefits, it is now imperative that I accompany my child to the library to help him with research and selection of age-appropriate materials. This leads to the problem of the shortened library hours. Now that the hours are being reduced to a 1:00 to 5:00 schedule Monday through Saturday, working parents are limited to Saturday hours at their local branch. Those of us with children who play sports and have extracurricular activities on the weekend, find scheduling a trip to the local library even more daunting. With that said, I'd like to... Along with my research, I discovered certain facts. One of them is that in May of 2003 Elliott Shelkrot testified to the State Appropriations Committee regarding the budgets cuts for the fiscal year 2004, that in December of this year -- in December of 2004, Mayor Street signed a bill to not only renovate and expand the Central Library Branch, this project which is expected to run 152 an excess of $100 million, includes a parking facility with an estimated 430 parking spaces costing roughly $40,000 per space, $17.2 million. The City generously has decided to provide an additional $30 million for the renovation and expansion project. My question is -- And I'm in principle not against any kind of renovation and improvement for the libraries. It's where that money is put, in the Central Library here in Center City, as opposed to all the local libraries, where the children need it the most. (Applause.)
What does this say about our City? Are we happy to fund large construction projects by large companies such as Parkway but are not happy to maintain the salaries and the positions of our professional librarians? We want express worker -- Do we want express workers in express libraries paid lower than the construction workers that will build the parking facilities for the Central 153 Branch? What kind of example do we want to send our young people in the City? It's better to be a construction worker than a professional librarian? In that, I'm fully aware of the inexplicable ways of City and state budgeting matters. Certain funding is set aside for specific types of projects. However, I am sure, with consideration and imagination, the City Council, in conjunction with the state, can come up with $4.7 million to fully fund the libraries, a pittance, really. Short of that, I think that the Roxborough Library deserves a second look regarding its status as an express library. The figures that I've distributed bear me out. In conclusion, I would like to say, a, library to modify a famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birthplace of ideas. In that, I would prefer that the 154 library was staffed with qualified help to ensure the safe and healthy delivery of knowledge and learning to the young people of our City. Thank you for consideration. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Our next witness. MS. McHALE: My name is Maryanne McHale. This is my son Timmy. We are residents of the Mayfair Section, 55th Ward, and we use the Holmesburg Library Branch. We're home schoolers. I can only begin to tell you how valuable the library is to us. My son will be seven soon. He's had his own borrower's card for almost five years. Well before his formal education ever began, he was read to every day, most often from library books. As he's grown and become able to choose his own library books, he's often asked the children's librarian to help him with his choices. 155 Sadly, since Holmesburg became an express branch, there isn't a librarian there to help my son and other children find the books they need and want. There is no children's librarian at Holmesburg or other express branches to order new books, to run the pre-school story hours, to oversee the summer reading program or to simply provide everyday help and guidance. As a home schooler, my son is lucky that he has a better opportunity to visit the library during its new express hours of 1:00 to 5:00 than his more traditionally schooled counterparts. If schools normally dismiss around 3:00 p.m., how is it possible for many children to visit the express branches before the 5:00 p.m. closing, to utilize the library's computers before the 4:45 shutoff every day? How do branches benefit the children who are involved in after-school activities, local sports programs, and children enrolled in school after-care programs whose parents 156 can't pick them up until well after the 5:00 p.m. library closing? We've been told for years that reading is fundamental. It truly is. Access to books is fundamental reading -- excuse me -- and should be fundamental to every child in the City. It should be their right. The Free Library needs to bring back its fundamentals, fully staffed libraries and full hours in every library branch. Please help them do this. Thank you. (Applause.)
Would you like to say something about this library? MS. McHALE: Would you like to say something? Quickly. He's very nervous and quite shy.
Okay. I can understand. TIMMY: I don't actually really know what to say.
Okay. But do you like your library? TIMMY: Yes. 157
We'll try to keep it that way. Thank you. (Applause.) MR. McPHERSON: Jeremy Congdon is next.
Welcome, Jeremy. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Jeremy Congdon. I'm a library trainee at Chestnut Hill. I used to work at Haverford which is now an express library. Therefore, I am not needed there. I actually have a bunch of good news today. The first bit is that I am summarizing. My testimony was originally six-and-a-half hours. (Laughter.)
But the real good news is what I do every single day. And I'd like to just describe a couple of things that I've 158 done. A man who -- A patron who did not have good reading skills came to the library looking for something to read so that he could build himself up. His reading skills were on picture book level, but he was just too old to be motivated by a book about spot, the puppy playing hide and seek. So, I gave him a book of short basketball poems that -- excuse me -- that met both his reading level and his interest, and he was -- he came back because he found something at the library. I helped a 12th grader learn to use an index. And he came back and he said, thank you so much for showing me how to do that because I was able to find exactly what I needed. And I said, you're welcome. That's what I'm here for. I read stories to pre-schoolers who just roar with laughter at Animals Should 159 Definitely Not Wear Clothing and Snore Right Along with Bear Snores On. I've helped grandparents find books to help their grandchildren deal with bullying. These are really important things. You in City Council know how important it is to be able to access information because you couldn't possibly have arrived at City Hall knowing everything about everything. It's your ability to access and use information that allows you to do your jobs. And shouldn't everybody have that, regardless of what neighborhood they live in? (Applause.)
