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VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1
OFF the SHELF A MAGAZINE FROM THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the Mind HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AT THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
SECURE THE FREE LIBRARY’S TOMORROW E S T A B L I S H A C H A R I T A B L E G I F T A N N U I T Y T O D AY 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 September 1, 2015. FOR MORE ABOUT CGAS—AS WELL AS ESTATE GIFTS—PLEASE CONTACT AMANDA GOLDSTEIN, VICE PRESIDENT, CAMPAIGN, AT 215-567-7710 OR GOLDSTEINA@FREELIBRARY.ORG.
SAMPLE RATES FOR A $10,000 SINGLE LIFE ANNUITY ANNUITANT AGE
65
70
75
80
85
90
ANNUITANT RATE
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
$470
Rates current as of September 1, 2015 Not intended as legal, tax, or investment advice
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS FOR MORE INFO: 215-567-4341 • FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS
OCT 21 • 7:30 PM
OCT 22 • 7:30 PM
OCT 28 • 7:30 PM
OCT 29 • 7:30 PM
NOV 5 • 7:30 PM
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
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Garry Kasparov
Carrie Brownstein
Sarah Vowell Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
Orhan Pamuk A Strangeness in My Mind
Winter Is Coming
David Hare
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir
The Blue Touch Paper
Merriam Theater
Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture
NOV 10 • 7:30 PM
NOV 18 • 7:30 PM
NOV 19 • 7:30 PM
DEC 1 • 7:30 PM
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
FREE
FREE
Mary Beard S.P.Q.R.: A History of Ancient Rome
Kamel Daoud The Meursault Investigation
Garth Risk Hallberg City on Fire
WITH
Claire Vaye Watkins Gold Fame Citrus
Leonard Pitts Jr. Grant Park
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
Siobhan A. Reardon DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
Joseph Benford
Welcome to the fall 2015 issue of Off the Shelf ! As we transform our spaces and services for the 21st century, we also hold fast to the core upon which the Library was founded—a love of words and stories.
VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
Melissa B. Greenberg
Our cover story celebrates the unique, thought-provoking
VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
programming taking place throughout our system that is driving
Sandra Horrocks
conversations of literature, art, history, and music. Here at the Free
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Library of Inspiration, the humanities are what keep us connected as
Alix Gerz
a community. “The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the
SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR
Mind” will take you on a tour of the amazing humanities programs
Julie Berger COMMUNICATIONS AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Samantha Maldonado CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jenn Donsky Eileen Owens Michelle Saraceni Sheffer FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION
1901 Vine Street, Suite 111 Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-567-7710 freelibrary.org/support OFF THE SHELF
offtheshelf@freelibrary.org freelibrary.org/publications
BELOW: A YOUNG CHILD ENJOYS A WORLD DRUMMING WORKSHOP AT WHITMAN LIBRARY. PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG
Adventures in Wonderland—as the Library prepares to celebrate the 150th anniversary of this treasured work. In these pages, you’ll also read about the efforts of our new Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative to tackle the “30 million word gap” experienced by many of Philadelphia’s children. Additionally, you’ll find a biblical hidden gem from our Rare Book Department, catch up on the latest news from around the system, and find out what novelist and native Philadelphian Mat Johnson has to say about his hometown. It’s a very exciting fall here at the Free Library. Come visit to write this season’s story with us. Warmly,
Siobhan A. Reardon PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
ER JON ROEM
ON THE COVER: SAXOPHONIST CHRIS HEMINGWAY TAKES A SOLO ON ONE OF WAYNE SMITH JR.’S ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS DURING THE “MYSTERIOUS TRAVELERS” CONCERT WITH SMITH’S BAND ON DECEMBER 8, 2014. PHOTO BY BRITTANY LEE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA JAZZ PROJECT.
