PDF version - Free Library of Philadelphia

SPR ING 2016
VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2
OFF the SHELF
A MAGAZINE FROM THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
Big Opportunities
for Small Businesses
at the Free Library
ALSO INSIDE:
CAUTIONARY TALES FROM
OUR RARE BOOK DEPARTMENT
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY SERIES
THE NEW SOUTH PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY
SECURE THE FREE LIBRARY’S TOMORROW
M A K E A P L A N N E D G I F T TO DAY
The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation is pleased to offer our supporters a unique
way to make a difference to the future of the Library—by establishing a Charitable
Gift Annuity (CGA). A CGA enables you to receive a guaranteed income for life in
return for an outright gift today. Rates for CGAs are based on your age, and CGAs can
be established for as little as $10,000, using cash or highly appreciated stock. Current
rates are below as of March 1, 2016.
FOR MORE ABOUT CGAS—AS WELL AS ESTATE GIFTS—PLEASE CONTACT AMANDA GOLDSTEIN,
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, AT 215-567-7710 OR [email protected].
SAMPLE RATES FOR A $10,000 SINGLE LIFE ANNUITY
65
70
75
80
85
90
4.7%
5.1%
5.8%
6.8%
7.8%
9%
CHARITABLE DEDUCTION $3,363
$4,001
$4,502
$4,965
$5,621
$6,269
ANNUAL PAYMENT
$510
$580
$680
$780
$900
ANNUITANT AGE
ANNUITANT RATE
$470
Rates current as of March 1, 2016
Not intended as legal, tax, or investment advice
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
FOR MORE INFO: 215-567-4341 • FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS
APR 11 • 7:30 PM
APR 21 • 7:30 PM
APR 26 • 7:30 PM
APR 29 • 12:00 PM
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
FREE
Diane McKinneyWhetstone
Annette Gordon-Reed
and Peter S. Onuf
Robb Armstrong
Seymour Hersh
Fearless: A Cartoonist’s
Guide to Life
The Killing of
Osama Bin Laden
Lazaretto
“Most Blessed of the Patriarchs”:
Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination
MAY 3 • 7:30 PM
MAY 5 • 8:00 AM
MAY 5 • 7:30 PM
MAY 12 • 7:30 PM
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
LEADING VOICES
Chris Cleave
Everyone Brave
Is Forgiven
WITH
Brendan Jones
The Alaskan
Laundry
Daniel Shapiro
Negotiating the
Nonnegotiable:
How to Resolve Your
Most Emotionally
Charged Conflicts
Angela
Duckworth
Grit: The Power of Passion
and Perseverance
Nathaniel
Philbrick
Valiant Ambition:
George Washington,
Benedict Arnold,
and the Fate of the
American Revolution
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
Siobhan A. Reardon
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Joseph Benford
CHIEF OF STAFF
Indira C. Scott
VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
Melissa B. Greenberg
VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Sandra Horrocks
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Alix Gerz
SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR
Julie Berger
COMMUNICATIONS AND
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Samantha Maldonado
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jennifer Donsky
Ingrid Heim
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ryan Brandenberg (cover, pages 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16)
Ed Cunicelli (pages 12, 13, 15)
Kelly and Massa Photography (page 4)
Jon Roemer (page 3)
Jules Vuotto (page 5)
FREE LIBRARY OF
PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION
1901 Vine Street, Suite 111
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-567-7710
freelibrary.org/support
OFF THE SHELF
[email protected]
freelibrary.org/publications
Welcome to the spring 2016 issue of Off the
Shelf ! The Free Library prides itself on being the
Free Library of Opportunity for Philadelphians
of all ages and backgrounds. This issue of
our magazine highlights just some of the
opportunities we are excited about this season.
Every day, the Library helps Philadelphia’s entrepreneurs unlock
their potential by giving them the keys to invaluable business
resources and programs—offerings we explore in our cover story Big
Opportunities for Small Businesses. This election season also brings a
new opportunity for civic engagement, which the Library will promote
through its new American Presidency Series.
And this is an incredible time of opportunity for the Library itself, as
we continue transforming both our programming and physical spaces
through the ambitious Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries
Initiative. South Philadelphia Library will soon be back and better
than ever, and Parkway Central Library is continuing its first major
transformation since opening its doors in 1927.
In this issue, you’ll also learn your lesson from a cautionary-tale
hidden gem from our Rare Book Department, catch up on the latest
news from around the system, and find out what Wharton professor
Adam Grant has to say about success.
This promises to be an exciting spring at the Library. I hope you find
an opportunity to visit us soon.
Warmly,
Siobhan A. Reardon
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
Off the Shelf is published twice annually for
supporters of the Free Library of Philadelphia
Foundation and showcases the Library’s educational,
economic, and cultural contributions to the region.
ON THE COVER AND BELOW:
BUSINESS RESOURCE AND INNOVATION
CENTER DEPARTMENT HEAD ALLEN MERRY
CONSULTS WITH MARIAN DOSSOU ABOUT HER
BUSINESS PLAN FOR KAKEMI, A PRODUCT LINE
OF SINGLE-SERVING CAKE MIXES. FOR MORE
SUCCESS STORIES, TURN TO PAGE 10.
