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A MAGAZINE FROM THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA

The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the MindHUMANITIES PROGRAMMING

AT THE FREE LIBRARY

OF PHILADELPHIA

Orhan PamukA Strangeness in My Mind

OCT 22 • 7:30 PM

TICKET REQUIRED

Garry KasparovWinter Is Coming

OCT 28 • 7:30 PM

TICKET REQUIRED

UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS

FOR MORE INFO: 215-567-4341 • FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS

CarrieBrownsteinHunger Makes Me

a Modern Girl: A Memoir

OCT 29 • 7:30 PM

TICKET REQUIRED

David HareThe Blue Touch Paper

NOV 5 • 7:30 PM

TICKET REQUIRED

Sarah VowellLafayette in the

Somewhat United States

OCT 21 • 7:30 PM

FREE

Kamel DaoudThe Meursault Investigation

FREE

NOV 18 • 7:30 PM

Leonard Pitts Jr.Grant Park

FREE

DEC 1 • 7:30 PM

Garth Risk Hallberg

City on Fire

Claire Vaye Watkins

Gold Fame Citrus

FREE

WITH

NOV 19 • 7:30 PM

Mary BeardS.P.Q.R.:

A History of Ancient Rome

TICKET REQUIRED

NOV 10 • 7:30 PM

S E C U R E T H E F R E E L I B R A R Y ’ S T O M O R R O W E S TA B L I S H A C H A R I TA B L E G I F T A N N U I T Y TO D AY

The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation is pleased to offer our supporters a unique way to make a difference to the future of the Library—by establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). A CGA enables you to receive a guaranteed income for life in return for an outright gift today. Rates for CGAs are based on your age, and CGAs can be established for as little as $10,000, using cash or highly appreciated stock. Current rates are below as of September 1, 2015.

FOR MORE ABOUT CGAS—AS WELL AS ESTATE GIFTS—PLEASE CONTACT AMANDA GOLDSTEIN, VICE

PRESIDENT, CAMPAIGN, AT 215-567-7710 OR GOLDSTEINA@FREELIBRARY.ORG.

Not intended as legal, tax, or investment advice

SAMPLE RATES FOR A $10,000 SINGLE LIFE ANNUITY

ANNUITANT AGE 65 70 75 80 85 90

ANNUITANT RATE 4.7% 5.1% 5.8% 6.8% 7.8% 9%

CHARITABLE DEDUCTION $3,363 $4,001 $4,502 $4,965 $5,621 $6,269

ANNUAL PAYMENT $470 $510 $580 $680 $780 $900

Rates current as of September 1, 2015

Merriam Theater Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture

Welcome to the fall 2015 issue of Off the

Shelf ! As we transform our spaces and

services for the 21st century, we also hold

fast to the core upon which the Library was

founded—a love of words and stories.

Our cover story celebrates the unique, thought-provoking

programming taking place throughout our system that is driving

conversations of literature, art, history, and music. Here at the Free

Library of Inspiration, the humanities are what keep us connected as

a community. “The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the

Mind” will take you on a tour of the amazing humanities programs

on offer at the Library. Our next chapter at the Library also includes

a trip down the rabbit hole—to our new exhibition on Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland—as the Library prepares to celebrate the

150th anniversary of this treasured work.

In these pages, you’ll also read about the efforts of our new

Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative to tackle the “30 million word gap”

experienced by many of Philadelphia’s children. Additionally, you’ll

find a biblical hidden gem from our Rare Book Department, catch up

on the latest news from around the system, and find out what novelist

and native Philadelphian Mat Johnson has to say about his hometown.

It’s a very exciting fall here at the Free Library. Come visit to write

this season’s story with us.

Warmly,

Siobhan A. Reardon

PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR

FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR

Siobhan A. Reardon

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

Joseph Benford

VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT

Melissa B. Greenberg

VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Sandra Horrocks

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Alix Gerz

SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR

Julie Berger

COMMUNICATIONS AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Samantha Maldonado

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jenn Donsky Eileen Owens Michelle Saraceni Sheffer FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION

1901 Vine Street, Suite 111 Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-567-7710 freelibrary.org/support OFF THE SHELF

offtheshelf@freelibrary.org freelibrary.org/publications

Off the Shelf is published twice annually for supporters of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation and showcases the Library’s educational, economic, and cultural contributions to the region.