a trip down the rabbit hole—to our new exhibition on Alice’s
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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 offer at the Library. Our next chapter at the Library also includes
WHAT’S INSIDE 8
THE PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY: AN AMUSEMENT PARK FOR THE MIND HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AT THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
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NEWS AND NOTES HIDDEN GEMS: THE SPIRITED HISTORY OF THE AITKEN BIBLE FOCUS ON: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS: WORDS AT PLAY THE FINAL WORD: MAT JOHNSON BOARD LISTS
ANNOUNCING THE
FEATURED SELECTION
ADMINISTRATOR KERI WILKINS AND LIBRARY SUPERVISOR PAT SHOTZBARGER ACCEPTING THE DAVIDOW AWARD IN JUNE
The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped won the 2015 Mae Davidow Community Service Award from the Philadelphia Regional Chapter of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the quality of life of blind and visually impaired citizens of the Delaware Valley.
THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TEAM WAS AWARDED TOP HONORS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT BY THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL!
We are excited to announce that the 2016 One Book, One Philadelphia featured selection is Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. National Book Award winner Cold Mountain is the acclaimed American epic of a Civil War soldier journeying through a divided country to return to the woman he loves, while she struggles to maintain her father’s farm and make sense of a new and troubling world. Coinciding with the East Coast premiere of the opera Cold Mountain, composed by Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer, the choice of the novel Cold Mountain gives One Book, One Philadelphia a unique opportunity to tie in with another major cultural event. Additionally, our choice provides the inspiration to focus on the Civil War, with all its complexities and ramifications. To that end, we have chosen two adult companion books, which will offer historical context to our featured book: The Civil War, by Geoffrey Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns, gives breadth of knowledge to events precipitating the war, decisive battles, and emancipation; Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup tells the harrowing narrative of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. One Book, One Philadelphia is honored to bring the city together around these works and featured book Cold Mountain, exploring the intersections of literature and music, history, and current events in an enlightening and extraordinary way.
Join us on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, for a kickoff celebration featuring author Charles Frazier in Parkway Central’s Montgomery Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. And in the meantime, start reading!
PICTURED ARE SUSAN BENTON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL; SARA MORAN, FREE LIBRARY STRATEGIC INITIATIVES VICE PRESIDENT; AND SIOBHAN REARDON, PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF THE FREE LIBRARY.
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AROUND THE SYSTEM (1) Paschalville Library celebrated its 100th anniversary! From left to right are Principal of Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School Alphonso Evans; Head of Paschalville Library Jennifer Beggans; Chief of Staff Indira Scott; Former Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Sr., also a member of the Library’s Board of Trustees and Foundation’s Board of Directors; and Paschalville friend Paulette Backson-Royster. (2) Mayor Michael Nutter reads to children at Wadsworth Library as part of the Summer of Wonder summer reading program. (3) More than 50 new Americans swear in to become United States citizens at Parkway Central Library during a naturalization ceremony.
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(4) Job seekers line up outside Northeast Regional Library to enter the job fair, one in a series of six held at libraries around the system.
CUSTOMER CORNER YVETTE TORRES Yvette Torres peppers her speech with uplifting aphorisms that reveal her cheerful personality: “Life is about building bridges, not burning bridges,” she says. And: “I’m a fan of no excuses.”
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Her wealth of knowledge has been cultivated, in part, by significant time spent at the Free Library, encouraged by her library-loving family. Not only is it important for Yvette to share her optimism with those around her, but she also wants to pass on her appreciation for the Library through generations. “I was raised to be an avid reader,” she says. “And my kids had library cards from the time they were toddlers.” Yvette, who works in broadcast media, now takes her grandchildren to the Library for storytimes and children’s activities. She sings the Library’s praises for its plethora of resources as well as its role as a safe space in the community.
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The Library has been a constant in Yvette’s life, a place to turn to when times were tough. When she was laid off from a previous job, she spent time at the Free Library researching job options, industry trends, and professional paths for herself. The staff in the Business, Science, and Industry Department helped her create a career strategy to move forward. Later, when her daughter wanted to start her own makeup company, Yvette encouraged her to do research at the Library. Yvette sees the Free Library as a foundation for education. “I’m an advocate for learning. It’s a gateway to having a different life for yourself regardless of circumstance,” she says. The resources, information, and guidance from the Free Library, available to everyone, have truly enhanced Yvette’s life—she’s a Free Library evangelist for sure.
