Libraries are essential to our communities in many ways. In 2016, researchers found that the Philly’s public libraries support nearly 500,000 people every year with programming focused on housing, literacy, and public health.
Philly has 54 neighborhood libraries, but none of them are open on the weekends, and due to staffing shortages, about 1 in 7 libraries can’t fully open each day. Many of them, including Parkway Central, don’t stay open past 6 p.m.
Here’s a few ways you can support our local libraries and keep them thriving:
📚 Donate to the Free Library Fund, which supports the Free Library’s mission to advance literacy, inspire curiosity, and provide critical programs for residents of all ages.
📚 Join a membership to help preserve and grow vital resources such as the Learning Enrichment Afterschool Program, and the Culinary Literacy Center.
📚 Sign up as a volunteer. There are plenty of opportunities to serve the library like shelving books and DVDs, assisting senior citizens with technology, and assisting with landscaping and beautification projects.
Parkway Central Library is truly a community oasis. (Brittany Valentine/City Cast Philly)
