One Year Later - the difference that media attention has made

It was about this time last year that staff at the McPherson Square Library was dreading the arrival of warm weather and the problems that created over the previous two summers.  Warm weather meant a growing population of drug users coming into the park surrounding the library, setting up camp, and consuming drugs of all kinds, but mostly heroin.  Many of the staff members of North Philadelphia libraries were taking every opportunity to educate themselves on the epidemic and the use of the overdose reversal drug, Narcan.  Overdoses were occurring on the lawn in front of the library.  Several of those overdoses were reversed by our Adult/Teen Librarian, Chera.  Things are very different this year.  I asked Judi Moore, the branch head at McPherson Square to write an update.

One year ago, there was a “heroin village” in McPherson Square Park where drug users from the suburbs and out of state had taken over the park.  They were so entrenched that they even had pets living with them.  There was a tension between the users and the neighborhood.  Rock throwing battles erupted several times.  A library staff member witnessed a mother and her young child being robbed by one of the users. 

Because of strong support from library administration, the drug problem was mostly under control inside the library.  We had extra security guards on board, and the bathroom was closely watched by Project Home bathroom monitors.  We had not had an overdose inside the building in over six months.

Outside was a different story.  Overdoses in the park were daily occurrences.  On one particularly bad day the Recreation Department employee cleaning the park had to call 911 five times.  Our security guard kept watch over the park, and would yell in the door to bring the Narcan when he saw somebody was down. 

But, life went on in the neighborhood and in the library.  We were preparing an outdoor festival to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of McPherson Square Library.  That is when Mike Newall and his Inquirer column came into our lives and changed everything.  We had been writing emails and complaining about the users taking over the park and getting no help, except from Free Library administration.  Mike Newall came out to write a pleasant column about our anniversary, but instead wrote his column about the users on the lawn and the Narcan trained librarian saving lives.  It went viral.  The media descended.  We learned a lot about how the news media works—mostly about how much they copy one another.  We were covered by CNN, NBC, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Library Journal, People, Readers Digest, and so many more.

So, how have things changed post- media invasion?  Once the spotlight was shining, things improved.  The heroin village was cleared out.   Bike police were stationed in the park.  It was decided that McPherson Park would be made into a safe haven for the neighborhood children.  With that in mind, individuals and groups who wanted to offer assistance to the opioid users were encouraged to provide those services someplace other than the park.  The police designated a location outside the park for feeding the users.  The media blitz also attracted help for the children.  A group called CADEKids volunteered to do support programs with the children so they could air their feelings about seeing drug use and overdoses.  Eagles player Torey Smith asked to come for a visit to read to children and give out free books.  Other Eagles players brought gifts at Christmas.

The park is looking much better without the trash and discarded needles from the heroin village residents.   Before the media discovered us our volunteer was picking up over 100 needles per day in the park.  Now it’s around ten.   The police are a presence in the park and in the library.  We have created a coffee station for them, and they use the library for breaks, shelter in bad weather, and as a place to write reports.  We have bike repair equipment that is part of our Maker Jawn program.  We share that equipment with bike officers.

Does this mean the drug problem is gone?  Unfortunately, no.  The neighborhood is still victimized by the opioid epidemic.  The out-of-towners now hang out at the Allegheny el station, riding up and down all day on the elevator.  You cannot walk anywhere in the neighborhood without being solicited to buy “works” and “loosies.”   It’s a rare day when I walk to the el and don’t see an ambulance.  I don’t know what the solution to this crisis is, but at least things are better in the library and in the park.  

A Climbing Wall in a Library?!?!

The Free Library received a grant from the William Penn Foundation and additional funding from the Knight Foundation to create and build play-spaces in several of it's libraries.  One of the libraries chosen was Cecil B. Moore (CBM) in North Philadelphia.  CBM is in the 19121 zip code,  in which statistics show there are many children who have low-literacy skills, live in poverty, and have possibly experienced some type of trauma, whether directly or indirectly.  In other words, these kids deserve something nice.

This project is a collaborative effort by the Free Library of Philadelphia, Digsau Architectural Firm, ErectorSets, Smith Memorial Playground, & Studio Ludo.  

Community engagement sessions were conducted at the library with children and their parents in order to answer the question of what they would really like to see in their library.  The children had many creative ideas, some of which were contradictory.  For each child that said they wanted a quiet space, there was another who wanted a place to really move around.  

With this feedback in mind, we had a design session with representatives from the groups above as well as the library staff.  We considered story times, nooks for hiding in, literacy, space for books, logical problem-solving, and a way for children to get out their wiggles with gross motor movement.  Hence, a climbing wall!

See below for photos of the end product.  Installation is scheduled before the end of this year.  I will follow up with more information on how the children are using the space soon after that.

Thoughts on recent events

Friends,
I started this blog at the end of 2013 because so many people were curious about how we were going about organizing the first cluster for the Free Library of Philadelphia.  Three plus years later, all nine clusters are up and running successfully.  There are some elements of each of the other eight clusters that closely resemble those in North Philadelphia and some elements that are unique to those individual clusters.  That is how it should be.  That is why these smaller service areas were created.

Lately, there has been an incredible amount of curiosity about why and how we came to have librarians and other staff in the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster that are trained in the use of Narcan (the opioid overdose reversal nasal spray).  I am going to try to address many of the questions I've had posed to me by Free Library staff, people from other libraries, the press, friends, and family. I apologize in advance if this gets long.

1. Why did we do it?  The East Kensington part of Philadelphia has been a mecca for drug dealers/users for decades cycling through whichever drug was popular at the time.  Longtime residents recall seeing fancy cars lined up for blocks in order to score cocaine for their next party.

Heroin use in the neighborhood had been growing exponentially over the last several years.  In the spring and summer of 2016, use in and around the library had become epidemic.  Library staff were sending emails to the police, city council, and library administration begging for help with little or no response.  It was becoming unsafe for the children of the neighborhood to walk through the park to get to the library. The Free Library took two very effective actions. They provided the library with a bathroom monitor who was hired and trained by Project Home, and we were allocated an extra part-time security guard who could patrol outside while our regular security kept an eye on the inside of the library.