• • • BY ALIX GERZ
HIDDEN GEMS
The Spirited History of the Aitken Bible This September, as hundreds of thousands gathered on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for Pope Francis’s historic Philadelphia Mass, the Free Library joined in the festivities and began a sacred show of its own.
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Housed in the Rare Book Department, Sacred Stories: The World’s Religious Traditions—on view through January 2016—showcases some of the Library’s rarest and most unique Bibles alongside sacred texts from the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim traditions.
entire Bible, which would become the so-called Aitken Bible, or The Bible of the Revolution, the first entire Bible printed in English in what is now the United States. The financial burden of printing a 2,000page document was severe, and Aitken petitioned the Continental Congress for a loan but was denied; the Pennsylvania General Assembly eventually lent him £150, a mere drop in the bucket. Aitken pressed on, eventually providing a copy of his work to the Continental Congress and asking for a postfacto approval so that he could “be commissioned or otherwise appointed & Authorized to print and vend Editions of, the Sacred Scriptures.” The Congress acquiesced, noting that those assembled “highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken.” Aitken took care to print the full text of the endorsement in the final publication of his Bible; today, just 30 copies of this historic work remain, including the one in the Rare Book Department.
Of special interest is one of the Library’s hidden gems with a Philadelphia-based backstory: the Aitken Bible. By 1777, English-language Bibles had become scarce, due to Britain’s wartime decision to cut off the flow of goods to its rebellious colony to the west. Gathered in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress decided to address the shortage by ordering 20,000 English Bibles from “Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere.” (American printers dared not produce the Bibles themselves due to the long-held royal copyright on the text, in addition to the cost of procuring the paper and other materials needed for production.) But before the revolutionaries had time to follow through with their purchasing plans, British forces pressed down upon the City of Brotherly Love, and the Continental Congress fled to York, Pennsylvania.
“The Aitken Bible embodies the spirit of the American Revolution, combining the quest for freedom from colonial rule with the spirit of the American entrepreneur,” says Assistant Chief of Parkway Central Janine Pollock, who oversaw the mounting of the exhibition. “Although the venture was not financially successful, Aitken’s Bible enhanced his reputation as a printer and remains the only Bible ever authorized by the United States Congress.” THE AITKEN BIBLE AND OTHER RARE TEXTS ARE ON VIEW THROUGH JANUARY 30, 2016, IN THE SACRED STORIES EXHIBITION IN THE PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY’S RARE BOOK DEPARTMENT’S WILLIAM B. DIETRICH GALLERY.
In 1781, Robert Aitken, a Philadelphia printer based on Market Street, decided to address the shortage himself and began to print 10,000 copies of the
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FOCUS ON
Celebrating 150 Years of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland “WE’RE ALL MAD HERE” AT THE FREE LIBRARY AND THE ROSENBACH. And why not? Recently, in honor of one of the most beloved—and wackiest—children’s books in the English language, we began a wild ride Down the Rabbit Hole: Celebrating 150 Years of Alice in Wonderland. To commemorate and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—and all the maddening tea parties, disappearing cats, and “off-with-their-head”-ing queens that came with it—the Rosenbach is hosting a landmark exhibition and a bevy of fun and interactive programming for the young and the young at heart, running through May 2016. The celebration kicked off with a homecoming of sorts on October 14, when the original Alice manuscript paid a very special visit to the Rosenbach before returning to the British Library. Dr. Rosenbach once owned the precious piece and was part of a contingent of Philadelphians who gifted the manuscript back to the people of England after World War II. This fall marked the first time in nearly 70 years that the treasure has traveled back to the Rosenbach. In addition, the Rosenbach is leaving no giant mushroom cap unturned in its captivating exhibition covering the beloved classic. The exhibition, running through May 15, features three distinct parts, each delving into a different aspect of the story behind the story. Part One, Wonderland Rules: Alice at 150, explores the creation of the work and its lasting legacy. Part Two, Alice