I'm next in line for layoffs, and I'm upset about that. But I am actually extremely lucky because I know what resources are in the library. I know what there is, and what I can use, and how to do use it. And the thousands and thousands of people who come into the libraries every day on their job searches don't have that advantage. 160 We're all, you know, out of a job. And I'm the lucky one, because I can get another one because of the knowledge that I have. I've worked at 56th and Haverford and in Chestnut Hill. And there is no gap in intelligence between the people who live in those communities, but there's an opportunity gap. There's a gap in access to information. And there shouldn't be. So, please... Thank you for doing everything that you're doing and for keeping the pressure on to restore the dignity and the opportunity that public library service gives to every person in our City. (Applause.)
Thank you all so very much. We really are so grateful for your coming in and taking the time to express your views. Thank you so much. I believe we have another witness. Are you going to testify? Do you mind approaching the witness table, please. Oh, the Chair recognizes 161 Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you. I agree with the statements made by the President and Councilman Cohen. Certainly we're happy to hear your testimony, but we have always been on the side of libraries and have tried to do what we could to impress --
Absolutely. We really have. So, you're preaching to the choir, as they say. Thank you, Madam President.
My name is Andrea Shumsky, and I'm one of the library supervisors who is laid off and then demoted in January. This was part of the Free Library's plan to eliminate positions and comply with the City's mandate to cut costs or at least that's what's been said. 162 The mechanism that was put in place following these layoffs seems a little too orchestrated to have happened without some significant advanced planning or at least that's how it seems. The quick institutionalization of the several express branches, McBranches they have been called, leads us to believe that the library's management no longer feels that skilled librarians are necessary. How long will it be before all branches are run by competent individuals but not professionally trained librarians? Yes, we may have Saturday hours. But heaven help you if your child's assignment is to compare cultures of two different countries or locate biographical information on a slightly obscure historical figure or if you desire to pick up books sent by another library and only have the morning or the evening to do it. Glancing at the F.L.P.'s most recent mission statement gives me pause. It clearly states that the mission of the Free Library 163 of Philadelphia is to provide to all segments of Philadelphia's diverse population a comprehensive collection of recorded knowledge, ideas, artistic expression and information. Additionally, it states that it will provide timely, accurate information and reference services employing a highly qualified staff, who provide the link between the library materials and users in a congenial and professional manner, unquote. And finally, it concludes with, the Free Library of Philadelphia will uphold the public's freedom of access to knowledge, end quote. However, currently only some people in certain neighborhoods will get to use a library at all, let alone one staffed with a highly qualified librarian at the helm. Most people can get fuller service at Borders or Barnes and Nobles than at the their local McBranch. So, unless the mission statement has been changed, it needs recrafting. It no 164 longer applies to the type of library we are quickly evolving into. And it's only going to get worse or at least that's how it feels. I respectfully request that full funding to neighborhood libraries be restored. (Applause.)
Thank you. Our next witness. MR. McPHERSON: The next witnesses are Linda Fein, Harry Rickets, Deborah Toney-Moore and Cindy Farlino.
Good afternoon. Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Linda Abby Fein. And esteemed members of Council, when I retired on July 1st of 2004 I had by choice served the City at the Free Library of Philadelphia four days short of 39 years.
For 30 years my forte was 165 children's services. During that time, backed by the prestige of the Free Library, I was twice the Chair of the Pennsylvania Library Association Youth Services Division, and for two years head of the Pennsylvania State Library Youth Services Task Force. Obviously, I appreciate the importance of children having complete library experience. Complete includes the services of the librarian. For children, a library without a librarian is simply a baby-sitting situation. The last eight years of my career were spent as area administrator for in turn the north, south and the northeast regions, a total of 28 branches. I have seen splendid staffs go to great lengths to respond to the unique needs of the community their particular library branch supports. In a branch each staff member contributes as his or her position prescribes, but the position that sets the tone, that keeps the Free Library 166 consistently in first place in the City's own municipal customer service survey, is the librarian. For a staff, a library without a librarian is as stimulating as working in a convenience store, a day-to-day routine operation without a dynamic future vision. Well, now I'm a 62-year-old retiree. I want the opportunity to enjoy leisure time I now have in the library branch of my choice. I want some flexibility as to when I avail myself of these services. I want to be able to go in the evening or the morning. And I expect the branch I use, because it is open, to have a selection of hours that accommodates my needs And I want to talk to a librarian. Believe it or not, I do ask librarians questions, just as anyone who wants accurate and immediate guidance with informed objectivity. That's what a librarian provides. For adults, a library without a 167 librarian is akin to a warehouse. Yes, it has stock, and yes there is staff who will try to help. However, that staff is only supposed to deal with the basic information about the merchandise, not gear the merchandise to the customer, not advise on complicated projects, not consult on unusual needs, not give individualized specialized attention. That's what a librarian does in a branch. The question now, the decision now is, does the City of Philadelphia want to give its citizens, all of its citizens, young and old, the benefit of complete library service or are books on the shelves and computers on the table good enough? Are the baby-sitting convenience store warehouse models sufficient? Will such models encourage those with needed occupations and incomes who might be considering a move into the City to come or it be one more reason for someone with needed occupation and income to leave? Can the City of Philadelphia afford 168 to skimp on library services? Esteemed members of City Council, I am the City of Philadelphia like you are the City of Philadelphia. I know what my answer is. I hope you know what your answer is. What's the City going to do about it? Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record. Are you going to testify?