Judi Moore, the branch head, had already instituted an organized over-dose drill, which they have had to put into use.

We began to educate ourselves with presentations from Prevention Point Philadelphia, and by doing our own research about the scope of the epidemic as well as the use and effects of Narcan. We determined two factors that would, in our minds, make it allowable for staff to be trained.  1. Narcan is available as a nasal spray. 2. You can do no harm with it.  Even if the person is not over-dosing, Narcan will not hurt them.

At the beginning of 2017, with prospect of another season of warm weather, and not much in the way of tangible progress being made by the city, we started looking at what we could do.  The library staff was strongly asking to be allowed to be trained, and to use Narcan.

2.  First steps. I checked with FLP's administration about getting permission.  Everyone agreed it was necessary, but wanted to have it cleared by the city's legal department, and they wanted a formal policy.  I felt we could not wait.  It would be more detrimental to the staff if someone died from an overdose in or near the library while we were waiting for permission to have the training.

At this point, I decided it was necessary to go ahead and take the risk by arranging the Narcan training with Prevention Point.  I announced it verbally at a cluster meeting.  It was completely voluntary.  I placed no requirements or restrictions on attendance.  The training began before the official start time of a work day. Twenty-eight staff members showed up from five different libraries.

3. Then this happened. Almost immediately afterwards, Chera, the Adult/Teen Librarian, at McPherson was called on to administer the Narcan to someone outside.  (We have had no incidents inside the library since the installation of the bathroom monitors.)  Again and again this happened.

Somehow the word got out, and we met Mike Newall from the Philadelphia Inquirer.  We thought he was coming to interview us about the 100th Anniversary celebration of the branch which was occurring the next week. Apparently, we were wrong.  His column appeared on May 21, and things began to happen.

It could be a happy coincidence, or because of the coverage, but the Mayor's Opioid Task Force finally moved from the talking to the action phase.  Police, cleanups, and supports were all put in place.  Mike's continued coverage has helped to shine a very bright light on the situation in Kensington.  Chera is a local hero, and has now been featured in many stories in print, and on TV. The requests for interviews are still coming in.

If you have any other questions, feel free to put them in the comments.

Thank you for reading this far.
Marion

Making a difference in North Philly - one librarian's efforts

A bit of background for those not in Philadelphia.  The library above is McPherson Square Library, which is in East Kensington, which is in the epi-center of the heroin epidemic.  

Every year, I ask each of my library managers to fill out a self-reflection questionnaire in preparation for their annual reviews. Below are excerpts from the reflections of Judi Moore, the manager of McPherson Square. When I initially read Judi's comments, I was reminded why it is we do this work.  It was rejuvenating. I've removed some names and added others.  I also removed comments not related to this particular topic.  Comments in parentheses are mine. I've added links to appropriate articles or information where possible.

Describe any new goals, responsibilities, or added challenges you have taken on in 2016

The opioid crisis added new challenges for all of us, particularly with the users in the bathroom. I had to learn a lot about heroin and the behavior of the users.  I’ve been reading a lot and watching documentaries.  I know more about heroin than I ever expected to know.

I agreed to serve on the SAC committee for Willard Elementary School.  This is a school and community liaison group. 

I agreed to try to help Willard School fill the gap of not having a librarian.  I go over to their library to do story programs for their classes.  They did ask me to come over to the school “two or three days a week to run the library as an auxiliary of your library.”  In other words, they wanted me to be their librarian. Obviously, I can’t spend half my time at their school, but you can’t blame them for trying. (Philadelphia School District has a total of eight librarians in their schools.)

Identify what you like most about your job.

I like working with the people in the community, both children and adults.  Even though this neighborhood has a lot of challenges for the residents, I enjoy working in this sort of community.  There is a sense of a real neighborhood and family as we watch children growing up.  Many who have succeeded and moved on to “better” neighborhoods come back to visit with their children.  I like that I have patrons here whom I have known for many years, and that I know many members of their extended families.  I enjoy working with the staff at Impact Services to help make the park a better place.  And, this year we have developed our relationship with Jose Benitez and Elvis Rosado at Prevention Point.  I love that we do the afterschool lunch program provided by the USDA, and the way that MPS staff and other FLP staff help Maria and her cousin feed the homeless.  I love our children.  They are, in many ways, unspoiled and excited to do almost any kind of craft or other project we suggest.  We have our regulars who come in every day, for their daily dose of attention, so we really get to know them and get attached to them.  It is so sweet to just have the time to talk to little people. (McPherson has a regular crowd of 40 - 55 children to come almost every day after school)

I am still a book person at heart.  I enjoy being around books.  I love that I have three ladies who come sit at my desk to chat about new books, classic books, favorite authors, etc.  I have one woman who is joining me in a challenge to read, or at least try, the books on a list of classics we found.  The FLP’s electronic resources excite me.  I love to tell patrons about Hoopla, Zinio, and Overdrive; and to show them how to access those resources.

Achievements

What are your most significant accomplishments and contributions in 2016.

What accomplishment and achievements are you the proudest of?

I am proud of the way that we have taken on the drug crisis.  (The location talked about in this article is just a few blocks away from the library.  The park surrounding the library is also a very popular spot for drug users.  Over 800 needles were collected in a one month period in late 2016.) With the support of Lynn Williamson, Jose and Elvis, and yourself, we came up with a plan that is working well for the bathroom.  I am proud of the logbook and procedures implemented to help us identify problem patrons.  (There have been numerous overdoses in the public bathroom at the library in the last year.  First they began requiring ID's to use the bathroom.  Then, they added a five minute time limit, which was very hard for the existing staff to monitor.  They now have two part-time bathroom attendants who collect the id, keep the logbook [this has really helped in the case of OD], and set the timer.  The attendants are provided through a partnership with Project Home.)

It took a while and lots of persuasion, but we are now seeing more police in the park and in the library.

What work are you performing that is outside the scope of your current job description?

