It's Our City is a project that uses TV, Radio and Web
to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.Waging Class Warfare Over Public Libraries
Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 10:36 am - by Tom Ferrick. Filed under: Budget.
To begin with, libraries are not libraries. They are sanctuaries.
This is especially true in big cities, where life can be hard and the streets mean. They are places for latchkey children to go after school. They are destinations for the elderly to ease the loneliness that sometimes comes with old age. They are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, usually genial and safe havens.
So, anyone who sees libraries simply as a dispenser of books misses the point.
To its credit, the Nutter administration realized the importance of libraries as sanctuaries in drawing up its list of branches to close because of the city’s financial woes.
It decided that no libraries located in the nine police districts where it is targeting its anti-crime efforts could be shut down. That took care of the poorest areas of town.
It also did not close branches in the city’s better-off neighborhoods, a list that includes Center City, Roxborough, East Falls, Andorra, Chestnut Hill and much of the Northeast.
They were spared even though many of them are within 2 miles of another branch – the principal criterion the city said it used to determine which branch lived and which died.
(To give some examples, the city’s Rittenhouse branch, at 19th and Locust, is less than one mile from the Central Branch. And the city’s Independence branch on South 7th Street is just 1.25 miles from the Santore branch in South Philly.)
Why not close these branches? Allow me to hazard a guess: Because the Nutter administration would face holy hell from their users, who also happen to be the core of the mayor’s political and financial base. It’s tough enough to close libraries without having roving bands of irate Center City liberals banging on your office door. (Ditto the mayor’s former City Council district, centered in Roxborough. No library closures there either.)
So, not the poor and not the rich. Which leaves us with what? That vast corps of in-between folks, with household income close to the city’s average of about $34,000 a year. They are too rich to earn the government’s largesse, too poor to elicit the government’s fear. Is it any surprise they are the folks who usually end up with a sign on their back that reads: Kick Me!
To summarize, they have marginal jobs, little or no health care, no pensions beyond Social Security, drive third-hand cars and live in rowhouses that sell below $80,000.
And now, live from City Hall, no libraries.
The city probably would dispute this characterization. Officials like to portray the decision-process as neutral and data-driven. Though, the city has changed its tune slightly on the criteria used. Originally, it said the decision was based on density of the neighborhoods, condition of the branches, usage and proximity to other branches.
Then, Councilman Bill Green’s office began asking for precise data about usage. It was not forthcoming.
Why? Because the data would likely show heavy use of these branches, probably rising in recent years. Overall, usage of the system has risen from 5.5 million visits in 2005 to 6.4 million last year.
The condition factor wouldn’t fly because most of the system’s libraries underwent renovations and improvements less than 10 years ago, so they are in pretty good shape. The density issue wouldn’t work because all of the libraries scheduled to be closed are in dense neighborhoods that haven’t suffered much population decline in recent years – certainly not as much as in the poorest neighborhoods.
By the time I talked to Sandy Horrocks of the Free Library on Friday, the list of criteria had been boiled down to proximity to other branches. “Geography was the primary one,” she said.
Not that any of these decisions are easy. The Library was tasked by the administration with cutting its budget by 20 percent immediately. That meant closing 20 percent of its branches. Horrocks said the alternative was to reduce service and hours at all branches, opening them maybe three days a week.
“And that’s not something we want to do,” she said.
Frankly. I think that option is better than basing your cuts on economic class, which is what library officials ended up doing. Better for all of us to share the pain that ask a slice of the population to suffer more.
People like to call Philadelphia a city of neighborhoods. Another way to put it, though, is that Philadelphia is a city of enclaves: divided by race, class and ethnicity. The libraries reflect that reality.
Their locales wouldn’t make sense to outsiders, whose idea of a perfect system would be one branch evenly spaced from another.
Instead, except for the Northeast, we get an ethnographic hodge-podge of locations that make perfect sense on every grounds but pure logic. They defy reason. And they are eminently reasonable.
Disturb these patterns in one budget-cutting jolt and what do you get? A huge mess.
Which is what the Nutter administration has on its hands.