FROM THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR

WHAT’S INSIDE8 THE PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY: AN AMUSEMENT PARK FOR THE MIND HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AT THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA

4 NEWSANDNOTES

6 HIDDENGEMS:THESPIRITEDHISTORYOFTHEAITKENBIBLE

7 FOCUSON:CELEBRATING150YEARSOF

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

12 FROMTHENEIGHBORHOODS:WORDSATPLAY

14 THEFINALWORD:MATJOHNSON

15 BOARDLISTS

ON THE COVER: SAXOPHONIST

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DURINGTHE“MYSTERIOUSTRAVELERS”

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The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped won the 2015 Mae Davidow Community Service Award from the Philadelphia Regional Chapter of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the quality of life of blind and visually impaired citizens of the Delaware Valley.

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THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TEAM WAS AWARDED TOP HONORS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT BY THE URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL!PICTUREDARESUSANBENTON,PRESIDENTANDCEOOFTHEURBAN

LIBRARIESCOUNCIL;SARAMORAN,FREELIBRARYSTRATEGICINITIATIVES

VICEPRESIDENT;ANDSIOBHANREARDON,PRESIDENTANDDIRECTOR

OFTHEFREELIBRARY.

We are excited to announce that the 2016 One Book, One Philadelphia featured selection is Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

National Book Award winner Cold Mountain is the acclaimed

American epic of a Civil War soldier journeying through

a divided country to return to the woman he loves, while

she struggles to maintain her father’s farm and make sense

of a new and troubling world. Coinciding with the East

Coast premiere of the opera Cold Mountain, composed by

Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer, the choice of the novel

Cold Mountain gives One Book, One Philadelphia a unique

opportunity to tie in with another major cultural event.

Additionally, our choice provides the inspiration to focus

on the Civil War, with all its complexities and ramifications.

To that end, we have chosen two adult companion books,

which will offer historical context to our featured book: The

Civil War, by Geoffrey Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns,

gives breadth of knowledge to events precipitating the war,

decisive battles, and emancipation; Twelve Years a Slave

by Solomon Northup tells the harrowing narrative of a free

black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. One

Book, One Philadelphia is honored to bring the city together

around these works and featured book Cold Mountain,

exploring the intersections of literature and music, history,

and current events in an enlightening and extraordinary way.

Join us on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, for a kickoff celebration featuring author Charles Frazier in Parkway Central’s Montgomery Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

And in the meantime, start reading!

ANNOUNCING THE

FEATURED SELECTION

ADMINISTRATORKERIWILKINS

ANDLIBRARYSUPERVISOR

PATSHOTZBARGERACCEPTING

THEDAVIDOWAWARDINJUNE

Yvette Torres peppers her speech with

uplifting aphorisms that reveal her cheerful

personality: “Life is about building bridges,

not burning bridges,” she says. And: “I’m a fan

of no excuses.”

Her wealth of knowledge has been cultivated,

in part, by significant time spent at the Free

Library, encouraged by her library-loving family. Not

only is it important for Yvette to share her optimism

with those around her, but she also wants to pass on her

appreciation for the Library through generations.

“I was raised to be an avid reader,” she says. “And my

kids had library cards from the time they were toddlers.”

Yvette, who works in broadcast media, now takes her

grandchildren to the Library for storytimes and children’s

activities. She sings the Library’s praises for its plethora

of resources as well as its role as a safe space in

the community.

The Library has been a constant in Yvette’s life, a place

to turn to when times were tough. When she was laid off

from a previous job, she spent time at the Free Library

researching job options, industry trends, and professional

paths for herself. The staff in the Business, Science, and

Industry Department helped her create a career strategy

to move forward. Later, when her daughter wanted to

start her own makeup company, Yvette encouraged her to

do research at the Library.

Yvette sees the Free Library as a foundation for education.