I am giving out lunches when Maria is absent, and doing the associated weekly paperwork for the lunch program. 

I helped a graduate student from Jefferson hospital find senior citizen contacts in the neighborhood for a project she was doing.  This turned out to be more involved than I anticipated.  However, she rewarded us with medical toys, which the children have adored.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had my ears checked and my blood pressure taken.

I worked with a Cub Scout troop to distribute hats, gloves, and scarves to the neighborhood children.

Goals

What job-related goals would you like to accomplish in 2017?

Help our children and adults bridge the technology gap.  Our patrons are still not as tech savvy as they should be in the 21^st century.  They know how to play games, but they don’t know how to research, use Word to finish school assignments, download ebooks, etc.

What we think of each other's jobs - Part two of Developing Empathy

We did a group activity at the November meeting of the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries. The group was divided  by their job classes.  Municipal Guards. Library Assistant 1's.  Digital Resource Specialists with Library Assistant 2s/3s.  Librarians and Librarian Supervisors were also together.  Each group was charged with developing a list of the five best and worst parts of each of the other groups' jobs based on their own perceptions. Then, each group was tasked with determining the best/worst parts of their own jobs.  Here are the results of that exercise.

Library Assistant 1's

The Municipal Guards thought:

Best /Easiest

1. They get rotating desk shift
2. Shop online
3. A lot of free time
4. First impression patrons get of the library's tone
5. If they like you they "got ya" back

Worse /Hardest

1. If they don't like you, they DON'T have your back
2. Too much idle time
3. They like to be security
4. They want things to go their way all the time
5. They have to listen to two supervisors

The Library Assistant 2's, 3's and Digital Resource Specialists thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Lack of responsibility
2. Repetition of work
3. Advancement Opportunities
4. Processing Materials
5. Overtime available

Worse / Hardest

1. Various interpretations of Rules / Policies
2. Dealing with irate patrons
3. Coworker relationships
4. Poor leadership
5. No proper training - consistency

The Librarians thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Helpful options
2. First face - greeter - get to know names
3. Finger on the pulse (really know what is going on)
4. Shelving - keeping in order - meditative
5. Not in charge - pass them on

Worse / Hardest

1. Saying, "You owe money"
2. First problem receiver
3. REALLY know what's going on
4. Chaos
5. Bathroom Monitor

The real story according to the LA 1's.

Best / Easiest

1. Don't have to order supplies
2. Being on the front line
3. :)

Worse / Hardest

1. Making cards continuously for the same people
2. Being on the front line
3. Can't satisfy everyone
4. Pay

Library Assistant 2's, 3's & Digital Resource Specialists (DRS)

The Library Assistant 1's thought:

Best / Easiest

1. They provide training
2. Resourceful
3. Having a great staff to work with

Worse / Hardest

1. Have to keep track of paperwork
2. Dealing with patrons with no computer experience
3. Ordering Supplies
4. Being innovative when you have nothing to work with

The Municipal Guards thought:

Best / Easiest

1. They really know their job
2. They love their job
3. They really step up when the time comes
4. They get to schedule computer programming & the lab
5. They order our supplies

Worse / Hardest

1. They think they run the library
2. Responsible for the money
3. They can do yearly reviews
4. They try to boss you around
5. They have to do the scheduling for all the LA's

The Librarians thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Team Leader - Learn Leadership Skills
2. Training new staff 
3. Trusted
4. More variety
5. Digital Resource Specialists can really specialize
6. They see results / rewarding

Worse / Hardest

1. Caught in the middle (mediator)
2. Same as LA1
3. Keeping up with changes - AS 45 issues
4. Scheduling when short / Keeping track of fairness
5. DRS - Dealing with frustrated computer users

The real story according to the LA 2's, 3's & DRS.

Best / Easiest

1. Delegating
2. Pay increase
3. More input
4. More responsibilities
5. Creating team environment

Worse / Hardest

1. Delegating
2. Repeating yourself
3. Separating work relationships
4. Staff scheduling
5. Negative attitudes

Municipal Guards

The Library Assistant 2's, 3's & Digital Resource Specialists thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Down time
2. Meet many people / i.e. buildings / contractors
3. Financially rewarding
4. Uniform by employer
5. Work station

Worse / Hardest

1. Grounds Keeping
2. Bathroom cleaning
3. Handling difficult patrons
4. Securing building
5. Essential personnel

The Library Assistant 1's thought:

Best / Easiest

1. No LA duties
2. Get to walk around
3. Get to put people out
4. Offer coworkers a sense of protection & safety
5. Uniforms show patrons exactly who they are

Worse / Hardest

1. Unruly patrons
2. Cleaning public bathrooms
3. Grounds-keeping (grass, snow, etc)
4. Some guards not properly trained
5. Dual job (guard & custodian)

The Librarians thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Seeing immediate results of their work
2. Variety
3. Get to be outside when its nice
4. Relationships (talking time to talk)
5. Creating safety / haven

Worse / Hardest

1. Cleaning bathrooms
2. Emergency cleaning
3. Problem patrons
4. Constant awareness
5. Shoveling snow

What the Municipal Guards had to say:

Best / Easiest

??????? (They ran out of time)

Worse / Hardest

1. Cleaning toilets
2. Grass
3. Babysitter
4. Shovel snow
5. Lack of good equipment
6. Underpaid
7. Clean up behind people
8. Have to deal with problem patrons

Librarians

What the Library Assistant 2's, 3's & Digital Resource Specialists thought:

Best / Easiest

1. Sit down
2. Execute their vision
3. Help patrons
4. Spend Grassroots money
5. Salary

Worse / Hardest

1. Managing staff
2. Writing reports / evaluations
3. Difficult decisions about patrons
4. Communication with staff
5. Dual roles

What the Library Assistant 1's had to say:

Best / Easiest

1. Reference questions
2. Don't work circulation desk
3. Going on outreach
4. They don't have to do library cards
5. Don't have to do money drawer

Worse / Hardest

1. Managing staff
2. Being on floor all day
3. When to enforce policies
4. Dealing with building issues
5. Dealing with disgruntled patrons

