On Monday, the Lawncrest Branch in the Northeast had its hours changed from full days to half days, 1 to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. It will have no librarian and no evening hours. A library assistant will be in charge.
Lawncrest will join 19 other library branches slated to become "express libraries," open afternoons six days a week, but without master's-degree librarians trained to use reference materials - all part of a reconfiguration that Shelkrot says was forced upon him by city and state budget cuts. His choices were closing some of the city's 55 branches or shortening hours and reducing services. He chose the latter and restored Saturday afternoon hours.
That explanation has not seemed to satisfy anyone. On Saturday, Flaherty and hundreds of other library advocates, librarians, library users, union leaders and public officials are expected to attend a "Love Your Library" rally at 10 a.m. on the steps of the Central Library, 19th and Vine Streets.
The frustration with what some are calling the 20 "McBranches" is growing.
"Would you do the same thing with the schools - keep them open and have the aides teach?" asked Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library, an advocacy organization. "What were they thinking?"
"This is unheard of," said Cathy Scott, head of Local 2187 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "We're talking about a book depository, not a library. And this is absolutely a slippery slope. We're talking about 20 branches this year, but how many next year?"
Shelkrot said he hoped that the economy improves and that the 20 library branches could again operate full days.
In South Philadelphia, the Charles Santore Branch went afternoons-only Monday.
"It stinks that they didn't get together with the neighbors first," said John Smyth, who is active in the community.
