Free Library to close for good

and Edward Sherwin The sign outside the Walnut Street West Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia still promises "Big Changes are Coming," but not the changes for which community members were hoping. When the library, located at 40th and Walnut streets, was forced to close its doors in October of 1996 to allow for installation of computer wiring, it was expected to reopen for use within six months. However, six months quickly turned into a year as electricians deemed the building's foundation structurally unsound and were forced to close the work site. And in the most recent development, Free Library officials announced earlier this week that the 90-year old building -- donated to the city by industrialist Andrew Carnegie -- will never reopen. "It was considered a very valuable part of the library system," said Cynthia Bayete, a spokesperson for the Free Library system. She added that it served a diverse community of more than 30,000 people in West Philadelphia. The decision was made reluctantly only after more than one engineering firm put projected costs for renovations at more than $6 million -- just to make the building safe. According to Bayete, the city's budget for library renovations amounts to only $5 million a year and renovating the Walnut West branch would have to come at the expense of other locations. "We'd have to not renovate 10 buildings to fix up Walnut Street West -- that one building," she said. The library does, however, have a temporary home at 3927 Walnut Street until more permanent space can be found. In February the University agreed to rent the location, which used to house the Student Employment Office, to the library for $1 a year. Although the two-story building, is relatively small, Penn's Managing Director for Economic Development Jack Shannon called it a "more than sufficient" temporary location. The site, which Shannon expects to be "operational" in early July, will host a small collection and a limited number of basic services. Library officials did emphasize, however, that the location at 3927 Walnut is only temporary and that they hope to find another site within close proximity to its former location. "We're looking at all potentially available properties in the area," Shannon said, adding that University and city officials were still in an "exploratory stage" of development. Last February, Beth Ann Johnson -- president of Walnut Street's branch of Friends of the Free Library -- called the library a "keystone" of the committee when it was open. Besides housing books and resources, the building hosted tutoring projects and summer reading programs, according to Johnson, whose non-profit group serves a bridge between the library and the community. Bayete said that the historic building's future lies in the hands of the city, adding that demolition is "always a possibility for a building with structural damage."