What the Municipal Guards thought:

Best / Easiest

1. They get a nice check
2. Responsible for the branch
3. Get to decide how to spend Grassroots
4. They get to do outreach
5. If they like you they have your back

Worse / Hardest

1. Have to deal with everyone
2. Take public's side
3. Disrespectful to guard
4. Listen to LA's
5. They have to make the final decision

And, the Librarians say:

(They actually did two.  One for generic "Librarian" and one for "Library Supervisors/Branch Managers")

Librarian

Best / Easiest

1. Focus on programming
2. Focus on patron service
3. Relationships
4. Buying stuff
5. Reference Questions
6. Not so many staff issues
7. Vocational calling

Worse / Hardest

1. Staff issues (without formal authority)
2. Being Acting LS1
3. LS1 not letting me do what I need to do (micromanages)
4. Job insecurity
5. Lack of respect / understanding of vocation

Library Supervisor (LS1) / Branch Manager

Best / Easiest

1. Authority
2. Learning new things
3. Still a librarian
4. More diversity in job
5. Setting the tone of the library

Worse / Hardest

1. Telling people no
2. Policy interpretation / access to policy
3. Mediating
4. Scheduling fairly
5. Keeping the building open
6. Ninja problem staff

Note:  I did very little editing to these responses.  All have been transcribed to the best of my ability.

                                                    

Developing Empathy for our Patrons - and Each Other

Warning!  This is part one of a two part post.  The second part is: "What We Thing of Each Other's Jobs"

I have found over the last two years that the job of Cluster Leader involves much more than dealing with the logistics of overseeing six individual libraries, their staff and their communities.  It is continuously keeping a finger on the pulse all things North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries. This is partially done by listening carefully to verbal as well as non-verbal communication.  It helps tremendously that there are several staff members from up and down the ladder who will apprise me of the prevailing attitudes of the group.  Several months ago, I detected a significant dip in morale, attitude and customer service levels throughout the cluster libraries.  There seemed to be numerous reasons for this, which need not be addressed here.  It was time for action.

At the September meeting, I introduced an activity which I deliberately kept fairly open ended. Using resources from the Design Thinking for Libraries pre-conference training at the 2015 American Libraries Association conference, I chose the Define a Design Challenge Activity.  The activity has four questions.  Groups of 4 - 5 staff identified a user group and worked on their scenarios.

1. Who is the user group?
2. What are the problems they struggle with that you could solve?
3. Is there the potential to explore multiple solutions?
4. Is it feasible to complete in a 5-6 week timeline?

The scenarios where then passed around to the other groups for a rating process described below.

Rate each design challenge, then add up your score.

Considering the project with the highest score is a dimension that can help you select your project.

Each element is rated from 1 - 5

1. Instinctively, how excited are you about this design challenge?
2. What potential for impact in your community does this design challenge have?
3. How feasible is it to tackle this challenge over the next 5-6 weeks

The groups identified in descending order of their rankings were:

1. Group:  Patrons
   Problem: Lack of Computer Skills
   Score: 47
2. Group: Jobseekers
   Problem: Struggle with online applications
   Score: 44
3. Group: Children (4 - 10)
   Problem: Bored/Unattended
   Score: 38
4. Group: Staff
   Problem: Lack of Communication
   Score 36
5. Group: Students
   Problem: Computer help/Boredom/Programs

A month later, at the October meeting, I took this process one step further.  Using the book, Game Storming : A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown & James Macanufo, I found something called an Empathy Map.  The object is to quickly develop a customer or user profile.  We did a map for each of the groups mentioned above.  My initial intention was to create a simple "Bill of Rights" for each of the user groups as a reminder to staff about why they should be delivering outstanding customer service to everyone. (Photos of the Empathy Maps are at the bottom of this post.)

Close examination of the Empathy Maps indicated some really intuitive insights into all of the user groups, and showed potential paths to take for each.  However, the staff map was screaming for attention.  Clearly, that is where we should be focusing our attention right now.  I spent the next several weeks considering how to address this.

I finally had a plan for the November meeting.  Our activity was very loosely based on exercises I had participated in many years ago at a diversity training.  I divided the group by their job classes. Municipal Guards. Library Assistant 1's.  Digital Resource Specialists with Library Assistant 2s/3s. Librarians and Librarian Supervisors were also together.  Each group was charged with developing a list of the five best and worst parts of each of the other groups' jobs based on their own perceptions. (The results of this is in the post mentioned above - "What We Think of Each Other's Jobs")

We processed this exercise very briefly because of time constraints.  The feedback I received is that there were several "aha" moments for everyone.  There are parts of all of the jobs they had not considered before, and there is a better appreciate for everyone's job.  Next in the plan is to use this insight to build a North Philadelphia Staff Bill of Rights.  What can all staff expect when they come to work every day?  While most of that might seem obvious, my experience is that there are almost always a few surprises when any team comes together to this type of work.

Stay tuned.

The Story of Ferdinand the Pit Bull

The following post was written by Marcela Franco, Manager of Kensington Library about the rescue of a dog from a vacant lot behind the library.  Ann Dougherty, the Children's Librarian at Kensington, had a deep love and respect for all animals. Prior to her sudden death in early March 2015, Ann helped to rescue the dog and was instrumental in finding him a permanent home.  A mural was commissioned and installed using funds donated by Ann's family and friends to commemorate Ann and her dogs.

The mural at the Kensington Library in honor of Ann Dougherty was completed last week! I thought that this would be a good time to post an entry telling the story of the part Ann played in rescuing a dog from a junkyard behind the library.  The dog, Ferdinand, is featured in the new mural. This story conveys the compassion, kindness, and love of animals that were so apparent to all who knew Ann.

I first saw the dog looking sad and alone in a yard behind the library. The lot was full of junk and trash, and had a fence around it. I assumed he was owned by someone in a house located directly in front of the vacant lot. A couple of weeks later, a man came in to tell me that the dog was hungry, itchy, and had cuts all over him. He spoke only Spanish, and asked me to call the ASPCA for him. I made several phone calls and was promised that someone would come out to check on the dog.

