State Closes the Book on Philly Libraries
All Philadelphia libraries close Oct. 2 until further notice
By TERESA MASTERSON
Updated 9:00 PM EST, Mon, Sep 14, 2009
All Philadelphia libraries must close Oct. 2. The state senate’s inability to pass a budget has left the library system penniless.
There's no word on when they will be able to reopen.
With the closure of all Free Library of Philadelphia branches, regional and central libraries, comes the end of all library programs for children, teens, and adults, as well as after-school programs, Siobhan Reardon, president and director of the Free Library, announced on its site.
While the library closures bring the obvious hardship of no access to free books, movies, music, newspapers, and magazines, there are bigger losses than that.
The closing of every library means that kids who go to the library after school while waiting for mom and dad to come home from work won’t have that constructive haven.
It also means that job seekers won’t have free resources and computer classes to help them get back on their feet. And anyone trying to improve his life with the GED, Adult Basic Education or English as a Second Language programs will have to find another way to do it.
Reardon says that they are “exploring the possibility of relocating the Philadelphia Author Series programs to other non-library facilities,” but all community meetings as well as library visits to schools, day care centers and senior centers will be cancelled.
Because all branches are closing Oct. 2, all borrowed library materials are due back by Oct. 1.
“Even as we remain hopeful that the State Legislature will act and pass the enabling funding legislation, we wanted to notify all of our customers of this very possible outcome,” Reardon says.
Consumerist.com is encouraging residents to contact state legislators to fix the budget situation.
First Published: Sep 14, 2009 3:09 PM EST
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