SPR ING 2019
VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 2
OFF the SHELF A MAGAZINE FROM THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
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FROM THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
Siobhan A. Reardon DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Joe Benford SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
Shara Pollie VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
Alix Gerz DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Christine Miller SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR
Clare Fentress MANAGER OF DONOR ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS
Alexa Linton COMMUNICATIONS AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Labonno Islam CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jeffrey Totaro (cover, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15) Ryan Brandenberg (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, back cover) Kelly & Massa (4, 5, 6, 7, 9) Jim Pecora (5) Jules Vuotto (5) Colette Fu (16) Laurence Kesterson (17) Michal Ronnen Safdie (18)
This very special issue of Off the Shelf celebrates the grand opening of the Reimagined Parkway Central Library. Journey through these pages to see how this powerful vision has become a beautiful reality. With a ribbon cutting on April 10 and a grand opening on April 12, we returned to the public and staff some 41,000 square feet of space that had been closed off for nearly a century. The new spaces that customers have been pouring into since we opened—and that you will see in the pages ahead—highlight just how far we’ve come since our Beaux-Arts gem opened in 1927. No longer simply a repository for books, the Parkway Central Library is the bustling, vibrant heart of our system that fuels change and transformation throughout the entire city. In The Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement, serendipitous and scheduled gatherings draw us closer together as a community and spur civic dialogue like never before. In the Marie and Joseph Field Teen Center, Philadelphia’s next generation of leaders, makers, and visionaries connect, learn, and laugh together in the first space designed exclusively with their needs and desires in mind—giving us a glimpse at the bright future ahead. In the new space for the Business Resource and Innovation Center, budding entrepreneurs start up the companies that make economic engines hum; job seekers forge a path to a dream career; inventors develop and patent the next big thing; and impassioned nonprofit leaders build organizations that make Philadelphia stronger. Linking these vibrant new spaces to our historic, beloved building is the William B. Dietrich Grand Staircase, honoring our past yet looking ever forward. And, as always, our dedicated librarians and staff bring these spaces to life by guiding, encouraging, and inspiring every single individual who walks through our doors. It is with the most sincere appreciation that I recognize Barbara Sutherland as the new Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and thank her and her husband Fred for their generous support of this campaign. I hope you will come and see us in person soon and return often with your family, friends, and neighbors. This new Parkway Central is a gift to Philadelphia, and I thank you most deeply for being a part of it.
1901 Vine Street, Suite 111 Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-567-7710 freelibrary.org/support
Siobhan A. Reardon
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
OFF THE SHELF
offtheshelf@freelibrary.org freelibrary.org/publications Off the Shelf is published twice annually for supporters of the Free Library of Philadelphia and showcases the Library’s educational, economic, and cultural contributions to the region.
ON THE COVER: IN THE REIMAGINED PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY, NEW PUBLIC SPACES FOR DISCOURSE AND COLLABORATION BRING A HISTORIC BUILDING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. PICTURED HERE ARE THE ROBERT AND EILEEN KENNEDY HEIM CENTER FOR CULTURAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (FIRST FLOOR) AND THE BUSINESS RESOURCE AND INNOVATION CENTER (GROUND FLOOR), HUBS FOR BOTH CIVIC AND INDIVIDUAL GROWTH AND DIALOGUE.
WHAT’S INSIDE 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 17 18 18 19
The Reimagined Parkway Central Library: A Transformation a Decade in the Making Celebrating the Reimagined Parkway Central Library The Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement Marie and Joseph Field Teen Center Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) William B. Dietrich Grand Staircase Focus On: 21st-Century Books for a 21st-Century Library Building Inspiration Donors The Final Word: Moshe Safdie, Architect Design Team and Project Management Acknowledgments Free Library Board and Staff Acknowledgments
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Warmly,
PHOTO BY JO
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION
GRAND STAIRCASE
GREEN ROOF
The Reimagined Parkway Central Library: A TRANSFORMATION A DECADE IN THE MAKING The striking new spaces revealed this April are the culmination of over a decade of renovation work to restore and revitalize the historic Parkway Central Library for the 21st century. Opened in 1927, Parkway Central sees more than 1 million visits each year from people in Philadelphia and around the world. By maximizing the available public space and expanding infrastructure to meet modern demands, the multiphase Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative has reimagined Parkway Central for today’s—and tomorrow’s— library users.