My name is Cindy Farlino. I'm the Assistant Principal at Central East Middle School. I've been a teacher there for 15 years and a parent of two children who traveled through the schools in our neighborhood in Feltonville. I'm here because I think people keep talking a lot about the impact on education. And truly that is a real key point, but I think another key point is the impact on our communities in closing or expressing these libraries. I'm troubled by the comment I heard a few minutes ago that said -- a person said, 169 you're preaching to the choir. Well, my feeling is that truly the Street administration, I believe made this decision, but is this the issue that we and our elected City officials go to the mat over is my question? Do we decide that this is the time where we challenge our City government and we stand with you and we say you can't do this? I believe it is. I believe it's that important an issue. I see -- I see Councilwoman Blackwell, Councilman Cohen, President Ann Verna, Council person Tasco. I see Mr. Rizzo and Mr. Nutter. I don't see any more people. And I know you had a long day with the smoking thing, but it would really have been a good thing to see everybody here standing up with us. (Applause.)
I'm sure that we have members of Council who were in their offices and can hear the testimony.
And perhaps Mayor 170 Street is also in his office on closed circuit listening to us.
We had a rally on the steps of the Wyoming Branch Library two weeks ago. And our Councilman Mariano said clearly that the money is there, that the money has been allotted. And that's one point or one question I want to ask about today. If the money was allotted and a decision was made not to put it to the libraries, then that's unconscionable. I want to read just a few -- I have letters from some of the eighth graders in our school whose passion -- I'll hand in to you; I'm not going to read them -- whose passion in their arguments is just extraordinary. I was really shocked when I read them today. But one young woman writes, how can 171 you cut the time of the library in half? That is the most important thing in this community, keeping kids off the streets and away from gangs. Suppose -- and this is to the Mayor -- Suppose your child lives in another community and they have a good library. If someone shortens the time or closes it, how would you feel when your child's learning of creativity and imagination is suddenly decreased? That's how our parents feel in this neighborhood. Think of the kids who have no place to go. They might just want to sit down with a good book. For the kids who need help, they get it from the librarian. The library is a place where kids can grow and be what they want to be. Consider this lessen from a person, not a student, a person who has been in this library who has seen what the library has done to help the children, who has seen the children's joy from reading a book. My one letter may or may not make a 172 difference, but with the voices of my classmates and the voices of classmates all across this City, it might and should make a difference. I think that, just in closing, I want to say that teaching in and living in an immigrant community has really made me understand how people feel when -- (Councilman Mariano enters the chambers.)
Upstairs we have to pay bills, and talk to our kids, and eat once in a while.
Okay, Rick. Well, we were glad you were with us. My last point is, I think that this decision by the City smacks to me of insensitivity to nationalities and might be 173 considered racist, and also classist because people in really rich neighborhoods have access to books. And I know that point's been made over and over again, the access to knowledge, the access to research. We are in communities that are on the edge. They can go either way. We went through weekends of homicides understanding what education could mean to turn this City around. We don't have much of a choice. So, I appeal to you Council people and to Mayor Street and his folks, if they are listening, go to the mat on this one. (Applause.)
Thank you. Sir, please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Harry Z. Rickets, D.A.V. Chapter 96. I wanted to say to you President -- to Councilwoman Marian Tasco and all other... the Council personnel present now, and all personnel that have concern about libraries being of full service. Now, my concern is and other personnel concerned 174 with libraries that want libraries of full hours, how are our children going to learn anything? How are single mothers going to learn anything with their children, stress learning to their children? And how are libraries going to be open without librarians, certified librarians? Okay. And with this four hours of libraries open without certified librarians? This is really absurd. And we're asking Council personnel and Madam President and all Council personnel, and if the Mayor representative is listening, if the Mayor's Office is listening, somehow go to some budget hearing and find the money to make sure that libraries are open full hours. How are our children going to learn anything? Now, how are we veterans, we disabled veterans, going to go into libraries with only open up four hours? And personnel that want to be in libraries just to go do different, you know, brochures or books, or 175 how are children going to, say, do homework or any summer school activities? It is very hard for this to happen with libraries being open only four hours six days a week. Single mothers? You know, elderly, disabled veterans, and people of concern that want libraries open more than four hours. (Applause.)
I'll say in closing -- I'll say in closing, libraries forever. Have a good day. Lord bless you. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Our next witnesses. MR. McPHERSON: The next witnesses are Esther McCrea, Sapphira Ivey, Patricia Harris, Susanne Hanney.
Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good afternoon, City 176 Council. My name is Patricia Harris. I'm the Program Director for one of the Beacon Centers here in Philadelphia, and I'm here on behalf of the Wyoming Library. The Wyoming Library is the nucleus of the Feltonville community. As the community transitioned, the library became the most valuable resource to the highly impacted immigrant community. There are currently 31 languages spoken in this community. The family's primary goal is to gain access to the necessary resources to integrate into the United States. The Wyoming Library provides the necessary resources and different languages to the Feltonville community. The above-mentioned variables should have been considered prior to the selecting the Wyoming Library to become an express library. The library has collaborated with every faith-based organization, school, recreation center and community centers and 177 to provide cultural events, adult education services, summer reading resources, story telling, et cetera. At the Wyoming Library hours are cut in half. All the organizations in the community who depend on the library to maintain and enhance education and knowledge will have to wait in lines to get ample time within the four-hour period. As the E.C.S. Beacon Center and other organizations designed programs based on community interest and need, the Free Library of Philadelphia is attempting to put everyone in a box. The Saturday hours will not support the needs of the Feltonville community. The limited hours are needed either during day hours or during the evening when crime is at its peak. If cuts must be made, don't target specific communities. Make the cuts across the entire Free Library System, to ensure certain communities do not feel targeted because of their language barriers or their 178 lack of citizenship. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Would you please identify yourself for the record. MS. McCREA: Good afternoon. My name is Esther McCrea, and I am years old. 10 I'm about to read to you an editorial written 11 by me that expresses my feelings on the 12 library limitations. 13 Library limitations from a different 14 point of view. Mayor Street is on another 15 saving-money-for-the-City trip. He thinks limiting library hours at several branches will save the City money. I beg to differ. Think about this. The library limitation may be saving the City money but at what cost? There are at least 50 to 100 kids that use the Wyoming Library every day for projects. Many of them don't have computers at home, and they will have even less time to work, meaning their grades could drop and 179 their schooling could be affected. This will not go down very well with parents, will it? How about the out of high school teens that use the libraries for resumes, senior citizens, adults and ESAU classes during the morning hours? There are so many people that will be inconvenienced if the Mayor goes through with cutting library hours. And he goes on and on about saving money. This move will cost children more than the little bit it may save the City. Lastly, if he is so supportive of safe havens for kids, why is he trying to limit the hours at some of the biggest safe havens in the City? As a kid who spends a lot of time in the library reading and doing reports, these limitations will not be good for kids like me. Did Mayor Street not say that the kids are the future of the City? Do you think Mayor Street is doing a good job keeping the future of the City safe? I 180 don't. As a closing remark, I would just like to say that the City of Philadelphia is kind of like a beaded bracelet. It may look all pretty and colorful right now. But if you go through with this, that's one bead off the bracelet. And if you limit the libraries, pretty soon you will start closing the libraries. Another bead goes. Pretty soon there will be almost no beads on the bracelet, will there? And finally, everyone knows Alex's lemonade stand, right? If a little girl can raise money for cancer research, why can't we raise enough money to keep libraries the way they are? (Cheers and applause.)
Very good. Our next witness. Please identify yourself for the record.
Thank you. My name is Susanne Haney. I am a ward leader in the Second Ward in Philadelphia, the site of the 181 Charles Santori Library.
Thank you very much. Your eminence, Your Honor, and all the Councilmen that are still here.
I'd like to address the fact that so many organizations are dependent upon our public libraries. I am very active in a number of civic, cultural and historical organizations that use our library system, and to which we refer the children with whom we work. The Jefferson Square Park which has programs which we help organize on history of the area works with our public library. Charles Santori Library provides us with book lists, abolition, underground railway, Civil War libraries for the programs that we have. They provide us with the books. We have the people who come and read them for the children. I also work with the General Needs Society, am a member. We give $1,000 a year 182 scholarship to a child at the George Mead School. We help fund a library at that school, $500 a year. Abolition, underground railway, Civil War books, all age and reading levels. There are no librarians at that school to work with the children. We try to work with local libraries to assist them with providing free books that we will donate. We do not have the libraries available for the children that we would like to provide the books for. I'm also a board member of the Marian Anderson Historical Society. We work trying to raise awareness of classical music in underserved communities of whatever ethnicity: Kensington, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia. When Denise Graves was here with Laperico, four of our young proteges that we worked with were on the stage in named parts. We referred children to both CDs and other resources that they can see African American composers and musicians. Those are not going to be available for those children in those 183 schools all over the City. In addition, we also work with a large immigrant community in the Second Ward in South Philadelphia, 9th Street, as well as 8th Street and Washington Avenue. Large numbers of Vietnamese Americans, large numbers of Mexicans, large numbers of Chinese and Cambodian residents and citizens are living in this area. They are dependent upon that library for the resources. Many people are very, very timid about raising awareness, that they don't speak English that well. The librarian and the entire staff are there to assist them in locating the books and resources that they will need, not only to do that but also to study. I worked with two people who just took their citizenship exam who were Lebanese. I worked with them personally giving them books out of the library so they could study on American history. This is another resource that is necessary for our 184 public libraries for working people at night. When I was a girl, all of the schools in Philadelphia had signs in perhaps to languages. If you remember, across 6 from Goretti, we had a school that had every 7 one of the languages, public school. They 8 had English and training classes at night. 9 The school system can no longer have that. 10 The libraries have provided that additional 11 service. 12 You heard today... Someone raised the fact that their school provided English as a second language and other courses. People need the training to be able to take the citizenship exams and become part of the American dream. We need that in our libraries. And in closing -- And this is not a jibe at anyone here, because everyone in this room is attending, so we appreciate your coming and your participation and your support. But I would like to ask, how can a City that gives out $1 billion with a B, 185 dollar's worth of contracts per year annually, not find the funding for its libraries and of course its recreation centers? Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. Please identify yourself for the record.
My name is Sapphira Ivey. I'm an after-school leader at the Wyoming Branch Library. I will be very brief, and you should have a copy of my testimony in your files. I would just like to point out the fact that I look at the library as not only a place where kids come and get knowledge, but it's a very strong support system within a community. Many of the kids come to our libraries to get homework done and to look for research. But a lot of them come for the quietness and the peacefulness atmosphere and 186 the supportive atmosphere within the library. A lot of the kids come from broken homes, chaotic homes, and et cetera. And they come to the safe haven for place of peace, and many -- If you even walk in the library at times, many of the kids are falling asleep or, you know, socializing and are doing other things. So, this is a support system. And when you look at all the violence that's going on in this City, taking away a support system in an environment? Does that make sense? This is a support system. Where you take away support systems in children's lives, that will increase their chances of getting involved with negative behavior. So, are we doing the right thing by taking away a support system within their community? And that's my closing. Thank you.