WHAT’S INSIDE
4
6
7
8
12
16
18
19
NEWS AND NOTES
HIDDEN GEMS: THE CAUTIONARY TALES OF STRUWWELPETER
FOCUS ON: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY SERIES
BIG OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
AT THE FREE LIBRARY
BUILDING INSPIRATION: DEFINING THE FUTURE
OF PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY
FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS:
THE NEW SOUTH PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY
THE FINAL WORD: ADAM GRANT
BOARD LISTS
SPECIAL GUESTS THE QUEEN AND KING OF HEARTS
BALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS MARGUERITE
AND GERRY LENFEST WITH MARINA KATS
AND JOHN MEDVECKIS
BALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
DAVID MONTGOMERY, SUSAN
SMITH, AND LYN MONTGOMERY
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JOHN MCFADDEN, LISA
KABNICK, AND BALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
ALYSE AND JIM BODINE
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANDREW WHEELER,
BALL COMMITTEE MEMBER JANET HAAS, AND
LYNN AND JOE MANKO
TWEEDLE DEE AND
TWEEDLE DUM-HATTED
BALL COMMITTEE
MEMBERS JIM AND
JANET AVERILL
Library fans and supporters tumbled down the rabbit hole in
December at Through the Looking Glass: A Wonderland Ball, in celebration
of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s mind-bending classic
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—and of our beloved Free Library!
{4}
AROUND THE SYSTEM
1 Former mayor Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr.; Deputy Commissioner
Blanche Carney, Philadelphia Prison System; Siobhan A. Reardon,
Free Library President and Director; Commissioner Louis Giorla,
Philadelphia Prison System; and Titus Moolathara, Librarian, came
together to announce the Free Library’s pilot program Free Library
of Philadelphia Prison Services: Expanding Opportunities for
Incarcerated Parents and Their Families at Neighborhood Libraries.
2 Library staff aided Philadelphians in signing up for virtual library
cards at the Municipal Services Building.
3 Children and families enjoyed a Words at Play Vocabulary
Initiative-sponsored trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.
1
4 The One Book, One Philadelphia 2016 season kicked off with
Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier discussing the intersection
of literature and music with Cold Mountain opera composer
Jennifer Higdon.
CUSTOMER CORNER
KATHERINE MAHONEY
Katherine Mahoney feels so fortunate to live
a block away from Charles Santore Library in
South Philadelphia: “It’s a treasure to have this
here,” she said. “We really hit the jackpot.”
3
4
While Katherine and Finn love the familiarity of Santore and
its librarians—often they’ll spend entire days there and eat
lunch on the outdoor patio when the weather is nice—they also
frequent other libraries. Taking a walk in Rittenhouse Square
might result in hanging out at Philadelphia City Institute,
and visiting Parkway Central is a day trip itself. (Finn loves
climbing on the stairs.)
Katherine appreciates how the Library is warm and welcoming
to everyone—a place that fosters interaction with people she
might not cross paths with otherwise. “When you come here,
you find community,” Katherine said, while in the background
Finn proved just that by chatting with another child as he
played a computer game. “It’s kind of like a club. You have your
card as membership.” Regardless of age, culture, or economic
status, it’s a club that everyone can enjoy.
• • • BY SAMANTHA MALDONADO
2
The Free Library has been there for Katherine in
times of prosperity and financial hardship. She
and her spunky four-year-old son Finnian fill up their weeks
with resources and programs at the Library, which is hugely
important because Katherine is a full-time mom and Finn
isn’t yet in school. Much of Finn’s learning and socialization
takes place at the Library. Science in the Summer, offered in
partnership with GSK and the Franklin Institute, has allowed
Finn to try his hand at simple experiments in an introduction to
basic principles of science. He also looks forward to the annual
Halloween parade and associates days of the week with what’s
happening at the Library: storytimes on Tuesdays and Spanish
classes on Saturdays. As for Katherine—she has attended yoga
classes at Santore, which she called her favorite thing, and
watched a season of Dexter on borrowed DVDs, in addition to
regularly checking out books for herself.
• • • BY ALIX GERZ
HIDDEN GEMS
The Cautionary Tales of
Struwwelpeter
36
#
Don’t cross your eyes or
else they’ll stay that way.
Don’t swallow that bubble
gum or else a gum tree
might grow in your stomach.
Sound familiar?
literature from the 18th century
through today.
According to curator Caitlin Goodman,
Struwwelpeter is a wonderful example
of a transformation in literature for
children, from 18th-century beginnings
that tended toward Calvinist moralism
to mid-19th-century works with a
larger place for imagination and humor.
It inspired a generation of knockoffs,
including the prolific New York City
children’s publisher McLoughlin
Brothers’ Little Slovenly Peter series
(also on view). More recent works—
from Maurice Sendak’s Pierre to today’s
Rotten Ralph series—also take cues
from Struwwelpeter.
Adults have used hyperbole to scare
kids straight for years. But for children
growing up in the late 19th and early
20th centuries, the consequences to
the bad actions found in their bedtime
stories were much more dire—and
way more hilarious.
Take, for instance, Heinrich Hoffmann’s
gruesome Struwwelpeter (1845), which
roughly translates to “Shockheaded
Peter” or “Slovenly Peter.” The story
goes that Hoffmann, in search of a gift
for his son, couldn’t find a children’s
book he liked and so purchased a
notebook to create his own.
The result? A transformative work of
children’s literature that was meant to
be grossly funny—just what kids like—
but was also inspired by the morality
tales with which young readers of the
time would have been quite familiar.