2006
2009–10
Main lobby restoration
Restoration of the Music Department’s original, ornate plaster ceiling and marble flooring, plus the addition of new technology
New stacks concept development begins
Exterior door restoration
2007 Roof replacement Terrace structural restoration Skylight installation over Grand Staircase Ceiling plaster repairs
2008 5,000-square-foot green roof installation with 100 cubic feet of soil and more than 5,400 plants Main public elevator replacement
2011–12 Building exterior restoration Shakespeare Park renovation with new lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping Grand entry vestibule restoration Philbrick Hall renovation with restored marble floors and new, energy-efficient lighting, inspired by Parkway Central’s original fixtures Replacement of generator and pumping systems New stacks storage facility located, leased, and built
PHILBRICK HALL
CULINARY LITERACY CENTER
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MUSIC DEPARTMENT
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
SHAKESPEARE PARK
2013
2015–16
April 2019
Fire towers installation and renovation
Relocation of approximately 200 staff members in preparation for construction
The Reimagined Parkway Central Library opens with much fanfare, celebration, and thanks to those who have made this milestone accomplishment possible.
Relocation of 850,000 books to new stacks storage facility at the Regional Operations Center
2014 Skyline Room renovation and expansion
Demolition of the original stack shelving
2017–18 Construction of new spaces begins in Parkway Central:
Creation of the Culinary Literacy Center and state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen
The Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement
Rare Book Department renovation, including new museum-quality conservation space
Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC)
Creation of the 1,000-square-foot William B. Dietrich Gallery for special changing exhibitions
STACK SHELVING
Marie and Joseph Field Teen Center William B. Dietrich Grand Staircase
WILLIAM B. DIETRICH GALLERY
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PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY
CELEBRATING THE REIMAGINED PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY 1 3
1 Chandeliers illuminate the newly created atrium. 2 The Pitch Corner in the new BRIC helps entrepreneurs practice their business proposals. 3 Cutting the ribbon for the Reimagined Parkway Central Library were, from left to right, Mayor Jim Kenney, Board of Directors member Janet Haas, Board of Trustees chair Pamela Dembe, President and Director Siobhan A. Reardon, Board of Directors chair Barbara Sutherland, Fred Sutherland, Board of Directors and Board of Trustees member Robert C. Heim, Rosenbach Board of Directors member Eileen Kennedy Heim, Board of Trustees vice chair John Soroko, Joseph Field, and Board of Directors emeritus member Marie Field.
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4 Project lead Jim Pecora gave an in-depth tour of the renovation’s highlights. 5 Customers enjoyed video games on the Field Teen Center’s HD television. 6 An enthusiastic crowd filled The Heim Center (First Floor) and the BRIC (Ground Floor).
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In April, the Free Library fêted its new public spaces with a grand opening week. Attendees enjoyed giveaways, special programming, food, live music, and more!
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7 Live music from the Lou Walinsky Trio jazzed up the ribboncutting celebration. 8 The Field Teen Center’s specially curated selection of books and manga proved popular.
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9 Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts presented on the judicial system in The Heim Center.
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10 At Family Fest, Chanel Holland from BalletX led young library visitors in dance.
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11 Artist Caroline Woodard facilitated a workshop on socially engaged art in The Heim Center. 12 Children moved and grooved to live drumming by BalletX’s Joshua Shaffer at Family Fest.