The next day, as Ann Dougherty was walking into the library in the morning, she saw the dog with his nose against the fence. He was whimpering. A neighborhood resident told us that the dog’s owner was incarcerated. He said he had been alone in the junkyard for several weeks, and they were feeding him through the fence. Ann came in and reported the information to me, and I made another call to ACCT.

As fate would have it, Gigi Glendinning of 22reasons animal welfare organization was scheduled to meet with us at the library that morning. When she arrived, Ann led her outside to see the dog. He came out from his hiding place and greeted his friends on the street, licking their hands through the fence. Gigi felt it was time we took him to the animal shelter. With that, Operation Rescue Ferdinand began.

Ann and Gigi took their meeting on the road, and drove Ferdinand to PAWS, a no-kill shelter. There they were told that rescued animals were not admitted on site. They would have to go through the Animal Care and Control Team (a kill shelter) on Erie Avenue, and PAWS could “pull” Ferdinand from there in a few days. They proceeded to ACCT, all the while falling in love with this face-licking pit bull who was clearly happy to be rescued!

At this point, the story almost took a tragic turn. If not for follow-up phone calls from Gigi and Ann to check on Ferdinand’s status, he would have been euthanized due to lack of space. PAWS made no effort to pull him as promised.  Fearing for his life, Gigi officially adopted Ferdinand. She took him home to care for him until she could come up with another plan. (She had two cats and a full schedule, and could not adopt Ferdinand herself.)

Though he is a lovable, gentle dog, Miss Gigi had a challenging week or so taking care of Ferdinand and trying to find a home for him. Then something wonderful happened. A friend of a friend came forward to adopt Ferdinand! They took him into their lovely home, and thanks to Ann, Gigi, and the compassion in our Kensington community, this lucky dog went from the filthy junk yard to a warm home with a devoted family! His new name is Franklin Ferdinand.

After Ferdinand’s rescue (which was in September or October of 2014), Ann proudly displayed a large photo of Ferdinand on her desk until the day she passed away. She also shared photos, video and news of him like a doting grandmother.

(The white dog at the top is Ferdinand. The other dog is Ann's family pet.)

Musings from Annual Reports

As much as I am a proponent of open communication, and encourage feedback of all types from everyone on staff at any of the six cluster libraries, I don't always feel like I know the true thoughts about how "things" are going.  In preparing my own Annual Report, I read through each of the library's report multiple times, and in some cases, got an insight into the managers' assessment of this great experiment.

Without identifying the library, or the manager, and without editing the relevant comments, here is what has been reported.

Under "Reports on Goals for FY14"

• The North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster started officially in October 2013.  We have experienced greater collaboration and collegiality as a result of monthly training meetings and regular staff sharing.  The quarterly Community Council meetings with community partners and other nonprofit agencies has been very useful and has led to collaboration and sharing resources including staff, program ideas and outreach and networking opportunities.

• Cluster changes.  Our goal was to be part of a successful implementation of the Free Library's new cluster model.  The cluster is now a year old.  Among the benefits the cluster model has brought us are closer working relationships staff at our sister libraries.  Now when we telephone one of the other cluster libraries the person at the other end is a comrade, not an anonymous voice.  Staff is more willing to help cover staff shortages at other cluster libraries.  They are comfortable because they know the staff, and since they've been to all the cluster libraries for monthly meetings, they know the buildings, and they have their SEPTA route or parking issues worked out.  We have made some useful community contacts at our cluster community meetings.  One of the most helpful to me was meeting a representative from the SEPTA transit police, who has been sending his officers to my library to check on drug activity in the park and to sign our police log book.

Under "Statistical information"

• Registrations increased from 2,556 in FY 2013 to 2,703 in FY 2014.  Branch librarians speculate that the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster policy for requiring a library card to use a PC contributed to this increase.  The new policy, which was put into effect in March of 2014, also allowed for computer use only cards.  The ID requirements for the computer use cards were not as stringent as those for acquiring a regular library card.  These factors likely led to the higher number of library cards issued in FY 2014.

Under "Problems encountered" is further comment on the computer use cards.  (I recognize that the reference to fines being a barrier to receiving a card was not officially true, but it is one that many library staff believe to be true.)

• We used to have a constant stream of the same patrons wanting guest passes to use the computers day after day.  These were mostly people who couldn't get a library card because of accumulated fines and lost item charges.  Others consistently "forgot" to bring their cards every time they came.  Others were using the guest pass system dishonestly to get around the one computer turn per day PCReservation limits.  As a cluster, we decided to issue computer use only cards to people who owe money.  We also decided to strictly limit guest passes to patrons with out of state identification.  This has been a positive change.  We no longer have to deal with the same people day after day.  Patrons have learned to be responsible about bringing their cards.  Patrons who ow fines are glad to be able to use computers without having to plead for a guest pass.

Finally under the "Plans for FY15"

• Research into child development has shown that too much screen time for young children is not productive.  We plan to increase the number of manipulative activities in the children's room to lure children away from screens.  This will include more puzzles, busy boxes, blocks and other quiet toys.  The challenge is to choose toys that are library friendly - not too noisy, not too many pieces to lose, and nothing that will add too much to the cleanup tasks of the guard.  This is a goal of our library, as well as our cluster.

We set out to form a team - and along the way changed some attitudes

Any workshop or class that teaches the writing of goals and objectives should stress the difference between knowledge, skills and attitudinal objectives.  It was taught to me as K|S|A objectives.  To break it down using library speak, (i.e. Dewey Decimal), knowledge is teaching someone WHAT Dewey Decimal is.

 So, a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time lined - or however you define it) knowledge objective could be:

• At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to define the Dewey Decimal System and three benefits achieved by using it.

That's pretty easy to accomplish.  You give a workshop, and spell out the benefits, and hope that everyone catches and retains at least three of them.

A "skills" objective can then be written about the same thing.

• At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to successfully place ten items in their proper Dewey order on the shelves.