Picture a girl who plays with matches
and burns to death; a boy who refuses
to eat his soup and starves; or a boy
who sucks his thumbs, only to have
them violently cut off. Voila! An
instant classic.
Struwwelpeter in English translation
is currently on display in the Rare
Book Department as part of Or Else:
Cautionary Tales for Children, an
exhibition that highlights moral
reckonings, both morbidly satirical
and mortally serious, in children’s
“Classic mid-19th-century books like
Struwwelpeter or Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland mark the beginning
of modern children’s literature,” says
Goodman. “These books emphasized
imaginative spaces for children and
indicated a shift in social attitudes
about childhood itself.”
PICTURED HERE IS A PAGE FROM
THE ENGLISH STRUWWELPETER (1867),
A TRANSLATION OF THE GERMAN
CLASSIC. IN THE “STORY OF LITTLE
SUK-A-THUMB,” THE PROTAGONIST
SUCKS HIS THUMBS, ONLY TO LOSE
THEM BOTH TO A TAILOR WITH A
GIGANTIC PAIR OF SCISSORS.
IMAGE CREDIT: HEINRICH HOFFMANN, THE
ENGLISH STRUWWELPETER, OR, PRETTY
STORIES AND FUNNY PICTURES FOR LITTLE
CHILDREN, AFTER THE FORTIETH EDITION OF THE
CELEBRATED GERMAN WORK OF DR. HEINRICH
HOFFMANN. LEIPZIC: FRIEDRICH VOLCKMAR,
[CA. 1867]. COURTESY OF THE RARE BOOK
DEPARTMENT.
{6}
Although they were written for children,
Goodman herself is a huge fan, because
books like Struwwelpeter “are hilarious,
and purposefully so. They were meant
to teach you not to be slothful but with
good humor,” she says, before adding
with a laugh, “because if you were
slothful, you might get eaten by a bear.”
OR ELSE IS ON DISPLAY THROUGH
JULY 23 IN THE RARE BOOK
DEPARTMENT’S WILLIAM B. DIETRICH
GALLERY AND FEATURES NEARLY
100 BOOKS AND ILLUSTRATIONS,
ALONG WITH A READING NOOK WITH
DOZENS OF CAUTIONARY TALES
FOR READERS TO PERUSE.
FOCUS
ON
THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENCY SERIES
IT’S NOT EASY TO SORT THROUGH THE POLITICAL NOISE THIS
TIME OF YEAR, FROM THE INCESSANT CAMPAIGN ADS, TO THE
LOUDLY TALKING HEADS, TO THE NEVER-ENDING DEBATES.
BUT THE FREE LIBRARY IS POISED TO HELP PHILADELPHIANS CUT THROUGH THE
CAMPAIGN CONFUSION WITH ITS FIRST-EVER AMERICAN PRESIDENCY SERIES,
WHICH AIMS TO EXAMINE UNTOLD STORIES OF, UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACHES
TO, AND CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS ABOUT THE WORLD’S MOST DIFFICULT JOB.
This series—composed of compelling, topical monthly lecture
programs as well as an educational children’s component—will
put the 2016 election cycle in a broad perspective by examining
subjects ranging from the quest for the Hispanic vote to the
intersection of sports and politics.
“In times like this, we truly embrace our role as
a proponent of and resource for civic literacy,”
says Siobhan A. Reardon, president and director.
“There’s no better, safer space than a library to
examine our complex political arena and sort
through the multifaceted issues at hand.”
The American Presidency Series kicks off this April with a visit
from renowned presidential historian Richard Norton Smith,
whose talk, “To the Worst of My Ability: Lessons in Presidential
Failure,” will explore the careers of presidents who faced the
ultimate test, the toughest job in the world—and failed.
Other timely topics will include the Washington Post’s Matea
Gold on the ramifications of Citizens United, one-time senatorial
candidate Shenna Bellows and author Erin Souza-Rezendes on
women in politics, and a panel of foreign journalists on covering
the election for a global audience. The series will also include
a book club inspired by this summer’s Democratic National
Convention in Philadelphia, with a focus on 1948, when the city
played host to three presidential conventions.
While the adult programming series will begin immediately after
the Pennsylvania primary and run through Inauguration Day
in January of 2017, the children’s component will be focused in
the fall months leading up to November’s general election and
will include mock elections and debates, teen-issue discussions,
media education, and other programming aimed at fostering the
next generation of informed voters.
With a blend of education and entertainment, the series’
examination of the presidency and the road to get there wins our
vote for growing the city’s civic literacy.
The inaugural American Presidency Series
lecture featuring Richard Norton Smith will take
place on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the
Skyline Room at Parkway Central Library. For
a complete list of up-to-date programs, visit
freelibrary.org.
• • • BY ALIX GERZ
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY SERIES IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE DOLFINGER-MCMAHON FOUNDATION;
MEG AND ROGER BERLIN; SALLY AND DAN GORDON; THE PEGGY AND ELLIS WACHS FAMILY FOUNDATION; AND LAURIE WAGMAN,
IN MEMORY OF IRVIN J. BOROWSKY. ALL GIFTS WERE MADE THROUGH THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION.
{7}
• • • BY JULIE BERGER
BIG
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
AT THE FREE LIBRARY
“Wait … I can do that at the library?!” Caitlin
Tingo, a librarian in the Business Resource
and Innovation Center (BRIC), describes this
as the epiphany that happens at least once
in every business program she runs at the
Free Library. The attendees in her classes—all
of whom are seeking ways to start, grow, or
improve a small business—are reacting to the
wealth of knowledge and practical guidance
that is ready and waiting at the Free Library
for entrepreneurs.