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The Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement THE ROBERT AND EILEEN KENNEDY HEIM CENTER FOR CULTURAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT is an open, expansive atrium that houses lively engagement and interaction, intellectual discourse, and grassroots problem solving. Meant to serve as a space for Philadelphians to gather and collaborate to achieve a shared future of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” The Heim Center is a venue for planning for a better world. Public programs presented by community members and the Library’s Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement offer visitors the opportunity to not only learn more about the society that surrounds them, but to actively engage with it.
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Flexible space presents a unique opportunity for new forms of civic engagement and interaction by allowing visitors to configure spaces to their needs
Designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and dialogue and be an active civic hub with diverse programs curated both by the public and library staff
Showcases four of the eight striking tunnel books by Colette Fu, commissioned in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art Program, which combine storytelling with three-dimensional art
Spans over 7,200 square feet
Includes six new meeting rooms of varying sizes and a soundproof music room
SEE PAGE 16 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE UNIQUE WORKS OF ART.
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Marie and Joseph Field Teen Center Geared to focus specifically on Philadelphia’s young people, the MARIE AND JOSEPH FIELD TEEN CENTER is a unique and comfortable space where teens can thrive. Because teens use services in different ways than other library customers, it is imperative they have their own space that fosters creative and academic ambitions. Located on the Ground Floor, the Field Teen Center allows young adults to hang out, use library resources, share ideas, and participate in workshops in a dynamic, private space that helps their minds continue to flourish and grow.
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Offers access to a collection of popular reading materials including YA literature, manga, graphic novels, test-preparation materials, and topical nonfiction
Integrates original ceiling beams and columns into the design of the new space
The first-ever space designed exclusively for teens at the Parkway Central Library
Provides core services such as homework help, public computers, healthy snacks, and a wide array of programming
Includes a 75-inch HD television with speakers and connections for gaming, as well as meeting rooms with wireless presentation capabilites
Spans over 4,000 square feet { 11 }
Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) The new BUSINESS RESOURCE AND INNOVATION CENTER (BRIC), specifically geared toward professional development, includes the library’s career collection, resources for small businesses, the Regional Foundation Center, and a designated Patent and Trademark Resource Center of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Designed to cultivate new projects and ideas, this commanding new location houses the invaluable and accessible assets needed to turn entrepreneurial visions into modern-day realities. A place to grow professionally or kick off a dream career, the BRIC provides exactly what Philadelphians need to prosper and achieve occupational goals. PECO AND COMCAST-NBCUNIVERSAL ARE LEAD SPONSORS OF INNOVATIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES IN THE NEW BRIC SPACE.
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Provides access to specialized databases and expert guidance in their use, as well as networking events and workshops for entrepreneurs, careers changers, nonprofit leaders, and inventors
New space includes conference r ooms and co-working spaces by request, with wireless presentation
Spans over 8,200 square feet
Includes the Regional Foundation Center, a publicly accessible collection of print and electronic resources and programs on fundraising, nonprofit management, general philanthropy, and institutional advancement
The Pitch Corner, a space to practice and record your personal or business pitch; free headshots; interview preparation and rĂŠsumĂŠ review { 13 }
William B. Dietrich Grand Staircase Prominent and visually remarkable, one of Parkway Central’s key architectural features is the lobby’s WILLIAM B. DIETRICH GRAND STAIRCASE. Its striking steps invite visitors to explore the spectacular building. A marble gateway that guides people toward the knowledge and inspiration that can be found in the library’s collections, the staircase has undergone a remarkable transformation that adds modern twists without compromising its historic grandeur. A parallel stairway has been built behind the landmark staircase, connecting the library’s original spaces with its new additions, physically bridging the beauty of the past with the potential of the future.
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ASCEND
Created with 14,000 square feet of marble salvaged during the renovation
EXAMINE
ASPIRE REACH LEARN DISCOVER Connects the historic lobby with the new, modern spaces
Spans three floors of the Parkway Central Library { 15 }
FOCUS ON
21ST-CENTURY BOOKS FOR A 21ST-CENTURY LIBRARY
It’s safe to say that the Parkway Central Library is not your grandmother’s library. It’s equally safe to say that some special new books gracing the shelves of The Heim Center and the BRIC are not your grandmother’s library books.