Skills objectives are the easiest to measure.  Either the people can achieve them, or they cannot.

Attitudinal objectives are a whole other matter.  You can teach all the knowledge and skills you want, but unless the participant WANTS to use that knowledge, and those skills there is not much you can do about it.

• At the end of this workshop, participants will demonstrate and embrace the value of the Dewey Decimal system by consistently and accurately shelving all items on a daily basis

When people have sufficient knowledge and skills to perform a function, the hope is that a positive attitude will come along with it.  Attitude is also about motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic).

This was the place we found ourselves in a little over a year ago with the beginning of the Cluster model.  I had a number of carefully thought out objectives about working together, sharing skills and creative outreach.  Most important of all was the idea that we would become one team melded from six individual units.  But, unless there was "buy-in", or a change in attitude, we would go nowhere.

Having long ago learned about the pitfalls of "attitudinal" objectives, I did not include any in my initial plans.  Mostly I concentrated on team building, and hoped that everything else would grow from that.  And, it has!  Monthly, all-staff cluster meetings have gone from arms-crossed-suspicion-in-the-eyes quietness to raucous, out-spoken and ideas freely flowing.   Familiarity with other staff and the buildings they work in has created a  more cooperative atmosphere and a we-can attitude much more often than one of we-can't.  It's not 100%.  We are not perfect.  However, there is a noticeable difference.


For more information about K|S|A and Blooms Taxonomy:
http://www.wa.gov/esd/training/toolbox/tg_bloom.htm
http://www.clemson.edu/assessment/assessmentpractices/referencematerials/documents/Blooms%20Taxonomy%20Action%20Verbs.pdf
http://www.clemson.edu/assessment/assessmentpractices/referencematerials/documents/Blooms%20Taxonomy%20Action%20Verbs.pdf

One Year Anniversary and a Social Worker

On Thursday, October 2, 2014, The North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries had their one year anniversary as a cluster meeting.  There were significant differences between this meeting and the one we had one year ago.

Most significant, are the interactions between all of the staff.  It is friendly, loud and full of camaraderie.  A year ago, most of the staff were suspicious of the whole idea of being in a cluster.  Now that they know the reality of it, and have attended a year's worth of meetings, most are unafraid of offering opinions and more importantly, ideas.  We are operating in a try-hard-to-say-yes to every idea that come forward.

Another difference is that now the hosting library plans most of the agenda of each meeting.  I have become an agenda item, rather than the driver of the entire meeting.  At this particular meeting, I handed out a quiz similar to this:  http://www.puzzledepot.com/trivia/trivia01.shtml  First I had everyone work on it alone, then with their friends, then mixed the room so they were working with people they did not know as well.  We discussed how it is sometimes better to go outside of your comfort zone in order to get the answers you need.

The meeting was held at Ramonita deRodriguez Library, and at the librarian's request, Charles Pitts, the Social Worker now stationed at Central Library, came to the meeting.  Charles, and another social worker, Michael Raab, are on loan to the Free Library from Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health.  Charles relayed a little of what it is they are doing at the library, and their plans to propose suggestions for models of cooperation between the two departments in the future.

Charles was then met with a tsunami of worries and concerns about the types of social issues library staff are forced to confront every day.  He listened carefully and empathized.  Occasionally, when it was possible offered advice.  Mostly, people were able to vent some of the pent up frustrations they have been feeling about this aspect of the work day.

Our plan is to try to invite Charles or Michael to our Cluster Meetings every other month, or so, and to have one targeted topic to address at that time.

Social Work in the Libraries

The following was written by Ann Dougherty, Childrens' Librarian, at Kensington Neighborhood Library.

Lauren Carrasquillo, our work/study social work intern, has made a big impact on our library community in the few short weeks she has been working with us at Kensington. Lauren, who is currently studying Social Work at Temple University, has been able to help several of our patrons deal with problems in their lives that threaten to overwhelm them. Her skill sets from Temple University have allowed her to successfully serve those seeking better housing, those who are hunting for jobs, and veterans.   Lauren works at the Kensington branch every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00 PM to 5:45 PM. She holds court in the computer lab, where she meets with patrons in half hour increments. Lauren has only been on the job for two weeks, and in that short time span she has helped a single mother search for housing for herself and her child, helped a grandmother who had custody of her grandson search for a better living arrangement, and helped a veteran with job-hunting strategies. Marcela, the branch manager, and I see Lauren’s role as a logical extension of our mandate to provide timely community information and referral services to our patrons.

Several librarians in our cluster feel it would be helpful to have a social worker or a social work intern rotate among the North Philadelphia cluster libraries to help patrons connect with services in the community, such as SNAP, housing, resume writing, obtaining warm clothing and services for veterans.

“When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you.”—Keith Richards

Planning for the next year

For a variety of reasons, those of us involved in the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster have been continuing on in our work without too much thought to re-examining what it is we are doing.  It feels right to me to do that work now.  We are finishing our first full year of operating in this new way at the end of September.  Should we continue on doing the same?  Should some things be tweaked, changed, added, or thrown out completely?

Two very specific, but unrelated, events happened in the last week that were the catalyst to this.  One, I was given the metric by which the success of the cluster would be measured.  Two, I attended a very helpful Project Planning seminar that provided an excellent tool for future planning.

With this in mind, I created a SurveyMonkey and sent it to all of the cluster staff, with the promise of a drawing for a prize for thoughtful answers.  (I'm a firm believer in incentives.)  I will use the responses from the staff to work with the library managers, and others in the cluster to create a plan of work for the next year.

I then thought it would be interesting to get input from those people who are outside of the cluster, but, apparently, have been following this blog.  The link below will take you to a copy of the same survey the cluster staff are being encouraged to complete.  Some of it may not be relevant to an "outsider." But, I am still interested to see what you have to say.

Thank you for your interest, and your input.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NPNLblog  (Please do not respond to this link if you are a NPNL cluster staff member.  Staff members should use the link in the email I sent.)