Each year, the Free Library helps 9,000 Philadelphians
develop or enhance their existing businesses. Entrepreneurs
come seeking financial data, information on creating a
business plan, market research, and demographic insights.
These resources, which would cost tens of thousands of
dollars for individuals to obtain on their own, are all free and
easily accessible.
“When the Free Library undertook its strategic planning process
several years ago, we decided to make small-business owners a
real focus of our work, as we were acutely aware that the Library
was becoming a go-to destination where entrepreneurs in our
region came to seek out advice, network with other professionals,
and ultimately grow their businesses,” says Siobhan A. Reardon,
president and director. “Today, we are continuing to strengthen
our business collections, programs, and related physical spaces
because we know that this work is crucial in continuing to fuel
Philadelphia’s economic engine.”
Many customers come seeking the top-notch collection of
business and technology books available to borrow from the
Library. Others take advantage of the free access a library card
provides them to valuable—and costly—business databases, like
ReferenceUSA: U.S. Businesses Database and BusinessDecision.
Yet it is the comprehensive business seminars and workshops
that produce the “I can do that at the library?” eureka moments.
With offerings like Small Business Tax Workshop, Affordable
Care Act for Businesses, and Access to Capital, the businessprogram calendar is a veritable menu of options for both budding
businesspersons and experienced entrepreneurs. Recent
programming has targeted technology in business, with new
classes focusing on Wordpress, HTML basics, website building,
and more. One of the most popular programs is the Business
Plans Toolkit, a three-part series offered quarterly at the
Parkway Central Library that covers topics including researching
competition, targeting customers, and studying an industry.
The program is consistently at full capacity, because “creating a
{8}
business plan and conducting the necessary research can be an
intimidating prospect for someone who is just starting out,” says
BRIC Department Head Allen Merry. The program will soon be
offered on the Library’s spacious fourth floor, where it will be able
to accommodate more customers. Charles Smith, recently retired
Assistant Chief of Central Public Services and past head of the
Business, Science, and Industry Department, explains that “for
each part of the business plan, the Library has a resource that can
help you find the answers.”
Often, that resource is a devoted librarian. Patent Librarian
Sharyl Overhiser, who frequently assists customers with their
business research, enthuses, “I love learning about patrons’
ideas for businesses or patents or trademarks. From toasters
to medical equipment to food trucks, it’s all fascinating.” The
Free Library is one of three Patent and Trademark Resource
Centers in Pennsylvania. In addition to Overhiser’s services, the
Library offers quarterly “Patent One-on-Ones” with attorney
John Child. Like so much of its business-related offerings, these
appointments fill up almost instantly.
CUSTOMERS COME HERE TEEMING WITH
BUSINESS IDEAS. GILLIAN ROBBINS, A BRIC
LIBRARIAN AT PARKWAY CENTRAL, WORKED
WITH A BUDDING ENTREPRENEUR LOOKING
TO OPEN A MOBILE SALON WITH HIS WIFE. “WE
WORKED TOGETHER—THE INDUSTRY EXPERT
AND THE RESEARCH EXPERT—TO FIND ANSWERS,”
SHE SAYS. “IT IS GREAT TO SEE INNOVATIVE
IDEAS IN THE WORKS. WHAT’S MORE IS THAT
INNOVATORS ARE COMING TO THE FREE LIBRARY
WITH THEIR DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.”
Parkway Central Library is also home to the Regional Foundation
Center (RFC), Philadelphia’s largest publicly accessible
collection of print and electronic resources on fundraising,
nonprofit management, general philanthropy, and institutional
advancement.
Drawing customers from across the Delaware Valley, the RFC
promotes responsible nonprofit management and successful
fundraising by nonprofit groups at all levels—from grassroots
startups to established institutions. Users come seeking
guidance on how to turn their passion for addressing key needs
in our city—promoting children’s literacy, bolstering senior
programs, increasing services for veterans and the homeless,
reducing recidivism—into actionable nonprofit organizations.
The RFC—opened 41 years ago as part of the New York-based
Foundation Center—offers individuals and groups scores of
programs each year, including workshops on writing grant
THE FREE LIBRARY OFFERS BUSINESS
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS ON WIDE-RANGING
TOPICS AT NO COST TO PARTICIPANTS.
SUCCESS STORIES
MELISSA
D’AGOSTINO
MARIAN M.
DOSSOU
UMAR
MYCKA
D’AGOSTINO FASHION
TEXTILE DESIGN
KAKEMI
(90-SECOND CAKE KITS)
THE POISON IVY
HORTICULTURALIST
TOP FREE LIBRARY
BUSINESS RESOURCE
TOP FREE LIBRARY
BUSINESS RESOURCE
TOP FREE LIBRARY
BUSINESS RESOURCE
BusinesssDecision database,
which allowed her to focus
on fundamental like-market
demographics
A two-week entrepreneurship
boot camp the Library’s
Business Resource and
Innovation Center (BRIC)
sponsored in partnership
with the Corzo Center for the
Creative Economy
HOW THE FREE LIBRARY
HELPED HER
HOW THE FREE LIBRARY
HELPED HER
HOW THE FREE LIBRARY
HELPED HIM
Marian says the Library helped
her feel more confident about
pursuing her business, providing
her “access to information,
people, and resources that would
otherwise cost me a lot of money
and time. ... The Free Library
has also been a great place to
network and talk to like-minded
people who are pursuing
their dreams.”
