The Free Library of Philadelphia is holding a series of town halls to seek public input as it develops a strategic plan to shape its future.
City residents can share what the Free Library means to them and offer their thoughts on its in-person programs, online resources and the state of its facilities by attending the town halls or by participating in a 10-minute online survey.
MORE: Frankford Library unveils $5.5 million renovation that took more than two years to complete
The meetings and the survey are part of an effort to develop the strategic plan, which is being put together by the consultant firm ROZ Group. Initial findings are expected in the fall, and the full plan is scheduled to be completed in February. The efforts to develop the plan are being funded through a $1 million contribution from Pew Charitable Trusts.
To develop the plan, ROZ Group is seeking input from people that frequently use the library system, but also those that don't, ROZ Group CEO Rosalyn McPherson said.
"We want them as much as anybody else, because we want to figure out what to do to make you use the services of the library," McPherson said. "We also realize that the services may be different from one ZIP code to another."
The first four town halls are scheduled to take place at the following dates and locations. They each run from 6-8 p.m.
•Monday, June 16 at the Bok Building, 1901 S. Ninth St.
•Monday, June 23 at the Esperanza Arts Center, 4261 N. Fifth St.
•Wednesday, July 2 at the Kingsessing Library, 1201 S. 51st St.
•Wednesday, July 16 at the Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.
Translation and sign language interpreters will be present at the meetings, and the online survey is available in four languages — English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
Additional town halls will take place online and at a library branch in Northeast Philly, but the details for those events have not been finalized, McPherson said. ROZ already has conducted interviews with the Free Library's staff and board members as part of the 18-month process to develop the plan.
The Free Library has weathered a variety of issues in recent years, including reduced hours. In 2018, the Free Library cut its Saturday hours at half of its branches due to budget and staffing restraints, and it only began to resume weekend openings in 2023. In 2020, former director Siobhan Reardon resigned amid discrimination allegations and a vote of no confidence from staff. And last year, the entire Author Event's team abruptly resigned en masse in June, although a new team was hired in September.
McPherson said the strategic plan isn't a direct response to those issues, but said they will be analyzed in full.
"To me, that's the past, and what are we looking at for the future?" McPherson said. "And I think some of that controversy was fraught with things that were not addressed."
Several branches also have faced frequent closures due to staffing shortages and challenges created by aging buildings, including issues with HVAC systems. The Richmond and Paschalville branches are shuttered indefinitely for repairs, but the Frankford Library reopened on June 6 after more than two years of construction.
At the final City Council meeting before the summer recess, several community members pressed Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. to release funds to repair the Cecil B. Moore Library, emphasizing its importance to its neighborhood. Also, Collin Kawan-Hemler, a library assistant at Kingsessing Library, questioned why the newly-passed city budget does not include any funding increases for libraries. He said 13 branches were closed Wednesday due to staffing and cooling issues.
"We are so much for the communities, we are child care, we are printing services, we are internet services," Kawan-Hemler said. "When the branch itself cannot safely open because the temperature is way too high, people lose out.”