Marion and the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster

Sharing Programs

One of our early goals in the cluster branches was to do skill sharing, and have librarians, and other staff take their talents on the road.  The following was written by Marcela Franco, from Kensington Library about her experience of doing program at another library and the unexpected added benefits.


"After Marion asked us to take one of our successful programs to other branches, I volunteered to do a series of three classes in beginner Spanish at another branch. Christina from Widener invited me to do the series at Widener, and offered to do a Career Services Workshops at Kensington in August 2014.

My friend Hilda Bravo and I taught the classes on three Tuesday mornings in July. We had just a few students, but they were motivated and bright! Topics included greetings, numbers, colors and the verbs ser and estar.

The classes were fun, as I expected. We also got the opportunity to use a smart board for the first time, which really enhanced the experience for the teachers as well as the students. Another benefit was that I became more familiar with the Widener Branch and the staff.  In fact, it started to feel like my home away from home. When Prather, the branch manager, asked for staffing help at a branch head meeting, I gladly offered to go. On the day I filled in, I had another good day at Widener. The staff was friendly, the patrons were exceptionally polite, and I got to know Prather much better.


All in all, I enjoyed the experience and got a lot out of it. I look forward to Christina's program at Kensington Library later this month."

The Cluster in the community

This post is written and submitted by Judi Moore, Manager at McPherson Square Library. 

At one of the first cluster library managers meetings we set about to determine what our goals should be for this grand cluster experiment.  We quickly determined that one of the most important things to all of us was community involvement.  With that in mind, we decided to reach out to other community groups by hosting a series of meetings.  They were invited to have lunch with us.  At the first lunch/meeting we filled the meeting room at Cecil B. Moore library.  Our goal had been to learn what the community wanted from us and how the community could support us.  However, it turned out that the impact of the gathering was broader than we’d expected.  Not only did the participants focus on their relationship with the cluster libraries, but they also began brainstorming on what they could do with one another.  After the meeting I saw people talking excitedly.  I overheard, “I didn’t know you did that!” and “I could help you with that.”  There was a real buzz in the room.

 Our second community meeting was at the Rodriguez library.  For this meeting we broke into small groups to brainstorm.  In my group a SEPTA transit police officer was interested in what he could do to help the Kensington and McPherson libraries, since we are along the El corridor.  He has since been in contact with me, and has sent some of his officers in to sign our log book.  I had no idea the transit police would be interested in problems we have here in McPherson Square Park.  Another man in our small group was a community artist.  He was interested in more art programs in libraries.  He was amazed and delighted to learn about the Maker programs going on at McPherson and Kensington libraries.  Marcela told him about the 3D printer project at Kensington, and I talked about the etextiles and our trashbag fashion show.  At the beginning of our meeting he was clearly disgruntled and on a mission to demand more arts programming.  By the end  of our breakout session his negative attitude had thoroughly turned around to great enthusiasm. 

We’re planning another cluster community meeting soon, and I’m looking forward to meeting more people and learning about what they are doing in the community, and how we can work together.

Book It! Fun Run - the First North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Fund Raiser

A few months ago, the idea was presented to me to  have a 5k run to raise grassroots money for the branches of the cluster.  It sounded like a good idea, so I gave the go ahead to start planning.  Permits were obtained, and the way was cleared with all of the appropriate Free Library departments.  The event occurred on June 7, 2014.  It was actually 6k.  We started behind Widener Library at 28th and Lehigh, ran/walked on the sidewalks to 6th and Lehigh.  Then, we crossed over and ran the steps of Lillian Marrero Library Rocky Style and then back up Lehigh Avenue to Widener branch again, where the after-party was taking place.

The weather was perfect for a June day in Philadelphia.  The planners hoped for 50 runners (yes that is small).  Approximately 85 people actually showed up to run.  Preliminary accounting says about $2,000 was raised in registration fees and donations.  The funds will be used for some of the extra supplies that are not covered by city and state funds.  That is a huge benefit for all six of the branches.

Below are some photos from the day.

A description of the neighborhood

It seems to me I have been negligent in my duties as a blogger to have not given a good description of the neighborhood where all of this good work is taking place.

The North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Cluster consists of the six public libraries that are located within the boundaries of the Schuylkill River on the west, Allegheny Avenue to Glenwood Avenue to the north, Frankford Avenue on the east and just south of Girard Avenue to the south.   The zip codes served by these libraries are:  19132, 19133, 19121, 19122, 19134.  In these zip codes, according to Pew's State of the City Report for 2013, 47.96% of the residents live below the federal poverty line.

Unemployment in the zip codes averages 11.49% which is significantly higher than the January 2014 national level of 6.7%.  Home values have depreciated.  Fewer than 70% of the students who enter Kindergarten obtain a high school diploma. Literacy at all ages is low.  The digital divide is wide and deep.

Most of this information used here came from Pew Charitable Trusts: State of the City - Philadelphia 2013.

There are also lots of good works going on in these neighborhoods.  The Honickman Center (Project Home), Congreso, Impact Services, and Philly Rising are just a few of the groups working alongside the libraries to improve the literacy and the lives of the residents of those living there.

Computer access in the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries.

This is another post written by Rebekah Ray from Lillian Marrero Library.  Rebekah worked with a group of LA's and Librarians from the cluster libraries to come up with these guidelines.  The goal is to have consistent standards across all six libraries.  The staff at LMB and KEN labs will set their own less restrictive guidelines for use. Please remember that these guidelines are what we have determined are best for our communities. Your community may have different needs.

The computers at our libraries are heavily used, and recognized as a valuable community asset.  Our staff is sometimes stressed by the need to provide maximum fair access to the computers.  In the interest of offering the best possible customer service to the people who use all of our libraries, the staff of the Free Library/ North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries have come up with the following plan:

“Computer access plan”:

All people desiring use of the Public Access Computers will have either a Free Library Card OR Out of state picture ID.

Clear instructions for using the PC RES station will be posted, and individual instruction also offered by any staff so that customers can access PC RES independently.  It would be useful to have standard instructions for PC RES signup and also for printing.