Umar credits the Library with
“impacting my business by
showing me how to define
the benefits of my business to
clients, my place in the industry,
client demographics, and
the best opportunities to find
partners and workers.”
Melissa says the Library
helped her “take the right
steps early on. ... Research and
planning were key to balancing
challenges during the early
growth of my business.”
{ 10 }
The multitude of workshops and
seminars offered
proposals, starting and sustaining a nonprofit, conducting donor
research, and using the Foundation Directory Online, the most
comprehensive database of U.S. grant makers and their grants.
GRATEFUL FOR THE RFC’S ONE-ON-ONE
COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION, IN ADDITION
TO ITS DATABASE ACCESS AND PROGRAM
OFFERINGS, ONE CUSTOMER OFFERED A
RESOUNDING ENDORSEMENT: “CALL ME IF I
CAN EVER TELL SOMEONE HOW VALUABLE
YOUR SERVICES ARE.”
Part of what makes these business offerings so valuable is the
Library’s relationships with outside organizations. The Free
Library has strong mutual relationships with the Small Business
Administration, SCORE Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Commerce
Department, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce,
and many other prominent business organizations. Staff also
regularly hosts classes from the Women’s Opportunity Resource
Center and the Women’s Business Development Center. Offering
these programs at the Library brings in wide, diverse audiences.
“You can never have too many organizations helping people start
small businesses,” says Charles Smith.
Knowing that the employment landscape of the 21st century is
ever more entrepreneurial, the Library has begun to expand the
reach of its programs. In October the Raven Society, the Free
Library’s young professionals group, hosted the technology panel
Technically Speaking: Learn How Technology Can Advance Your
Business or Career. This night of networking was led by experts
who created some of Philadelphia’s hottest technology start-up
companies. Last summer, the Friends of Lovett Memorial Library
sponsored a six-week Entrepreneurship for Teens course that
included sessions in social networking and cooking as a business.
“Many of these teens’ futures will depend on having the skill set
to operate a budget, create a product, improve a service, market
a creation, and work effectively in a group environment,” says
librarian Veronica Britto, who created the program and is now
the Cluster Leader for the Central Philadelphia Neighborhood
Libraries. “A few of these skills are taught in school as Math,
Science, English, and Art, but we want to show how they can be
applied to the ‘real world.’”
The opening of the Business Resource and Innovation Center
(BRIC) in February was the beginning of an overhaul to bring
all of these programs, services, and resources under one
commanding umbrella. Located at the Parkway Central Library,
this new entrepreneurial hub offers a unique environment in
which to incubate new business ideas and bring them to fruition.
In addition to continuing to offer the Library’s standard business
seminars and services, the BRIC will pair established business
leaders in the community with novice entrepreneurs and
business owners, offering them one-on-one counseling to help
spin creative business concepts into achievable business plans,
assist with budget planning and revenue projections, and more.
The Free Library of Opportunity has more
excitement on the way: Currently located
in the Business, Science, and Industry
Department of Parkway Central Library, soon—
as part of the Library’s Building Inspiration:
21st Century Libraries Initiative—BRIC will
move to a brand-new space on Parkway
Central’s ground floor.
READ ON FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS
GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVE!
AT THE GIFT OF GAB: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
101, A RECENT WORKSHOP AT THE FREE LIBRARY,
ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS LEARNED ABOUT
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY FROM A LOCAL
BRAND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT.
• • • BY INGRID HEIM
BUILDING
INSPIRATION
D E S I G N I N G T H E F U T U R E O F PA R K WAY C E N T R A L L I B R A RY
For nearly 100 years, the Parkway
Central Library has provided a
wondrous place for ambitious minds
to explore and engage with their world.
While the Library has always kept pace with evolving customer
interests, new technologies and added materials have placed
demand for enhanced and expanded infrastructure front and
center among the Library’s priorities.
“Parkway Central has not experienced substantial renovation
since its opening in 1927, and it can no longer adequately support
the rich and complex needs of today’s users,” says Siobhan A.
Reardon, president and director. “Modernization and expansion
have become imperative.”
In facing this challenge, the Library saw an opportunity to build
a facility that not only keeps pace, but that defines the future
and serves as a model for all public libraries. Now, as part of our
ambitious Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative,
work is underway to renovate, reimagine, and reshape Parkway
Central for today’s—and tomorrow’s—library users.
This historic, multiphase renovation began with the addition
of a new green roof and went on to include restoration of the
Music Department, Philbrick Hall, the Rare Book Department,
the Skyline Room and fourth floor—including the Culinary
Literacy Center—and more.
Currently, the Library is in the process of overhauling its
antiquated stacks system, which will open up tens of thousands
of square feet for public use. Among the most highly anticipated
spaces this renovation will reveal are The Common, the
Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC), the Marie and
Joseph Field Teen Center, and a transformed Grand Staircase.
{ 12 }
THE COMMON
Defining the model of 21st-century
libraries as active, civic spaces, The
Common will be a dynamic, flexible
community space where visitors can
define their own experiences, based
on their interests and needs.
They can draw content from library resources and collections,
independently or collaboratively test new ideas, utilize library
personnel and services to learn new technologies or seek
practical advice—or some combination of all of these.