In reality, it didn’t base its decision on proximity. First, it roped off most of the poorest and richest neighborhoods and declared them off limits to cuts. Then it used proximity as the measuring stick.
And proceeded to beat working-class Philadelphia with it.
Tom Ferrick is a contributing writer for It’s Our City. He is a former columnist and reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Related story: Library Journal Magazine honors Michael Nutter in 2005
November 17th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
so true and such a shame!
November 18th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Before I take issue with anything in this post I want to say that as a city resident and taxpayer for the past 20 years, I am against closing any libraries, pools, recreation centers, or components of the fire department. I think there are better ways to save money. I think cutting any of the above will, in the long run, only jeopardize future revenue for the city.
That being said, I would in no way classify any part of Roxborough (where I reside) as rich. Roxborough is a mix of working class and middle class. If there are any rich people here, it’s only because they got “turned around” looking for free parking off Main Street. Maybe the reason they didn’t propose closing our only library is that they proposed getting rid of half of our fire department. Besides, this part of the city already a library taken from us in budget cuts of yore; there used to be a Manayunk branch on Green Lane. Currently, there are only two libraries serving all of the city neighborhoods between the Wissahickon and the Schuylkill.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Is the object saving money ? Because if these branches are closed, the city will be spending alot more than 8 million on more police, fire and emergency calls . Perhaps it’s about the city’s bond rating? . Can’t the mayor wait until the freaking school year is over? What is the rush? Have these buildings been sold already? What? Nutter doesn’t even want to see if the private sector will help out .
November 18th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Smart. Closing libraries.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I was wishing there was a way for people to help with the libraries and pools. I am sure it will cost much more to take care of what happens when kids (and adults) do not have a place to go.
What if there was a 501 c(3) that people could donate to - to keep the libraries and pools open. I would much rather have people using the local libraries and pools than having nothing constructive to do. I can only imagine how much more police we will need if this is the case.
I hope there will be a way for people to offer to help with this situation.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:16 am
50 % of Philly homes do NOT have a computer. The Free Library IS these people’s gateway to the computer age.
You have to have access to a computer to apply for jobs, schooling etc. We are cutting off the first rungs of the ladder these folks need to better themselves and their families….WHY?? Why so fast?
IMO The private sector would want to help, if given some time! I can’t believe how this being railroaded though. It stinks
November 21st, 2008 at 2:22 am
It also did not close branches in the city’s better-off neighborhoods, a list that includes Center City, Roxborough, East Falls, Andorra, Chestnut Hill and much of the Northeast.
In an article in today’s Inquirer, about the closing of Homlesburg’s branch , the new director seemed to be saying well we needed to close at least one in the Northeast for PR purposes.
But again, it’s one of the branches in the poorer sections. The poorer sections need these branches the most!!!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I grew up in Academy Gardens (Torresdale area). I’ve been living in Holmesburg for the last 23 years. Closing the Holmesburg library and leaving the Torresdale library open is absurd. The Torresdale library is harder to get to by public transportation and Holmesburg has more people per capita that use the library than Torresdale. I think that more than 50% of the households in Holmesburg DO NOT have home computers. I believe more households in the Torresdale area has home computers. You’re kicking us while we’re down.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I find the silence on the contrast between the crickets from Harrisburg on the library , but they hand over 35 million federal money to Boscovs amazing. The next day Boscovs is sold for 300 million. So now can we have 8 million of that 35 for the FL??
November 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Jan , the whole thing is absurd. Chestnut Hill and Rittenhouse Sq…wealthy areas filled with many who have home computers….will have branches. But those areas that need access to computers the most because they don’t have them at home , are being cut out.
If you close Holmesburg, as with the case in many of these places, you are cutting the heart out of the neighborhood….And they don’t care .
If they did , they would try harder and give the private sector some time to respond….have you ever seen the city move so fast? Me neither .
As I say, Boscovs Dept Store gets 35 million. But those who need libraries can jump in the lake. Perhaps we should call these 11 branches Boscovs…then maybe something would be done.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
The Rittenhouse branch is a perfect example of the Library not considering geography between libraries.