Thank you all so very much. Thank you. Our next witnesses are? MR. McPHERSON: Representatives from 187 the Free Library, Kevin Vaughan and Ron Hinton.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll go back in and put my light on because I would obviously like to ask some questions. But before that, Madam Chair, I wanted to ask, with your permission, there are a number of letters that had been sent to us or possibly other members that made their way to us, that are letters of testimony by other citizens who were not able to make it to today's hearing. I'd like to ask if the Chair would rule that these letters would be added to the testimony as if they had been read into the record.
The Chair so rules that they will be made part of the testimony. Please make certain that the stenographer has a copy of them. 188
You're welcome. Good afternoon. Nice seeing you. Please identify yourself for the record.
Thank you, President Verna. Good afternoon, President Verna, Councilman Nutter, and other members of City Council who join us this afternoon.
Mr. Vaughan, I see that your prepared testimony is rather lengthy.
If you would summarize it, we would really be very appreciative. I will give a copy of it to the stenographer and it will be transcribed in full.
Thank you, Council President. I'd like to read some of it, because I think...
By all 189 means do, but I'm asking you to summarize.
I will do the best I can. My name is Kevin Vaughan. I'm the Associate Director of the Free Library. And I'm joined here at the table with a member of the executive part of our Board of Trustees, Ron Hinton, as well as Bill Flemming, who's our Administrative Services Director for the library. And I'd like to ask, actually, before I begin, to defer to Ron Hinton who has a couple of comments, actually some testimony he would like to submit.
Thank you, President Verna, Councilman Nutter and Honorable members of City Council. Again, my name is Ron Hinton. I am representing the Free Library's Board of Trustees which I serve as the Secretary and board officer. I am also the President of a local 190 community development corporation known as the Allegheny West Foundation which is located on the Hunting Park section of North Philadelphia. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I appreciate the opportunity to describe why the Board of Trustees supports the changing of the hours of the neighborhood branches 10 and the utilization of various 11 (indecipherable) in this time of transition. 12 The Board of Trustees has discussed 13 the Library's budget and the implications for 14 service at numerous board meetings. 15 We have been thoroughly briefed on 16 the options available by Kevin, Elliott and 17 other library staff, and they have been 18 considered very carefully. 19 We voted to support the option now 20 being implemented. And we do not do this lightly. We do so, however, because we think it is the best plan that we can follow at this time. It allows the library to operate responsibly in a time of budgetary 191 constraints and to serve the public in the best way possible... (Boos.)
...considering the conditions in which we must operate currently right now. The plan allows the library to continue emphasizing its commitment to families and children in the City's neighborhoods. Priority has been given to after-school programs and weekend hours to ensure the continued success of these efforts. As a board member, I applaud the library's continued efforts to think long-term and to make whatever adjustments that are needed to maintain and preserve its core services. Both library boards are intimately involved in library's previous capital campaign of changing lives. We focused on renovating the library's branches in every neighborhood before even considering the Central Library. 192 This was a strategic decision to ensure that each library was inviting and that computers were easily accessible in all neighborhoods. I was personally involved with the decision to replace the old Widener Branch Library located in North Philadelphia. It was previously housed in a former bank branch with a new -- brand new building, a brand new library building. I know firsthand about the value of thinking long-term and not choosing the easiest solution. It would have been far simpler to simply renovate the existing building. That library, as demonstrated at its grand opening on February 12th where Mayor Street and over 500 people attended a ribbon-cutting celebration, is an important fabric of that community. With all might -- We all might wish that the City's financial situation was different, but that's not going to change that current reality, nor can we count on the 193 state for increased state aid to public libraries. But we can plan for a time when the City's financial situation is more promising. This plan will allow us to make sure that we retain the framework for restoring and enhancing services, while not eliminating services to the City's neighborhoods. I thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
Council President Verna, my name is Kevin Vaughan. I'm the Associate Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. I am representing the library today in place of Elliott Shelkrot, the Free Library's President and Director, who's out of the country on a long-planned trip. (Laughter.)
We're very grateful for Council's support of the Free Library and 194 glad for this opportunity to describe the library's recent actions in shortening the hours of some neighborhood branches and utilizing non-librarians to manage those branches. The Free Library System includes 49 branches in neighborhoods in three regional libraries, as well as a Central Library, and a library for the blind and physically handicapped. The schedule changes in question, the primary reason for this hearing, affect of these branches directly. 15 I'd like to give you a context for 16 why we are making these changes and the 17 changes involved. 18 The Free Library's mission calls for 19 us to provide all segments of the diverse 20 population a comprehensive collection of recorded knowledge, ideas and artistic expression, and information in a variety of media, including current technology, to assure ease of access to these materials and to provide programs to stimulate the 195 awareness and the use of these resources. The Free Library will create a welcoming and inspiring environment for learning, and will promote individual enlightenment, community enrichment and economic vitality throughout the region. The Free Library's current financial constraints are not new, nor are we unique in this regard. Last spring we began engaging in a new strategic planning process to set priorities and to make decisions about issues, including our fiscal state which we knew we would face, both now and in the future. We involved board members, members of the community, staff and union representation. We wanted to use this as an opportunity for positive growth, which, while counterbalanced -- (Noise in the chamber.)