Reinforcing and extending the Free Library’s commitment
to humanities programming, THE COMMON also will provide
a unique public forum for artists, historians, and others to
share their work.
Parkway Central Library
also is home to the
Regional Foundation Center,
Philadelphia’s largest publicly accessible collection of print and
electronic resources on fundraising, nonprofit management, and
general philanthropy.
The new BUSINESS RESOURCE AND INNOVATION CENTER
(BRIC) will place all of those assets in one commanding place at
Parkway Central and will create a unique incubator environment,
where full-time and volunteer staff will help spin creative
concepts into achievable business plans, mentor new business
owners, assist with budget planning and revenue projections,
and more.
The 7,500-square-foot BRIC will be prominently located on the
Library’s ground floor.
Envisioned to be the literal and symbolic heart
of the reimagined Parkway Central Library, the
8,000-square-foot Common will be centrally
located on Parkway Central’s first floor, on the
northern side of the historic Grand Staircase.
Nearly 9,000 entrepreneurs
start or improve their
businesses using Library
resources each year, and
thousands more find
direction in the
Library’s business
seminars, training
sessions, and career
collections.
{ 13 }
BUSINESS RESOURCE AND INNOVATION CENTER (BRIC)
THE MARIE AND JOSEPH FIELD TEEN CENTER
Because teens consume
services in different
ways from children,
families, and adult library
customers, providing them
their own space is critically
important to fostering their
creative and academic
ambitions.
THE FIELD TEEN CENTER will provide collections, study areas,
and casual seating designed specifically for our teens, drawing
from the most successful aspects of teen-library models around
the world. Applying the “HOMAGO” concept—“Hanging Out” in
social-media spaces such as Facebook; “Messing Around” or
tinkering with digital media; and “Geeking Out” in online groups
that facilitate personal interests—to physical space as well as
programmed time, the Field Teen Center will operate as an out-ofschool learning environment for young people to meet up, share
ideas, and participate in interactive demonstrations and workshops.
Adjacent to the BRIC, the 4,000-square-foot space will offer
some privacy, giving teens the ability to freely exchange ideas
without disturbing other customers, while still allowing for
staff supervision.
The first—and most striking—thing
most visitors see upon entering the
Parkway Central Library is its stately
Grand Staircase, soaring up from the
lobby and capped by a spectacular
domed skylight.
Designed to create a literal, physical connection between
old and new, a modern parallel stairway will be constructed
behind and seamlessly integrated with the historic staircase.
Visitors to Parkway Central will fluidly pass through open
walkways flanking the historic staircase and opening into
tandem stairways leading to The Common, the BRIC, and
other new spaces.
The Building Inspiration renovation will include a stunning
transformation of this Parkway Central landmark.
THE GRAND STAIRCASE
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DEFINING THE FUTURE
The Free Library of Philadelphia is one
of the most powerful educational and
cultural institutions in the region.
In a one-year span, the Library welcomes more than 6 million
in-person visitors and millions more online. The virtual and
literal hub of that activity is the Parkway Central Library, which
alone accounts for 1 million visitors each year. They come
seeking knowledge, they come seeking inspiration, they come
seeking transformation.
Now is the time to transform the Library. Through Building
Inspiration, Parkway Central Library is moving forward with
incredible momentum, not only reimagining its physical space to
best serve the citizens of our diverse and dynamic 21st-century
world, but also defining the future for public libraries everywhere.
P A R T I C I P A T E I N P A R K W A Y C E N T R A L’ S F U T U R E
The City of Philadelphia provides for the Free Library’s operational infrastructure, but capital projects such as the renovation and
restoration of Parkway Central are funded almost entirely through the Free Library Foundation. As such, nearly 80 percent of the
funding required to complete the Building Inspiration plans must come from organizations and private individuals—like you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO MAKE A GIFT TODAY, VISIT 21STCENTURYLIBRARIES.ORG
OR CONTACT MELISSA GREENBERG, VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT, AT
[email protected] OR 215-567-7710.
from the
NEIGHBORHOODS
THE NEW SOUTH PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY
Have you been waiting and watching
with eager anticipation, as we have?
Do you remember the previous library
that opened in 1965? What about the
original South Philadelphia Library,
located at Broad and Ritner Streets, that
opened its doors in November 1914?
Well, a new South Philadelphia Library
at Broad and Morris Streets is rising—
and with it an awesome, collaborative
promise focused on the well-being of
neighborhood residents.
The Free Library of Philadelphia will soon welcome the brandnew Community Health and Literacy Center, alongside our
partners in the Center: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
the City of Philadelphia’s Health Center 2, and the DiSilvestro
Recreation Center. Yes, this is still a library—and so much more!
What do you think of a “prescription” that includes books?
How about a nutrition program for kids, involving a health
assessment and a fun, physical activity, all under one roof?
Or resources on disease prevention and wellness, staffed by
a Community Health Librarian? And what about a recipe for
culinary literacy that combines food, math, and chemistry?
These are just some of the possibilities the new Community
Health and Literacy Center has in store.
A fabulous new library form follows these incredible new
programmatic functions. There will be welcoming spaces,
including a community living room and a large meeting room
(that can comfortably split in two), featuring state-of-the-art
technology in support of community programming. As well,
for those seeking quieter contemplation or cozy chats with
colleagues, there will be small study rooms available.
Our new computer lab, staffed by a Digital Resource Specialist,
will offer classes in a wide range of subjects, including PC
basics, job searching, social media, and health information, as
well as topics suggested by customers. Similar to classes at
Northeast Regional and other Free Library locations, some of
these classes will be offered in languages other than English.