Yes the Rittenhouse branch is close to the main library and is in a ritzy part of the City, but half the people who use Rittenhouse are little old laddies who will never attempt to cross the Parkway to get to the main library.
November 26th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Well how about the little young kids at Durham who they are asking to cross
4 or 5 major streets on thier way to Walnut? The Little old ladies of Rittenhouse can take a free ride on a Septa bus to Central alot easier than the kids can get though West Philly . IMO
But the point is neither should be asked to do so. If this was stadiums instead of libraries , a way would be found….there would be interest in finding a way. But the city cannot wait until the end of the school year to close these branches.
If one of the branches being closed is yours, and you want to thank a particular librarian and say good-bye, you had better do it now . The branches will be open until Jan 1st. But they will be staffed by strangers shiffted around for the last half of Dec…… entirely in keeping with the cruel manner this chain saw massacre has been handled .
November 27th, 2008 at 7:41 am
It was yesterday when the shocking news was made public.
A done deal,our libraries and recreational centres are to be closed. Sent an E-Mail protesting the closures to my parliamentry representative who also happens to be third officer in the Treasury. So far no reply. How does one combat this sort of thing,trawled the web looking for some sort of solution, eventually arriving here. Its as if a great plague is sweeping the civilized world, wiping out libraries and any other form of social intercourse that is not priced packaged and controlled by some corporation or other. One cant help thinking of that strange night long ago when mountains of books and centres of free association were burnt . Its a cold drizzly day here in England just the kind of day in which to lift ones spirits by visiting the nearby local library.
November 27th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Its as if a great plague is sweeping the civilized world, wiping out libraries and any other form of social intercourse that is not priced packaged and controlled by some corporation or other.
Indeed.
james, I doubt you will get a reply, or if you do it will be a form letter thick with platitudes and shrugged shoulders .
In 2004, Kurt Vonngut said
the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House or the Supreme Court or the Senate or the House of Representatives or the media. The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.
We are now seeing that last spot taken care of and rubbed out. Make no mistake. This hacking off of libraries is not just about balancing the financial books …..it’s also about cutting off avenues of protest and advancement as the drive to privatize every service gathers speed . It’s an assault on the very idea of anything existing simply for the public good.
The libraries targeted here are those in poor, working class neighborhoods. The very people who need the library as a life or death matter. It’s almost impossible to apply for a job , a school, or do so many other things, if you do not have access to a computer. 50% of the homes here do not have one. Now they are telling these people to go off to another, further off branch, kept open. But each branch is already understaffed and busy….now they want the remaining branches to deal with even more people jocking for few services .
I’m thinking of that night when mountains of books were bruned. I’m also thinking of the burning of the great library of Alexandria….attacks on libraries is a very bad sign for a civilisation.
What also strikes me is the similarity in the announcements here and where you are…it’s all done deal and out of the blue. It is meant to cut off any attempt to find other funding, because there is no time. Here, we are told we MUST close these branches NOW!!!… because of a budget short fall 5 years from now. They will not even wait until the end of the school year.
It’s as if they want people to someday reach for the pitch forks, since they are closing off all avenues of peaceful protest and reform.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:31 am
[...] Its Our City » Blog Archive » Waging Class Warfare Over Public …It also did not close branches in the city’s better-off neighborhoods, a list that includes Center City, Roxborough, East Falls, Andorra, Chestnut Hill and much of the Northeast. They were spared even though many of them are within 2 … [...]
December 4th, 2008 at 1:32 am
RALLY to SAVE THE LIBRARIES
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION: Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.
City Hall (NE Corner entrance) – Council Chambers – Fourth Floor
City Council will introduce a resolution to keep all facilities open through the fiscal year while they look for solutions to the current budgetary challenges.
We urge you to attend – bring signs – support your libraries!
RALLY to SAVE THE LIBRARIES: Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. Central Library – 1901 Vine Street
RALLY on the front steps of Central
with State Representatives Mark Cohen, Babette Josephs, James Roebuck, Jr., City Councilman Bill Green, and more
followed by a MARCH TO CITY HALL to deliver petitions to the Mayor