Excuse me, Mr. Vaughan. Please. Let's have respect for the speaker. 196
While counterbalanced by the challenge of enhancing services in an environment where we knew resources would continue to be very limited, and in which we knew that we would have to grapple with the complex issues of doing things differently with less. A number of other library systems around the country are also facing budget cuts. Each is responding in its own way, including reducing hours and materials budgets, freezing staffing levels and layoffs, all of which the Free Library has already done. For example, the Queens Library, with 63 branch libraries, has gone from 14 libraries open 7 days a week to only libraries open 7 days a week, from 49 branches open 6 days a week down to 16 open 6 days a week. And the remaining 44 branches 197 are open only Monday through Friday on a 33 to 35 hour per week schedule. At the El Paso, Texas Library, even with a percent budget increase, the library recently cut hours at most of its facilities. And the Cincinnati public library, whose budget has dropped 8 percent over the 10 last several years, cut its hours by 10 percent two years ago. It may now reduce its materials budget 10 percent, shut several branches three days a week or close branches entirely. Not only are libraries all over the country having to cut services; they're also having to find new ways to utilize non-librarian staff because of budget considerations and a shortage of library school graduates. The King County Library System in Seattle, Washington, for example, has set up branches in two locations where there are no 24 librarians on site full-time. Both branches are staffed by clerks. Librarians come in to 198 help out a few days a weak and are available via telephone and e-mail. Other professions have also learned that they must make do with fewer professionals by reassigning duties to other staff. Hospitals, for example, are redefining the role of physician assistants and nurses because of a shortage in doctors. Families are hiring their own nursing aides to take care of loved ones because of fewer staff on hospital and nursing home payrolls, and so on. The City of Philadelphia, like so many other large urban cities, has not in recent years had the ability to support the library system at its full level. Over time the library has found that its had to find new ways to make do with fewer public dollars. Because the library's branch buildings were in disrepair, due to insufficient capital budget funding, the Free Library's boards developed the Changing Lives 199 Campaign Initiated, because they recognized help was needed from the private sector to build back the library system. The campaign, which ran from 1992 to 1998, ultimately raised $60 million, half of which was from private sources to match public capital dollars. These funds were used to renovate each neighborhood branch, add special pre-school centers, and purchase state-of-the-art computers for the public to use. The neighborhood focus was a strategic decision and an outgrowth of the library's 1990 strategic planning process when they turn to us, serving diversity. At the same time, after several years of intensive lobbying on the part of the public library community, state aid to public libraries went up for a brief period of time. 4 million. 9 million, and we had 200 to stop purchasing books, CDs, tapes and other materials for six months. 2 million, an improvement but still percent less than we 7 received two years earlier. 8 To adjust to these fiscal realities 9 the library has made numerous changes in the non-public service side of our operation during the past several years. We chose to fill public service vacant positions. Instead of non-public service positions we moved processing staff to public service positions, to cite just two examples. And when that wasn't enough, we consolidated departments at the Central Library. In spite of these internal changes, our staffing at branch libraries remained very thin.
22 In fiscal year 2001 we offered 23 Saturday service at every branch in the 24 system, but by fiscal year 2004 a shortage of personnel required ending weekend service at 201 most libraries. By January of this year, only ten branches were open on Saturdays and staff emergency closings totaling nearly 750 hours had occurred during the preceding six months. These random closings occurred in spite of the fact that staff from several libraries closed for heating and air conditioning replacements were redeployed to other branches to keep them open. The emergency closings have had a chilling effect on attendance at programs, events, and most of all circulating materials. People literally had to call their library to find out if it was open before coming. Compared to last year at this time, the number of library books and materials borrowed has dropped 12 percent. January 17th layoffs heightened the difficulty of our situation. Concurrent with the state's budget was City financial constraints have also continued to affect us, culminating most 202 recently in January's layoffs of staff members across the system, most of them librarians. Added to our losses from the DROP program, retirements, hiring freezes and unfortunately staff deaths, these recent layoffs mean that since fiscal year '02 we have lost 120 full-time staff members on the General Fund by June of 2005. 5 million to fill these 120 lost positions. The library considered several options as a way to manage within staffing and budget levels. We could continue the pattern of emergency closings every day. The worst effect of that plan would have been that adults and school children would not know when or if their library would be open, nor could the library deliver its programs when promised. We could close eight to ten neighborhood branches, but that would have made it hard for residents in many parts of 203 the City to get to other libraries or to have any service in their neighborhoods. We could reorganize services and staff to focus on all currently served neighborhoods and their children and families as follows: Change service at branches to 9 afternoons only, Monday through Saturday; 10 keep the remaining 29 branches open on full 11 schedules, including Saturday afternoons; 12 keep Central and the three regional libraries 13 open seven days a week. 14 This last option, which played to 15 Philadelphia's great strength of having a 16 library in every neighborhood, became the one 17 the library presented to the Mayor's and Managing Director's Offices and the Library Board of Trustees. We chose the option of creating afternoon branches because we believed it offered us the best opportunities to fulfill the library's mission, given the financial constraints under which we are currently operating. 204 That is, we wanted to continue providing to all segments a comprehensive collection, including current technology. We wanted to continue to assure ease of access to these materials. We wanted to continue creating a welcoming and inspiring environment for learning. We know the City's finances will improve, and what we are experiencing is cyclical. We believe it is essential to continue library service, utilize the library's buildings, and maintain collections and services for use in all neighborhoods. By making these schedule changes, we can keep every branch open in every neighborhood. We can restore Saturday service at every branch at a time convenient to families and people who work during the week. We can keep all libraries open from 1:00 to 5:00 during the hours of greatest use by children. We can continue the after-school program, the City's largest, 205 serving 85,000 kids at all branches. We can eliminate nearly all emergency closings and unreliable service patterns. I want to stress that we see this as a plan on which we can rebuild the library system as the economy improves.