THE NEW SOUTH PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY (PICTURED HERE
STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION) IS SLATED TO OPEN THIS SPRING
AND WILL OFFER HEALTH SERVICES, LITERACY PROGRAMS, AND
COMMUNITY SPACES.
{ 16 }
STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
ANGELA WILLIE,
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
CLUSTER LEADER
South Philadelphia has become an incredibly diverse area, home
to people with origins throughout the world and speaking scores
of different languages. In service to these neighbors, we will be
piloting a translation application; we hope and anticipate this will
improve communications with our worldly customers and help to
make them feel right at home under an expansive roof.
How did you get started working for the Free Library?
I was called for an interview with the Library before I
graduated from college and had to decline because it was for
a full-time position. I accepted another position, but three
months into it the Library called again! I began my library
career in the Music Department as a Library Assistant 1 in
the summer of 1989 and then put myself through library
school while working full-time here. I have since held many
positions, including children’s librarian, adult/teen librarian,
library supervisor, and business librarian.
We could not provide all these excellent
services and beautiful spaces of the
new South Philadelphia Library without
private support.
We are deeply grateful to the Shellers, whose gift will name the
Stephen and Sandra Sheller Common. The Sheller Common,
the “community living room” of the library, will be a warm
and welcoming space, with comfortable furniture supporting
conversation or study. We are also hugely appreciative
of the gift from the Cannuscio Rader Family Foundation.
This will establish a Community Health Innovation Fund
that will support the Community Health Librarian based at
the library. And we continue to be grateful for the William
Penn Foundation’s historic $25 million grant to the Building
Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative.
What do you enjoy most about your current role as South
Philadelphia Cluster Leader? I most enjoy supporting the
staff I supervise in new ways that give the community the
best service possible. My most gratifying role is assisting
staff with a multitude of concerns, job-related or personal.
I am most humbled by the staff members who look to me
for sage advice.
We hope you will come visit us when we
reopen our doors in the coming months!
How do you anticipate the newly built South
Philadelphia Library will impact customers?
I am in awe of the potential power the new library will
have on visitors. The concept of the facility in and of itself
is dynamic—magnificent even! It will stand as a national
model. This Community Health and Literacy Center will
be a one-stop shop for patrons to have their most vital
needs met, with educational resources, access to adequate
healthcare, and recreational amenities.
• • • BY JENNIFER DONSKY
If you could have lunch with any author, living or dead,
who would it be and why? I would say Napoleon Hill,
whose book has impacted my way of thinking. The Laws
of Success is a 16-lesson course in developing habits that
can make one successful. I have instilled many of his
suggested habits into my life and career. I would love to
have a conversation with him to let him know his lessons
continue to serve me well.
• • • JENN DONSKY
{ 17 }
TO LISTEN TO THE FREE, DOWNLOADABLE
PODCAST FEATURING ADAM GRANT, VISIT
FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS.
Adam Grant’s bestselling Give and Take
has given business organizations a wholly
new approach to success—and it has taken
the top-rated Wharton professor to the
pinnacle of the management and social
science fields. With listings as one of the
world’s 25 most influential management
thinkers and top 40 business professors
under 40, his cover-story profile in the
New York Times Magazine has been a
cherry atop the growing accolades for
this scholar who calls Philadelphia his
home. His new book, Originals: How NonConformists Move the World, examines
trailblazers who have shaped business,
sports, politics, and entertainment.
He has a fan in Star Wars director
J.J. Abrams, who praises, “By debunking
myths of success stories, challenging
long-held beliefs of process, and finding
commonality among those who are agents
of profound change, Adam Grant gives
us a powerful new perspective on not just
our place in the world, but our potential to
shake it up entirely.”
OTS WHAT ROLE HAVE LIBRARIES PLAYED IN YOUR LIFE?
WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THEY PLAY IN OUR 21STCENTURY WORLD?
AG Growing up, my mom took me to the library every week. It was
where I learned to love books, and to use my imagination. Today,
libraries are the best place to discover stories and ideas that you
didn’t even know existed. Malcolm Gladwell spends a few days in
a public library every year, just wandering through the stacks to see
what intrigues him. That can’t happen in a Google search—there
you have to know what you’re looking for to find it.
OTS YOUR NEW BOOK IS ABOUT TRAILBLAZERS. WHICH OF
THESE FIGURES INSPIRES YOU MOST?
AG It’s a toss-up between Elon Musk for pioneering new
approaches to electric cars and space exploration, J.K. Rowling
for rejecting the norm of publishing short children’s books and
inspiring an entire generation to read, and Sheryl Sandberg for
having the wisdom and the courage to campaign for equality.
OTS WHAT ARE SOME WAYS SCHOOLS COULD BETTER
NURTURE ORIGINALITY IN CHILDREN?
AG First, stop rewarding achievements, and start rewarding
creations. George Lucas recently proposed a brilliant way to do this:
Along with grades and standardized tests, universities should ask
students to submit a portfolio of their creative work. Imagine if a
capstone on every student’s high school experience was the option
of making a movie, a novel, a song, a poem, a website, or an
invention? Second, focus less on answers and more on questions.
That way, children will learn to explore problems through multiple
lenses instead of searching for one solution.
