Checking out: As Free Library’s role shifts, where does that leave Parkway Central’s special collections?
The Free Library is grappling with how to be a better 21st century resource for a needy city. Recent years have been tough on the library – budget and staff cuts, threats of branch closures, overdue repairs – and a recent report by the Pew’s Philadelphia Research Initiative explored the Free Library’s current challenges and opportunities in comparison to other big-city systems.
The library for its part is willing to change with the times, taking a distinctly utilitarian approach: do the most good for the most people.
Some shifts, like adding more computing resources and renovating branches, will bring big improvements for neighborhood libraries and the communities they serve.
But I’m left wondering where this leaves the Parkway Central branch’s special collections?
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