In selecting the branches to be changed to afternoon service, the library staff considered a combination of factors, including ease of access from a branch to full service branch by public transportation, foot or car; degree of branch usage, including circulation, turnstile count, peak hours of use, computer use and program attendance; geographical distribution, taking into consideration older, densely populated neighborhoods, newer, less densely populated sections of the City, and expanses sparsely populated because of park land or industrial space; and the library public services staff knowledge of each branch, which we relied on very heavily. Management of afternoon branches. 206 To meet our target budget projections, we are changing the staffing configuration of the afternoon branches from mostly full-time to part-time and seasonal staff. The afternoon branches will not have an on-site librarian, but instead each afternoon branch will be managed by a full-time Library Assistant III, who will receive intensive training on their new responsibilities as a branch head. Each afternoon service branch will be paired with full service branch located nearby which is managed by a librarian. Library staff from the partner branch and other area libraries will help fill in for vacancies and other absences. Afternoon branch staff will refer difficult reference questions to librarians at its partner branch, a regional library or the Central Library. A librarian from either the partner branch or an area office will also visit the afternoon branches several times a week. m. Monday through Saturday. All the materials and resources that were there before will still exist there at this time. During the transition period, until all the needed part-time staff have been hired, a few programs in some of the new afternoon branches have been postponed or relocated, but they will continue to go on. Even with the loss of percent of 13 the library's staff, branch hours with this 14 schedule will be reduced by only 8 percent. 15 Because several branches have been closed this year for heating and air conditioning system replacement, branch hours are actually expected to increase slightly next year. In closing, the library appreciates the support it has received from the thousands of customers and friends. I want to underscore that our approach has not been adopted lightly, and we deeply regret making the kind of cuts that we 208 have had to make. That so many people are here today to testify is a testimony to the value that people place on their library. And in closing, as it is St. Patrick's Day, let me just say, Robert Kennedy, in looking at dissonance in the 1960's and people's disaffection for things that happened said this, and I believe that Elliott Shelkrot in the library administration believes this too: The task of leadership, the first task of concerned people is not to condemn or castigate or deplore. It is to search out the reason for disillusionment and alienation, the rationale of protest and dissent, perhaps indeed to learn from it. We hope to learn today from what we've heard from people. We hope to hear from Council about your concerns. And we hope to be able to, if we can, address them today or if we can't make appropriate, you know, changes at this very moment, but that we can consider them and hope to work with 209 you on whatever we can to make this better.
Thank you very much, Mr. Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan, can you tell us how much money is in the Library Foundation?
Actually, the net assets at the end of this -- at the end of fiscal year 2004 were $32,022,094.
Are there any restrictions on how those funds can be used?
Yeah. I was going to say I don't have knowledge of all that. I work for the City side of the situation. The Library Foundation is a private non-profit that's associated with the library, but I don't have a position either 210 with their board or with the foundation. And we weren't actually asked to bring information about the foundation with us today.
Do you think you can get information on how much... You told us what the assets are. But we would like to know what restrictions there are in the use of those funds.
And where the funds came from, I think. Any and all information you could provide us would be extremely helpful.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Vaughan, I have more than a few questions. (Applause.) 211
But first, just some preliminary information. I appreciate your presence here this afternoon, but I do need to inquire. The... I guess -- Is the position Executive Director or President? Mr. Shelkrot?
It is a long-planned trip that he had. I really could not say whether it was professional or personal. I believe it's -- I believe that he is working on behalf of the library in order to try to raise some funds. (Laughter.) 212
You're saying that he's on a fund-raising trip to Israel? COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: I'm on my way to Rome. I'll be right back.
He is with the architect who is building -- He is with the architect for the new building. And together they have the capacity, I believe, to raise additional funds to help with not only the building of that library but maybe raising funds for other things that we need. So, I believe that there is an opportunity for him on this trip to do some work to help raise funds for the library, yes.
Is there some particular activity? I mean, is there a schedule of events or activities in Israel that are part of this fund-raising trip?
I do not -- I have to say, I was away in the weeks preceding this hearing and when Mr. Shelkrot left, so I do 213 not have his schedule.
Well, again, appreciating your presence, but you can understand, given the nature of this hearing, and with every respect to the expansion and fund-raising activities, it would seem to me that short of either, you know, a long planned personal trip or sickness, that the place to be is here in City Council chambers. (Applause.)
Do you have any idea how much is expected to be raised from this trip?
Again, that would be work of the foundation. I am a City employee, and I work for the Free Library of Philadelphia. I am not part of the foundation. I couldn't tell you that.
Are there any board members of the foundation on the trip? 214
Friday. The trip started Friday. Today's the following Thursday. And he'll be back when?
Okay. Well, I'll be intrigued to know the results of the trip. Let me ask you a couple questions about... Who developed this plan? (Applause.)
The plan was developed by the Library Foundation -- the library administration. The senior staff of the library worked very hard to put this together. 215
Okay. And does such a plan exist anywhere else in the United States of America?
I really have no 6 knowledge of another plan that is exactly like this. There are elements of this plan in other library systems as in the King County System which I talked about earlier.
I think you mentioned in your testimony that there are two libraries that have this. This is 20.
That's two in the King County System. There may be other systems in the country that have similar situations.
Did you consult with any library system professionals or experts outside of Philadelphia?
We talked to members 216 of the Urban Library Council. I know that there's a library list of Urban Library Council Presidents, and I know that Mr. Shelkrot consulted with many of his colleagues across the country.
And again I will ask: In any of your research, did anyone indicate that they were familiar with a similar plan or proposal in any other library system?