OTS GROWING UP, YOU WERE A MAGICIAN AND THEN A
JUNIOR OLYMPIC SPRINGBOARD DIVER. HOW HAVE THESE
PURSUITS IMPACTED THE WORK YOU DO NOW?
AG Magic taught me that the element of surprise makes everything
more entertaining—I’m always looking for the unexpected and
counterintuitive in my research, writing, teaching, and speaking.
When I work with leaders, I often ask them what the opposite of
their vision would look like. Diving taught me that as painful as it
can be to champion new ideas, it rarely hurts as much as hurling
yourself into somersaults and twists, getting completely lost, and
crash-landing in the water at 35 miles per hour.
OTS TO YOU, THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA IS ALSO
THE FREE LIBRARY OF______________. WHY?
AG The world—because it’s open and accessible to everyone.
{ 18 }
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CHAIR
Pamela Dembe
MEMBERS
Donna Allie
Christopher Arlene
Jacqueline Barnett
Darwin Beauvais
Jeffrey Cooper
Brigitte Daniel
Donald Generals
Melissa Grimm
Robert C. Heim
Nancy D. Kolb
Kathryn Ott Lovell
H.W. Jerome Maddox
Sonia Sanchez
Suzanne Simons
John J. Soroko
Sherry A. Swirsky
Nicholas D. Torres
Ignatius C. Wang
EMERITUS
Joseph F. Burke
Gloria Twine Chisum
Armand Della Porta
W. Wilson Goode, Sr.
Herman Mattleman
Teresa Sarmina
EX-OFFICIO
Tobey Gordon Dichter
FOR $25,000
“The supreme question
about a work of art is out of how
deep a life does it spring.”
—JAMES JOYCE, ULYSSES
2016 Bloomsday Festival
JUNE 9–16, 2016
Join us as we celebrate the quintessential modern masterpiece.
Programming includes free public readings, a pub quiz, a
hands-on experience with Joyce’s manuscript, and more.
Visit rosenbach.org for more information.
LEAD SPONSOR
Chair, Free Library of Philadelphia
Foundation Board of Directors
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR
Tobey Gordon Dichter
ROSENBACH.ORG | @ROSENBACHMUSEUM
MEMBERS
Robert Adelson
Cynthia Affleck
James H. Averill
Phyllis W. Beck
Sheldon Bonovitz
Benito Cachinero-Sánchez
George Day
Andrea Ehrlich
Richard A. Greenawalt
Melissa Grimm
Janet Haas
Robert Heim
John Imbesi
Mike Innocenzo
Philip Jaurigue
Geoffrey Kent
Alexander Kerr
Marciene Mattleman
Thomas B. Morris
Stephanie Naidoff
Bernard Newman
Patrick M. Oates
Derek N. Pew
Nick Pournader
Greg Redden
William R. Sasso
Susan G. Smith
Miriam Spector
Stacey Leigh Spector
Lenore Steiner
Barbara Sutherland
Monica Vachher
Jay Weinstein
Larry Weiss
EMERITUS
Peter A. Benoliel
Marie Field
Elizabeth Gemmill
W. Wilson Goode, Sr
Daniel Gordon
Leslie Anne Miller
A. Morris Williams, Jr.
TAKE A FRONT ROW SEAT
The George S. Pepper Society recognizes those who give
$1,000 or more annually to the Free Library Foundation.
In appreciation of their generosity, Peppers receive advance
access to and reserved seating at the Author Events Series,
exclusive invitations to private events, personal access to
world-renowned authors, and much more.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PEPPER SOCIETY,
CONTACT NICK MCALLISTER AT
[email protected] OR 215-814-3542.
EX-OFFICIO
Pamela Dembe
Chair, Free Library of
Philadelphia Board of Trustees
{ 19 }
THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENCY SERIES
Join the Free Library for compelling, provocative programs that examine the untold stories of,
unconventional approaches to, and contemporary concerns about the world’s most difficult job.
SUPPORT
THE
FREE
LIBRARY!
To make a gift to the
Foundation, please visit
freelibrary.org/support
or call 215-567-7710.
Richard Norton Smith
To the Worst of My Ability: Lessons in Presidential Failure
Distinguished presidential historian Richard Norton Smith explores the careers
of presidents who faced the toughest job in the world—and failed.
W E D N E S DAY, A PR I L 2 7 • 7 : 3 0 P. M .
Shenna Bellows and Erin Souza-Rezendes
The Best Man May Be a Woman:
Challenges and Opportunities for Female Candidates
Shenna Bellows, a 2014 Senate candidate, and Erin Souza-Rezendes,
the author of Keys to Elected Office: The Essential Guide for Women,
discuss the political landscape for women.
W E D N E S DAY, M AY 1 8 • 7 : 3 0 P. M .
Matea Gold
Follow the Money: Citizens United and the 2016 Election
Washington Post reporter Matea Gold follows the activities of heavyweight donors,
from George Soros on the left to David Koch on the right.
W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 5 • 7 : 3 0 P. M .
ALL EVENTS HELD IN THE SKYLINE ROOM, PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY, 1901 VINE STREET
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY SERIES IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE
DOLFINGER-MCMAHON FOUNDATION; MEG AND ROGER BERLIN; SALLY AND DAN GORDON; THE PEGGY
AND ELLIS WACHS FAMILY FOUNDATION; AND LAURIE WAGMAN, IN MEMORY OF IRVIN J. BOROWSKY.
ALL GIFTS WERE MADE THROUGH THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION.