While Penn is quick to acknowledge the many inventions of Ben Franklin, it is slower to acknowledge its own, save perhaps for ENIAC, which is a pity since they are really quite extraordinary.
Case in point: the Free Library of Philadelphia.
The Free Library came to be thanks to the efforts of former Penn Provost William Pepper, who in 1891 talked his colleagues, wealthy relatives and friends in government into donating the money for what would be, in his words, “the people’s library, absolutely free to all.” The key to its success was that it was not only a public library — totally supported by the government — but rather a free library supported by the City as well as by its wealthier citizens and foundations. Indeed today, with 54 branches visited over 6.5 million times last year, supporting close to a quarter of a million children and about as many adults in programs deployed across the city, the Free Library of Philadelphia is one of the world’s great library systems.
Today, the City funds some $30 million of the library's $50-million annual budget, which means the Free Library is vulnerable to the whims of city finances. So when Mayor Michael Nutter cut $8 million from the library's budget in 2008, it would have meant sweeping cuts in library schedules and the near closing of 11 branches were it not for a timely surge of popular support. This year the cuts continue, with another $2.5-million reduction that will force branches to close for one business day a week. Each year, it seems, the library is on the losing end of the savage (if necessary) cuts planned in City Hall, and the cuts show no signs of stopping. That said, the City is in a perilous financial situation, and given the range of vital things it funds, there is no good place for the axe to fall. In times like these, the library needs its private benefactors more than ever.
The City can ill afford to lose its libraries, especially the City today. In the age of the internet, information is everything, and the Free Library frees information, in all of its forms, for everyone. At Penn, the internet is as available as the air we breathe (and about as essential, we feel, to our survival - that's why they called it AirPennNet). In Greater Philadelphia, some estimates suggest that close to half of all households do not have internet access. Accordingly, the Free Library’s computers were used over one million times this past year – all for free. Consider books. Remember them? Seven million of them were borrowed from the Free Library in 2009 - all for free.
And the Free Library does still more in the service of its community. Its branches are veritable community centers, hosting job fairs, helping local organizations get grant money, holding free classes and most importantly, hosting countless events to give children across the city books and encourage then to read them. And all this on a budget that is smaller than that of the University’s library system, serving 1/30 of the population with the same size budget.
The City’s budget will rise and fall – and its priorities will change – as the political and economic winds blow. In a bleak recession, few can fairly say that the libraries ought to be preserved above all else. The axe must fall somewhere. But even if the City stops supporting the library, it need not put an end to its operations or cut its schedules. Not if private citizens and institutions are willing to step up to the plate.
The Free Library's fiscal 2009 statement reported that its philanthropic arm took in a little under $3 million in donations this past year. Penn took in hundreds of millions. Next time you think to support Penn, consider supporting one of Penn's great inventions - either through money or with your time as a volunteer. Help make the Free Library recession proof. There are few other contributions quite as worthwhile.
Alec Webley is a rising College senior from Melbourne, Australia. He is the former Undergraduate Assembly chairman. His e-mail address is awebley@sas.upenn.edu.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.