in Philly-land: The True-Life Adventures of A.S.W. Rosenbach, Alice Liddell Hargreaves, and the Manuscript That Made Them Famous, highlights the fascinating story of Dr. Rosenbach’s ownership—and eventual transfer to England—of the original Alice manuscript. And Part Three, Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk? Lewis Carroll’s Riddles, Puzzles, and Games, delves into Charles Dodgson’s—the Oxford mathematics lecturer behind the pen name Lewis Carroll—love of mathematics and games, and offers visitors a chance to play some themselves, including circular billiards! Finally, a special short-run show, Through the Camera Lens: The Photography of Lewis Carroll, will run from March 25 through May 15. When visitors aren’t exploring these varied exhibitions, they can jump into a giant chess match at the Parkway Central Library, pick up a croquet mallet and match skills against their favorite Wonderland characters in Dilworth Park, listen to expert lecturers discuss the many facets of Alice, or join in on any number of unique programs, all of which are listed at rosenbach.org and freelibrary.org. And don’t forget the Free Library’s annual gala: This year we’ll be celebrating with Through the Looking Glass: A Wonderland Ball, a far-out fête worthy of Alice and all her adventures.
Take a hop down the rabbit hole with us, won’t you? • • • BY ALIX GERZ IMAGES COURTESY OF THE ROSENBACH
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• • • BY MICHELLE SARACENI SHEFFER
The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the Mind HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AT THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA In Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling novel, Station Eleven, a troupe of actors traverses a post-apocalyptic landscape, driven by the notion that “survival is insufficient”—that in order to truly live, we must celebrate humanity and civilization through art, music, theater, and more. Mandel herself recently appeared at the Free Library as part of its acclaimed Author Events Series, which, along with One Book, One Philadelphia, stands tall among the Library’s flagship humanities programming. But in addition to these marquee programs, in libraries throughout the city, the Free Library is proud to host hundreds of events each year that examine art, life, and what it means to be human.
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“I enjoy putting together thoughtful programs for curious people,” says Deborah Ahrens, Branch Head at the Oak Lane Library. “I see humanities-based programming as opportunities to bring people together in conversations that cross social, economic, and cultural barriers.”
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Ahrens is one of many librarians who works hard to present interesting programs that will appeal to a wide variety of adults living in the communities their libraries serve. In the northwest Philadelphia neighborhood served by Oak Lane, she has hosted several readings and events celebrating new books published by local authors, including a lively soul food buffet in conjunction with East Oak Lane author H. Victoria Hargro Atkerson’s novel Buttermilk Bottom, during which more than 50 neighbors and friends shared food and memories of growing up in the South. In bringing people together through thoughtful, book-based discussions—as well as through workshops on writing, drawing, sewing, gardening, and more—Ahrens is helping to ensure that the intellectual, creative, and social life of the community remains dynamic and rich, with the Oak Lane Library as a beacon at its center.
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Similarly, across town at Northeast Regional Library, librarian Keith Kessler presents a variety of summer programs designed to carve entry points into potentially intimidating subject matter for people of all education levels, believing “that any program can be done in a user-friendly manner.” He has hosted several mini-courses featuring films, handouts, quizzes, brief lectures, and group discussions on such topics as “Faulkner, An Introduction,” “James Joyce’s Ulysses for Beginners,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Greek Tragedy, but Were Afraid to Ask,” with future plans in the works for a series on Dante’s Divine Comedy. He believes programs like these provide an enjoyable alternative for senior citizens and those who may not have attended a college or university to learn about literary classics—and he’s so grateful to his program attendees that he creates custom t-shirts for them to celebrate their completion of each course. PHOTO BY CURT HUDSON
“Humanities programming at the Free Library really sits at the heart of what a library can and should be doing for its community,” says Siobhan A. Reardon, President and Director.
