by Stan Cutler

Senior civil servants typically expend as much time and resources securing favorable line items in budgets as they do on the operation of their departments. That’s the challenge faced by volunteer advocacy groups like the Friends of the Library. We are part-time, unpaid amateurs in competition with highly-motivated, politically influential professionals who employ consultants to craft their arguments.

We, the Friends of the Library, are conducting an Advocacy Café on March 4 at 8711 Germantown Ave. at 6 p.m. We’d like you to attend. You will learn how to use your talents to overcome the competition and increase funding for the citywide system. For 10 years, since the 2008 financial crisis, the library has lost so much funding that curtailed hours and short-staffing are now normal throughout the system, negatively impacting the Central Library and all 54 branches. The buildings are aging, with maintenance costs also rising. Most critically, there is insufficient money to invest in the media technologies and associated programs necessary to keep pace with the cyber revolution. We will have an opportunity to plead our case to City Council in the coming months. Will we be effective?

The library system does much more than lend books, providing other invaluable community services as well. Most branches offer after-school homework help, resume workshops for job seekers, digital literacy support and English language classes. Our architectural gem at the top of the Hill is heavily used every precious hour the doors are open, providing quality programs for all age groups. Our overworked librarians do a great job.

Last June, City Council awarded less than one percent of the General Fund Operating Budget to the Free Library System. If you want to make a difference and if you support the library’s mission, please come to this singular event, a chance to learn how you can make a difference.

As I so often do in these columns, I feel compelled to remind you that, “The mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia is to advance literacy, guide learning and inspire curiosity. Its vision is to build an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning.” Join the fight. (Learn about the many ways you can help at chlibraryfriends.org)