Free Library of Philadelphia employees and supporters gathered Monday ahead of Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget address to rally for a $30 million boost in funding for the library system — which would amount to a 70% increase.
Organizers said the library system has been plagued by closures due to staffing shortages and building issues.
“In many branches, one call-out can force a location to close,” said librarian Arrick Underhill, acting branch manager at the Cecil B. Moore Library in North Philadelphia.
“The cognitive dissonance between renaming the library in honor of a Civil Rights icon while denying funding for this basic community resource for decades makes it all the more infuriating how neglected this library has been,” he added.