“Libraries are a source of selfenlightenment and transformation for everyone who walks through our doors, regardless of background or circumstance.”
THE FREE LIBRARY CELEBRATES THE HUMANITIES WITH POP-UP THEATER PERFORMANCES (TOP), HANDS-ON MUSIC ACTIVITIES (MIDDLE), AND RICH LITERARY DISCUSSIONS AND READING GROUPS (BOTTOM). AT LEFT, THE DANCERS OF PENNSYLVANIA BALLET II PERFORM IN PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY’S MONTGOMERY AUDITORIUM.
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PHILADELPHIANS ENJOY LIVELY PERFORMANCES, THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXHIBITIONS, AND HIGH-INTEREST CLASSES WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE FREE LIBRARY. PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG
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exhibitions it presents, and its librarians issue a yearly call for entries for future exhibitions to highlight the impressive and unique work of area artists.
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“Philadelphia is an art-rich city, and we attempt to bring the visual arts to a perhaps slightly different audience—library users—who might be more word-oriented, helping them stretch a bit in their view of the world,” explains Art Department Head Karen Lightner.
“By presenting programs that advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity, the Free Library is ensuring that all Philadelphians have the opportunity and ability to engage with, examine, and celebrate our diverse world.” At the Parkway Central Library, many departmental librarians present programs that allow attendees to delve deep into a particular topic or survey a wide variety of subject matter. Often in collaboration, the Art Department and Print and Picture Collection host exhibitions and programs that celebrate the visual arts and showcase the Library’s inspiring special collections, like Crafty Tuesdays—in which participants can drop in to create an easy art project over their lunch breaks. The Print and Picture Collection regularly hosts artist talks in conjunction with
In many ways, the Free Library is a nationwide leader among libraries in hosting innovative programming that unites the humanities and the arts with a strong sense of community and accessibility. The Library’s Music Department is receiving national accolades for its extensive work bringing live music and engaging programs that encourage creativity and critical analysis to community members for free. Music librarians Perry Genovesi and Adam Feldman were recently recognized as 2015 “Movers and Shakers” by Library Journal for their efforts to not only expand the services libraries provide but to transform libraries themselves in the 21st century. “As a teenager in Philadelphia,” says Genovesi, “even though you might not be in the upper echelon of society, the Yale-educated class or whatever, you can still enter into and enjoy scholarly discourse. And I think music’s a really great vehicle to unpack a lot of societal matters.” To that end, Genovesi and Feldman assembled a popular Teen Music Critics’ Round Table, which welcomed and encouraged Philadelphia’s young adults to listen to music and discuss the various messages and themes within.
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PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG
The Music Department also regularly hosts free pop-up performances at Parkway Central Library, and in partnership with the Philadelphia Jazz Project and the Producers Guild it also presented the acclaimed Mysterious Travelers Concert Series, featuring the estimable skills of acclaimed area jazz musicians like Vince Turnbull, Wayne Smith, Jr., and Anwar Marshall, among many. “The Music Department is a conservatory-quality music library accessible to Philadelphians at every point in their musical education,” says Feldman.
PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG
Thanks to the Free Library’s incredible librarians, who every day find inspiration in the community, materials, and collections they maintain, Philadelphians of all walks of life can enjoy high quality, engaging programs that explore and celebrate our common humanity.
JAZZ PROJECT
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OF THE PHILADELPHIA
“Authentic creation is treasure; propaganda, publicity, advertising, and entertainment are mostly products. One needs to be able to tell the difference between the authentic and the exploitative—or, as the Harry Potter novels would say, the right, hard way and the less good, easy way,” enthuses Wisniewski. “The humanities may not look ‘useful’ to some people, but how else are we to make sense of our world and lives? Poetry, novels, plays, movies, the arts, philosophy, religion—all are about understanding what it means to be human and framing our lives in ways that increase integrity, relationships, and felicity.”