Tunnel books are historical, accordion-like book forms consisting of parallel layers of cut paper that when viewed from the front create a multidimensional scene. But the tunnel books Fu created for Parkway Central are as modern as the space in which they reside. Inspired by a series of photographs that Fu took of the historic stacks before their removal from Parkway Central, each of the unique tunnel books consists of laser-cut frosted acrylic layers that create a complex and playful design mimicking the paper of tunnel books of old. On the face of each of the tunnel books is a frame constructed using fragments of the original metal stacks shelving system, which Fu personally salvaged following their dismantling. In creating these works of art, Fu’s purpose was three-fold:
Created by Philadelphia-based artist Colette Fu exclusively for the Free Library—commissioned in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art Program, which sits within Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy—a series of eight striking tunnel books pays homage to the six stories of historic stacks that were dismantled in order to open up Parkway Central’s newest public spaces.
“My hope is to first emphasize that there is a line of continuity in the book form as it moves from more historic book forms, including movable books, to modern-day tablets, cellphones, and e-readers. Second, I want to give visibility to the field of book arts and to show that a book can possess interesting qualities beyond its text, specifically through printing methods, paper choice, and the binding. Lastly, I want to commemorate the book, the library, the artist book, Philadelphia, and most of all the stacks that were permanently removed from the library.”
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The Free Library of Philadelphia thanks the generous donors for their support of the most recent accomplishments of the Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative.
William Penn Foundation City of Philadelphia Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program
COLETTE FU
Marie and Joseph Field Otto Haas Charitable Trust, recommended by Janet and John Haas Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim
Colette Fu is a Philadelphia-based artist. She received her Masters of Fine Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her work is widely exhibited and collected; national collections include the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the West Collection. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Research Fellowship to China, as well as grants from numerous organizations including, among others: the Independence Foundation, the Leeway Foundation, En Foco, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, New York Foundation for the Arts, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Puffin Foundation, and the Society for Photographic Education.
Barbara H. Sutherland and L. Frederick Sutherland Tobey and Mark Dichter William B. Dietrich Foundation Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation The Pew Charitable Trusts Sankey and Constance Williams Marta and Robert Adelson Janet and Jim Averill Connelly Foundation David Haas Ann and Thomas Morris Stephanie and Michael Naidoff Miriam and Arthur Spector Estate of Edward B. Weinstein Cindy and John Affleck Amy Branch and Jeffry Benoliel Sarah Miller Coulson Pamela and David Dembe Kathy and Jack Donnelly Elizabeth H. Gemmill Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Dorrance H. Hamilton Charitable Trust Philip Jaurigue Peggy and Ellis Wachs Family Foundation
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WITH
MOSHE SAFDIE, Architect
The breathtaking architecture of Moshe Safdie and his Boston-based firm, Safdie Architects, can be found across the globe. Widely recognized for his distinct visual language and socially responsible design, Safdie has received a Gold Medal for lifetime achievement from both the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
library to its original glory, complemented by a new structure to the north, separated by a glazed, urban room that creates a transition between the two. As these plans evolved over time, we responded with a design that provides a new wing with an auditorium, a children’s library, and an urban room to the north. This more modest expansion was much in our minds as we redesigned the stack space in the existing library. Whereas the design work of restoring the library is one of “invisible mending” and re-creating the spaces that had been, the six-level stacks offered an opportunity to create a series of spaces within the historic structure. We hoped to design public spaces that would be uplifting and contemporary in feel, but with an unmistakable echo of the syntax and architectural language of the original structure completed in 1927. Our complex ceiling patterns, incorporating structural beams with a lighting grid, evoke the decorative ceilings of the existing building. The terrazzo floor and rod-iron railing similarly tie the new to the old.
