A Chance to Shape Libraries

[Commentary] It's clear that Philadelphians love their libraries. Now they have a historic opportunity to shape their future.

The timing is good. As the city struggles with the economic downturn, low high school graduation rates, and high levels of illiteracy and poverty, the Free Library of Philadelphia is embarking on a strategic planning process, and Mayor Nutter is looking to rebuild the system in the not-too-distant future. That's why the mayor and the library system have joined forces with the Friends of the Free Library to host a series of "Libraries of the Future" public forums. The Free Library, Nutter, and the Friends want citizens to imagine a properly funded, vibrant library system in which libraries are regarded as a necessity for all kinds of people: preschoolers, students, teens, parents, seniors, scholars, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and especially the city's disadvantaged - the 25 percent of us who live in poverty, and the 50 percent who lack computer access at home.