PHOTO BY BRITTANY LEE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTES Y
Additionally, the Free Library hosts the beloved and longrunning Monday Poets series, led by Kay Wisniewski, Head of the Literature Department, during which two local, published poets give readings on the first Monday of every winter month, often with an open mic to follow. Due to the success and reputation of the series, which has been running since the 1990s, the Library has also hosted pop-up performances for Philly Poetry Day in the last two years, as well as in the last three years of the Philadelphia Poetry Festival, where all the different poetry venues and publications meet to read and greet. The Library also regularly hosts engaging talks with area historians, interactive creative writing workshops, family-friendly celebrations of authors and artists, and much more.
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Words are everywhere—the names of the foods on our plate, the colors on a walk down the street, the shapes of items at the grocery store. Naming these things is essential for children, which is why the Free Library is partnering with organizations across the city and local parents on a fun new learning initiative to bring more words to our youngest citizens. This initiative comes in response to one of Philadelphia’s greatest needs. Philadelphia is the poorest big city in the United States, and study after study shows direct links between poverty and low literacy. For these children, knowing too few words plays out as an early hurdle that doesn’t lift over time. Dubbed the “30 million word gap” by researchers, this word deficit puts these children at a distinct disadvantage. They hear fewer words per hour than their more affluent peers. Once this gap develops, it tends to widen, not narrow. Early educational success, graduation, higher learning, and a good job are all imperiled when literacy lags.
The Free Library’s new Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative aims to help close this divide. With support from PNC Grow Up Great, and working with the Franklin Institute, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Philadelphia Zoo, the Free Library has designed this program to give the littlest learners a head start on literacy. Through playing, singing, talking, and reading at “Play Parties,” families will discover new ideas to help strengthen their child’s vocabulary. Once a month, this word-building fun will travel to community organizations for “Pop Up Play.” Also, look for the Words at Play team at assorted community events, distributing information and leading learning activities. Once a year, participating families will receive transportation and tickets to the leading cultural organizations (proud Words at Play partners) mentioned above! Words at Play focuses on families with children under age 5 and will be taking place at two neighborhood libraries, both located in North Philadelphia, west of Broad Street: Cecil B. Moore and Widener. Half of the families in the communities served by these libraries are living below the poverty line, and nearly half of the neighborhoods’ adults have less than a high school education. Launched at a festive block party in the spring, Words at Play will pool the resources of its partner organizations to increase the breadth and depth of seriously playful vocabulary-building offerings.
Check out our Words at Play programming, and keep reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing with your little ones today for a great tomorrow! • • • BY JENN DONSKY CHILDREN AND PARENTS ENJOY WORDS AT PLAY PROGRAMMING AT CECIL B. MOORE LIBRARY AND WIDENER LIBRARY. PHOTOS BY CURT HUDSON
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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS AT HADDINGTON LIBRARY This year marks the centennial of Haddington Library, a keystone of its community since 1915. The neighborhood of Haddington first appeared on an 1816 map of Philadelphia and was named for the country town of Haddingtonshire in England. The village of Haddington, centered around 62nd Street above Arch Street, consisted of a dozen houses and a coach stop inn called The Whitesides.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: SUSAN GUNSENHOUSER, LIBRARY SUPERVISOR AND CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN AT WIDENER LIBRARY
By 1865, Haddington was accessible via the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway. With the opening of the Market Elevated line in 1907, small shopping districts developed along Market Street. The shopping district bounded by Market and Chestnut Streets, and by 60th and 61st Streets, was later designated as the Haddington Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
How did you get started working for the Free Library? I started working for the Free Library back in 2001 as a Teen Leadership Assistant at the Fox Chase Library. I responded to a job ad that my grandmother saw in the local newspaper. It was fate—I’ve been around in some capacity or another ever since!
Haddington Library, located at 446 N. 65th Street, has been part of the Free Library system since December 3, 1915. Albert Kelsey, an architect who chaired the committee to develop the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, designed the building on land donated by Alex Simpson, Jr. Haddington was the 18th Library building erected using funds from Andrew Carnegie.