All Philadelphia/Pennsylvania residents are entitled to a FLP library card.  If a previous lost card has outstanding bills on it, the customer will apply for a new card with ID, and that card will be blocked, so it is for computer use only.  If the customer has ID that is inadequate per AG, including children, a blocked card will be created.   A note indicating the customer has a replacement card, or card created with limited id will be placed in the record.  After one replacement card, a standard replacement fee of $1. will be charged and indicated in the notes.   Children, teens, and some adults will be offered the option of keeping their cards on file at the circulation desk.  We want to encourage all customers to use and value their library cards: “Don’t leave home without it”.

Out of state visitors will present their photo id to any staff with access to PCRES.  The staff member will enter the last name and as much of first name as possible.  

The "Welcome Kit" committee

This blog post was written by Rebekah Ray, Library Manager at Lillian Marrero Library regarding our attempts to make it easier to move between the cluster libraries when necessary.

In early discussions about how the cluster model might enhance our work in North Philadelphia, we talked about the goal of moving between our libraries more effectively, and with more enjoyment.   We already shared staff to keep our libraries open, and we wanted to make this experience less stressful, and even fun.  We also wanted to encourage sharing the talent of our library workers among the neighborhood libraries.  We formed a committee to explore how to better define this goal, and then how to make it happen.

The committee is called “The Welcome Kit” committee.  At our first meeting, and in follow-up discussions, this is what we came up with:

“WELCOME KITS”:

The welcome Kit for each Neighborhood Library will include:

• A floor plan map with location of materials.
• A job description for visiting staff by job category.
• A list of recommended nearby food vendors.
• A supply of coffee/tea/sweetener/milk and canned soup and other long keep snacks maintained by the local staff, with an invitation to use them.

The schedule of activities and plans for the day will be updated and displayed, and part of the orientation.

Visiting staff will be welcomed and oriented by the person who meets them first, or that person will introduce the visiting staff to the person who will orient if they are urgently occupied.  It is the responsibility of all staff to welcome visiting staff.

At the Cluster meeting where this plan was presented, staff commented how important it is to be welcomed and oriented, and know what is expected, and where things are located.  Because staff have gotten better acquainted at our monthly cluster meetings, when we need to go to another cluster library, we are not only seeing familiar people, but we are better able to help our customers because we know where things are.

March 2014 Cluster Meeting - Let's Have Some Fun

Thursday, March 6, 2014, was our sixth all-cluster meeting.  Technically speaking it was the last meeting of the "pilot."  By all indications, the pilot was a success, and we will be moving forward as an official cluster.

We started the meeting, as always, with introductions and other news and items that needed to be shared, including an update on the Mango Languages contest.  We found that several of the staff ran into a snag with the Mango Languages contest.  Mango requires the use of a microphone connected to the PC.  Since none of the library's PC's have them, several people tried to start and could not get past the first lesson.  In order to solve this, we have ordered two headsets with built in microphones for each library.  I have "swag" from Mango Languages that will be used for prizes once people get underway with their language-learning.

This meeting was the first of the six that I "allowed" an "outsider" to come in to present a topic.  I really felt it was important for the staff to become a more cohesive unit before I honored any requests for observation or time on the agenda.  In this case, it was Sarah Levin-Lederer, from TOPSS, who is the Library Project Coordinator facilitating the partnership between FLP and the  Philadelphia Department of Public Health..  This was the first presentation of DPW's Dispense Assist training.  We all learned about how the library might be asked to help in the event of the city's needing to distribute some sort of vaccine and medication to all of it's citizens in a very short period of time.  (Let's hope we never need to use it.)  

The third portion of the agenda was planned by the cluster's "Fun" committee.  At their suggestion, we arranged to have "Trivia with Bob."  The staff from each library played as a team.  We did two rounds of questions with a few shout-out type questions between.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.  Our thanks to Bob Rubenstein for coming out to do this.  

Finally, I decided to get another "barometer" reading by having staff weigh-in using stickers on a target.  It seems we are really hitting the mark with the monthly meetings.

More to come soon.

February 2014 Cluster Meeting

February's meeting was held at the Widener Library.  Most of the staff from all of the North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries were in attendance.  I find that there is very little absenteeism at these meetings.  I'm going to be optimistic and believe that is because everyone sees the value in the meetings.  I actually have a small indicator that this is the case.  I put a "target" and some stickers up at the December meeting and asked about the value of the meetings, as well as the level of the morale of the staff.  There was a small response that indicated some enthusiasm, but nothing dramatic.  In February, I brought the same "target" back to the meeting, with different stickers, so we could differentiate December's feedback from February's.  There was a slight increase in the number of respondents.  And, it warmed my heart to see that the folks responding did feel the meetings are improving the morale in cluster.  There also was general agreement that the monthly meetings are helpful.  Here is a photo of the targets.

We have two committees made up of representatives from each of the six branches.  One is looking to standardize, as much as possible, things like PC use.  It has taken some compromise, but we believe we have a workable solution to the chronic I-would-like-a-guest-pass patron.  In a future post, I will have an image of the sign that is being created to post at each of the six libraries.  This committee is also looking to have a Welcome Kit, of sorts, at each branch.  In this way, visiting staff will have one place to look for information about the layout of the branch, particular issues that may crop up, and where the best places to get lunch may be.

The other committee, is the Fun Committee.  They presented their ideas at the February meeting.  Things like ugly sweater days, and contests were discussed.  At the March meeting we will be having a very short session of "Trivia with Bob." 

At one of our earlier meetings two separate suggestions came up.  One, was a request for another contest similar to the gadget contest that Jamie Wilson ran in the fall.  Another was a suggestion that it would be a good idea if we had more Spanish speaking staff.  I took those two ideas and mashed them together.  

I announced a North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries Mango Languages contest.  More than half of the group indicated interest in this.  I'm anxious to see how many actually are doing it.  In this first month, I've requested that each person participating take a screen shot of the Mango Languages page that shows how many lessons you have completed, and email it to me.  There will be some prizes for lessons completed, etc.

It will be an interesting experiment.