In many of the consultations that he had with them, the feedback that we got from other library systems was that they had all considered or were considering doing similar things, not just because of the financial situations that they're in, but also because of the shortage of librarians that we find ourselves with. (Laughter.)
Yeah. I understand that. Now, let me ask you a question about a quote in the paper from Friday, February 11, 2005. It's a story about this express 217 idea which is -- just for the record, which is a bad idea. It is the worst idea. (Applause.)
This story talks about some of the things that are proposed here. And it goes on to say, over the past couple years, in that time Shelkrot said that he had been playing, quote, a shell game, not lessening services, staff and shortages led to more than 700 hours of emergency closings from July to December 2004, nor did he ever say publicly how bad things were getting. Quote, we've been hiding it, he said bluntly. Has it been the policy of the Free Library System to hide from the general public or this City Council these circumstances?
What's your response to the statements that are quoted to Mr. Shelkrot?
I wasn't there at the time. I don't know whether he was misquoted, 218 whether or not he actually said that. And I really would not further comment on them.
Okay. Well, if he were misquoted, do you think he would have demanded a retraction?
Okay. Let's talk about service. From the Mayor's report on City services, FY'96 to FY'03, the Free Library reports that the total number of visits in 1996 were 5,132,916. In 2003 that same measurement was 6,440,990, approximately an 1,308,000 visit increase. And between the central branch and the regional visits and the branch visits, it breaks down to, over that same period of time, an increase of 140,000 for Central, 160,000 for regional, and 980,000 for branches. 75 percent of the growth over that time period has been in branches. During that same time, just for those other areas, Central's individual 219 growth was percent, the regional was 19 percent, and the branches were 27 percent. So, under what set of circumstances and thinking would someone decide that the place to cut would be branches, from which you're getting 75 percent of your growth and which is outstripping both the Central and the regional, in terms of individual growth. Why would you attack the branches?
Councilman, we don't 12 believe that we're attacking the branches at 13 all. 14 (Laughter.) 15
We believe that in 16 this plan we are attempting, in a very tight 17 fiscal situation and environment, to bring 18 the best opportunity we have to continue 19 neighborhood branch services, where they can be accessed by the most amount of people during our peak hours. We are trying the best we can do under the circumstances that we find ourselves in. And I will say also --
What about all 220 the programs that take place during or have been taking place during the hours which will now not be available? I mean, whether it's school children or seniors or whatever, they can't change their schedules.
Correct. We're trying the best we can do to place those programs in our full service branches that will remain open full day -- for full day service.
The ones that were testified to earlier are on average more than a mile away from the express locations.
Right? Okay. Let's talk a little bit about the Central Branch and its operations. How many people work at the Central Branch?
Okay. Do you have that breakdown? I'm not sure I have a number handy, Councilman, but if you'll give me a moment, I'll see what we have.
I don't have it handy, but I will be glad to provide that for the 221 Councilman.
Well, let me ask this question. In the budget book for the library on . This is Central Branches. Is that considered executive and general support?
No, that's not the public service side of Central Branch, no. 10
Okay. Well, let me ask this question. How many people are you losing from executive and general support?
Again, Councilman, I don't have those numbers handy. I will be glad to provide those. (Murmurings.)
Hold on. Mr. Vaughan, I know Mr. Hinton, and I know that he is with the foundation. But are there any personnel with you from either fiscal side of the house that might be able to answer some of those questions?
Bill Fleming, who is 222 our administrative services director, might be able to do that.
Okay. I mean, if you're going to -- I can only suggest to you that if you're going to have folks up there with you, you might want to make them help you out.
Okay. My name is Bill 10 Fleming. I'm the administrative services director. And what we've done in analyzing this is tried to break it out between public service and non-public service, as opposed to --
-- as opposed to the way it is in the budget which is a little restrictive when you go by division and say executive and general support. We tried to break it out into public service components and non-public service components. In looking at it during the period 223 between fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2004, the most recently ended fiscal year, non-public service personnel were reduced permanently by positions out of 218 which brings us down 6 to 193, about an 11.5 percent drop. 7 During the same period -- 8
What do you mean 9 by "public service," and how does that relate 10 to the question that I asked you? 11
Well, non-public 12 service would be me, someone who's not out 13 front. A librarian, a library assistant, 14 they would be public service. 15
I got that. Let 16 me stick with my question. You have an 17 executive staff. I assume they work at 18 Central Branch, right? 19
Okay. Let's see. We 224 have full-time 115 in the '06 budget. In the '05 budget it's 124. I'm reading from of the budget book, if you have it.
124 full-time in the fiscal '05 budget and 115 in the '06 budget.
At some point during the year, if you look at the next column over -- it's an increment run -- that's a payroll registered figure. That's 117 --
Okay. So, the executive side of the house is going to be down two people.
Two people between December of '04 and where we start July, '05
Well, let me ask the question this way. As you were deciding to lay off... I believe it was 10 librarians, and cut hours at 20 branches to 4 11 hours, what steps were taken to reduce either 12 the executive side or the administrative side 13 of running the library operations? 14
Over the last three 15 years, Councilman, we -- we -- we have 16 continued not to fill those positions while 17 we were continuing to fill the public service side of the house. So, when you look at that number of 124, the reason it's at 124 is that over this period of time we were budgeted for 124 because there at some point had been 124. And through attrition we have gone down to 117 and will continue down to 115 over the course of the next year. 226
Right. And what I'm asking you is, what other steps, if any, were taken in an attempt to avoid layoffs and cutbacks out in the public service side, if that's the proper name...