OTS WHAT DRAWS YOU TO WORKING WITH LIBRARIES? MS Libraries are my favorite building type; they have historically been the depositories of knowledge and our cultural heritage. I’ve always had fantasies about what the Library of Alexandria might have looked like. I thought of all kinds of libraries as I read Borges’s descriptions of his imagination and fantasies. As I travel, the libraries of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries are always highlights—architectural landmarks—in every city. Few buildings of the 19th century have the magic of Henri Labrouste’s Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and the Bibliothèque de Genève.
OTS COULD YOU SHARE A FEW OF THE RENOVATION’S INNOVATIVE TOUCHES? MS In designing the interiors, we opted for preserving two fullheight walls of the steel stacks, which would frame the entire height of the spaces as screens, in which books and artworks are displayed—a memory to the stacks that had been there. (In reality, it proved to be easier to re-create them than to preserve them.)
OTS HOW DID YOU COMBINE THE HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS OF THE PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY WITH YOUR MODERN AND UNIQUE VISION? MS I put on a very different hat as the architect restoring a historic building compared to one designing new buildings—incorporating current programs, deploying current building methods, and responding to today’s agendas. In our initial design for the Free Library of Philadelphia, submitted as part of the international competition 16 years ago, I proposed the restoration of the
Anticipating a future new wing to the north, we provided breakout windows and doors to connect these spaces to the urban room, which will accommodate future expansion. I look forward to the day we can realize this addition and seamlessly link it and the new spaces created in the stacks into one unified whole.
DESIGN TEAM Safdie Architects LF Driscoll
DESIGN ARCHITECT
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Kelly/Maiello Architects ARCHITECT OF RECORD
Bala Consulting Engineers
Building, Fire & Access, Inc.
MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING ENGINEERS
LIFE SAFETY AND CODE COMPLIANCE
Thornton Tomasetti
Van Deusen & Associates
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Roll Barresi & Associates Lam Partners
SIGNAGE
LIGHTING DESIGN
VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION
Shen Milsom & Wilke
ACOUSTICS
P R OJ EC T M A N AG E M E N T Jim Pecora
OWNER PROJECT LEAD
John Stranix
OWNER REPRESENTATION
Criterion Environmental, Inc. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT
Facility Relocation Consultants
Applied Video Technology
RELOCATION CONSULTANT
A. Pomerantz & Co.
The Sextant Group AUDIOVISUAL AND TECHNOLOGY
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FURNITURE
Spectrum Industries Inc. Nova Sign Group
AUDIOVISUAL
SIGNAGE
FURNITURE
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OUR DEEPEST THANKS TO THE STAFF MEMBERS WHOSE EFFORTS HAVE MADE THE REIMAGINED PARKWAY CENTRAL PROJECT POSSIBLE.