What do you enjoy most about working in the neighborhood libraries? The best part about working in the neighborhood libraries is the chance to really get to know the people who come in to use the library. I’ve worked as an adult librarian and enjoyed conversations with avid fellow readers, and I’ve worked as a children’s librarian and enjoyed entertaining kids with storytimes. It can be especially rewarding to see children’s faces light up when they see you.
Here’s to many more years of great library service at Haddington Library!
How has the Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative taking place at Widener Library impacted your customers? With Words at Play there was a big push for outreach into the community. As a result of that and because of the quality of the programs, I’ve seen a lot of people come in that I haven’t seen before. I think that’s amazing. If you could have lunch with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why? That’s a really hard question to ask a librarian! I concentrated in 18th- and 19th-century literature when I was in college, so I think I’d eventually have to go with Jane Austen. People read her in so many different ways—as an old-fashioned romance writer or as a subversive social critic. It would be interesting to pick her brain and find out how she saw herself. • • • BY EILEEN OWENS
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TO LISTEN TO THE FREE, DOWNLOADABLE PODCAST FEATURING MAT JOHNSON, VISIT FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS.
Philadelphia native Mat Johnson’s newest novel, Loving Day, landed on the cover of the New York Times Book Review, giving his childhood neighborhood— and the novel’s setting—of Germantown prime attention. His witty, cutting racial satire draws on his own experiences as the son of an Irish father and a black mother. Winner of the Dos Passos Prize for Literature and a professor at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, Johnson is known for using fiction to dig into deep societal truths. The New York Times pegs him as a “satirist, historian, spy, social media trickster, and demon-fingered blues guitarist” on the subject of being “blackish” in America. OTS WHAT ROLE HAVE LIBRARIES PLAYED IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THEY PLAY IN OUR 21ST-CENTURY WORLD? MJ Most of the books I read growing up came from the Free Library of Philadelphia. My local library was Germantown’s Northwest Regional, with its sunken floor and wooden dragon bookshelf. And the quieter Lovett Library in Mt. Airy, with its glass-wall modernism. The special occasions were when my dad took me downtown to the main library. Going to the library was an event, and the opportunity to have all the information and art I wanted, which is something I took for granted as a child, but now I know how much vision and money and effort went into making that possible. What’s fascinated me about the modern library is its evolution in the face of the digital world. What does a library become when books are available in digital format instantly at home? I think it focuses even more on providing people who are cut off from information with an opportunity to connect, and on the
communal aspect of information for people in general. Computer access, public lectures and readings, book clubs. The library is the hub for a community’s thinking people. OTS YOU HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO KURT VONNEGUT, PHILIP ROTH, AND RALPH ELLISON. WHICH AUTHORS HAVE MOST INFLUENCED YOU AS A WRITER? MJ Probably the single biggest influence, in the beginning, was Joseph Heller. I read Catch 22 as a senior at Abington Friends; I recognized the lens of absurdity, I felt like it named the way I was already silently viewing the world. I felt the same way, in college, when I read Ellison’s Invisible Man. Gloria Naylor was a big sign post as well, Mama Day and Bailey’s Cafe, her mix of intelligent storytelling and humor. The great thing about writing is you get to choose your literary ancestry. OTS HAVING GROWN UP IN PHILADELPHIA, IN WHAT WAYS HAVE THE CITY AND YOUR EXPERIENCES FILTERED INTO YOUR WRITING? MJ My writing is filtered out of the city, really. I think, as a kid, my entire physical world was within the metro area. I could barely imagine leaving. I’m my head; no matter how far I get away physically, I still haven’t left, I still filter my understanding of the world through my norm: Philly. So my work comes out of that. When I write about Philly, I feel electrified. I feel like the names and places are talismans on the page for me, forcing me to be more honest and real. OTS MANY OF YOUR NOVELS USE SATIRE. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS TECHNIQUE? MJ I didn’t want to write satirical books, actually. I wanted to write somber, sweeping tomes like Toni Morrison. But that just wasn’t me, as a writer. You only get to be the writer you are, not the writer you want to be. So I had to accept that my strongest voice on the page is a satiric one, because that’s the lens through which I’m already viewing the world. OTS TO YOU, THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA IS ALSO THE FREE LIBRARY OF________________. WHY? MJ The Mind. Libraries used to be private institutions, meant for the wealthy and privileged to exchange comparatively rare and expensive books. At one point, Philadelphia decided to open membership of a great library to the larger, poorer city. And that information freed minds, led to the creativity and accomplishments and everyday improvement of life. The Free Library is one of our city’s greatest accomplishments. I feel fortunate to have had access to it as a child and honored to have my books in its catalog today.