CHAIR
Pamela Dembe
MEMBERS
Donna Allie, Vice Chair Christopher Arlene Douglas Carney Jenée Chizick-Agüero Jeffrey Cooper Michael DiBerardinis Tobey Gordon Dichter Donald Generals, Secretary Melissa Grimm Anuj Gupta Robert C. Heim Nancy D. Kolb Kathryn Ott Lovell H. W. Jerome Maddox Folasade A. Olanipekun-Lewis, Treasurer Sonia Sanchez Suzanne Simons John J. Soroko, Vice Chair Joseph St. Geme, M.D. Barbara Sutherland, Vice Chair, Ex-Officio Elaine Tomlin Nicholas D. Torres
EMERITUS
Gloria Twine Chisum W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Herman Mattleman M. Teresa Sarmina
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR
Barbara Sutherland
MEMBERS
Robert Adelson Cynthia H. Affleck Carol Banford Judge Phyllis W. Beck (ret.) D. Jeffry Benoliel, First Vice Chair James J. Biles Sheldon M. Bonovitz Benito Cachinero-Sánchez Jeffrey Cooper George S. Day Pamela Dembe, Vice Chair, Ex-Officio Tobey Gordon Dichter Andrea Ehrlich Donna Gerson Rich Greenawalt, Secretary Melissa Grimm Janet Haas, M.D. Pekka Hakkarainen Robert C. Heim John Imbesi Michael A. Innocenzo Philip Jaurigue Geoffrey Kent Alexander Kerr Eugene Bourne LeFevre Marciene Mattleman* Stephanie W. Naidoff, Esq. Bernard Newman Patrick M. Oates, Ph.D. Folasade A. Olanipekun-Lewis William R. Sasso, Esq. Susan G. Smith Miriam S. Spector, Ed.D., Second Vice Chair Lenore Steiner Shelley Stewart Jay L. Weinstein, Treasurer Larry Weiss
EMERITUS
James Averill Peter A. Benoliel Marie Field Elizabeth H. Gemmill, Esq. W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Daniel Gordon Leslie Anne Miller A. Morris Williams, Jr. * The Free Library of Philadelphia gratefully acknowledges the late Marciene Mattleman’s years of dedication and service as a member of both the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees.
Siobhan A. Reardon President and Director
Joe Benford Deputy Director of Customer Engagement
James Pecora Vice President of Property Management
Jennifer Chang Chief of Central Public Services Division
Jen Maguire-Wright Chief of Materials Management
John Meier Deputy Director for Digital Strategic and Information Technology
Shara Pollie Senior Vice President of Development
Aimee Thrasher-Hanson Special Projects Manager, Materials Management
CENTRAL PUBLIC SERVICES TEAM Stephanie Allen Veronica Britto Elizabeth Fitzgerald Gerald Franklin Yvonne Jones Jason Malcolm Lori Morse Abu Tilghman Kevin Ward
PLANNING COMMITTEE Helen Azar Gloria Brogen-Dahar Darren Cottman Nate Eddy Harry Fishburn Rachel Fryd Renee Garvin Johnson Erin Hoopes Brian Isdell Chris Kottcamp Emily Ann Livingston David Mariscotti Autumn McClintock Titus Moolathara Sara Moran Tiffany Nardella Meg Newburger Joel Nichols Christina Patton Janine Pollock Janet Puchino Donald Roof Dan Ryan Aurora Sanchez Faith Smallwood Charles Smith† Heather Sparks Angela Willie† Jamie Wilson Ed Voves BRIC TEAM
PROJECT MANAGEMENT CORE IMPLEMENTATION TEAM Victoria Cox Evelyn Flint Ezekiel Harrell Tymur Laburets Mahmuwd Muhammad* Paul Pettus Sharifah Stephens* INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TEAM Paul Bolger Jason Carter Roy Daniel Dan Do Susan Gunsenhouser Linda Hogan* Jose Kannampuza Sandy Miller Laura Moore Tara Murphy Chris Oeste Carolyn Polgardy Carlton Sampson Peter Santa Maria Nancy Swider Camille Tomlin* Thep Vongnarath J’Vanne Williams † The Free Library of Philadelphia gratefully acknowledges the late Charles Smith and Angela Willie for their years of dedication and service.
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Rebekah Ray* Administrative Librarian
Jennifer Beggans* Jeff Burger Kate Eckert Allen Merry Sharyl Overhiser Caity Rietzen Gillian Robbins* Caitlin Seifritz* Jaunita Vega-deJoseph* DIVISION OF CULTURAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM FOR THE HEIM CENTER Andrew Nurkin Deputy Director, Enrichment and Civic Engagement
Adam Feldman* Curtis Mitchell FIELD TEEN CENTER TEAM Kris Langlais Library Supervisor
Da’Quan Greene Megan N. Jackson Melissa Jones Joseph Torres Raven Wylde Yona Yurwit * indicates team members who were also on the Planning Committee
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