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FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR
Pamela Dembe MEMBERS
Donna Allie Steven M. Altschuler Christopher Arlene Jacqueline Barnett Darwin Beauvais Brigitte Daniel Tobey Gordon Dichter Donald Generals W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Melissa Grimm Robert C. Heim Nancy D. Kolb H.W. Jerome Maddox Sonia Sanchez Suzanne Simons John J. Soroko Sherry Swirsky Nicholas D. Torres Ignatius C. Wang EMERITUS
Joseph F. Burke Gloria Twine Chisum Armand Della Porta Herman Mattleman Teresa Sarmina EX-OFFICIO
Michael DiBerardinis Deputy Mayor for the Environment and Community Resources
Dawn Maglicco Friends of the Free Library
freelibrary.org/ball
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR
Tobey Gordon Dichter MEMBERS
Robert Adelson Cynthia Affleck James H. Averill Phyllis W. Beck Sheldon Bonovitz Benito Cachinero-Sรกnchez George Day Andrea Ehrlich W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Daniel Gordon Richard A. Greenawalt Melissa Grimm Janet Haas Robert C. Heim John Imbesi Michael Innocenzo Philip Jaurigue Geoffrey Kent Alexander Kerr Marcienne Mattleman Thomas B. Morris, Jr. Stephanie W. 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
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
EMERITUS
Peter A. Benoliel Marie Field Elizabeth H. Gemmill Leslie Miller A. Morris Williams, Jr.
MCALLISTERN@FREELIBRARY.ORG OR 215-814-3542.
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The Rosenbach of the Free Library celebrates 150 years of Alice in Wonderland with the exhibition Down the Rabbit Hole, which will immerse visitors in Lewis Carroll’s imaginative world. O N D I S PLAY F RO M W ED N ES DAY, O C TO B E R 14 , 2 015 , T H RO U G H S U N DAY, MAY 1 5 , 2 016 .
SUPPORT THE FREE LIBRARY! To make a gift to the Foundation, please visit freelibrary.org/support or call 215-567-7710.
Literary Costume Party Don your Alice-themed costumes to mark a fanciful Halloween! SAT U RDAY, O C TO BER 3 1 • 6 :0 0 P.M. • D EN WO RT H RO O M, TH E R OS E NB AC H
Chess Through the Looking Glass Participate in a human chess match for a chance to win a prize! T U ES DAY, N OV EMBER 1 7 • 4:0 0 -7:0 0 P.M. • PA RKWAY C EN TRA L L I B RA RY
Eat Me, Drink Me: Tea and Tarts with Alice Bring the Mad Tea Party to life by learning all about tea preparation and appreciation from Alexis Siemons, tea consultant and writer, while enjoying delicious tarts and teas. T H U RS DAY, N OV EMBER 1 9 • 6 :0 0 P.M. • C U LI N A RY LI T ERACY C E NTE R , PA RKWAY C EN T RA L LI BRA RY
Charles Santore Talk and Book Signing Renowned artist Charles Santore will give a visual presentation about the stunning illustrations in his latest publication project, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. T H U RS DAY, D EC EMBER 3 • 6 :0 0 P.M. • D EN WO RT H RO O M, T H E R OSE NB AC H