“I’m an advocate for learning. It’s a gateway to having a

different life for yourself regardless of circumstance,” she

says. The resources, information, and guidance from the

Free Library, available to everyone, have truly enhanced

Yvette’s life—she’s a Free Library evangelist for sure.

AROUND THE SYSTEM(1) Paschalville Library celebrated its 100th anniversary! From

left to right are Principal of Southwest Leadership Academy

Charter School Alphonso Evans; Head of Paschalville Library

Jennifer Beggans; Chief of Staff Indira Scott; Former Mayor

W. Wilson Goode, Sr., also a member of the Library’s Board of

Trustees and Foundation’s Board of Directors; and Paschalville

friend Paulette Backson-Royster.

(2) Mayor Michael Nutter reads to children at Wadsworth Library

as part of the Summer of Wonder summer reading program.

(3) More than 50 new Americans swear in to become United

States citizens at Parkway Central Library during

a naturalization ceremony.

(4) Job seekers line up outside Northeast Regional Library to

enter the job fair, one in a series of six held at libraries around

the system.

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This September, as hundreds of thousands gathered on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for Pope Francis’s historic Philadelphia Mass, the Free Library joined in the festivities and began a sacred show of its own.

Housed in the Rare Book Department,

Sacred Stories: The World’s Religious

Traditions—on view through January

2016—showcases some of the Library’s

rarest and most unique Bibles alongside

sacred texts from the Buddhist, Hindu,

Jewish, and Muslim traditions.

Of special interest is one of the Library’s

hidden gems with a Philadelphia-based

backstory: the Aitken Bible.

By 1777, English-language Bibles had

become scarce, due to Britain’s wartime

decision to cut off the flow of goods

to its rebellious colony to the west.

Gathered in Philadelphia, the Continental

Congress decided to address the shortage

by ordering 20,000 English Bibles

from “Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere.”

(American printers dared not produce the

Bibles themselves due to the long-held

royal copyright on the text, in addition to

the cost of procuring the paper and other

materials needed for production.) But

before the revolutionaries had time to

follow through with their purchasing

plans, British forces pressed down

upon the City of Brotherly Love, and

the Continental Congress fled to York,

Pennsylvania.

In 1781, Robert Aitken, a Philadelphia

printer based on Market Street, decided

to address the shortage himself and

began to print 10,000 copies of the

The Spirited History of the Aitken Bible

HIDDEN GEMS

entire Bible, which would become the

so-called Aitken Bible, or The Bible of the

Revolution, the first entire Bible printed in

English in what is now the United States.

The financial burden of printing a 2,000-

page document was severe, and Aitken

petitioned the Continental Congress for

a loan but was denied; the Pennsylvania

General Assembly eventually lent him £150,

a mere drop in the bucket.

Aitken pressed on, eventually providing

a copy of his work to the Continental

Congress and asking for a post-

facto approval so that he could “be

commissioned or otherwise appointed

& Authorized to print and vend Editions

of, the Sacred Scriptures.” The Congress

acquiesced, noting that those assembled

“highly approve the pious and laudable

undertaking of Mr. Aitken.” Aitken

took care to print the full text of the

endorsement in the final publication

of his Bible; today, just 30 copies of this

historic work remain, including the one

in the Rare Book Department.

“The Aitken Bible embodies the spirit of the

American Revolution, combining the quest

for freedom from colonial rule with the

spirit of the American entrepreneur,” says

Assistant Chief of Parkway Central Janine

Pollock, who oversaw the mounting of

the exhibition. “Although the venture was

not financially successful, Aitken’s Bible

enhanced his reputation as a printer and

remains the only Bible ever authorized by

the United States Congress.”

THE AITKEN BIBLE AND OTHER RARE TEXTS ARE ON VIEW THROUGH JANUARY 30, 2016, IN THE SACREDSTORIESEXHIBITION IN THE PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY’S RARE BOOK DEPARTMENT’S WILLIAM B. DIETRICH GALLERY.

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• • • BY ALIX GERZ

Celebrating 150 Years of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

“WE’RE ALL MAD HERE” AT THE FREE LIBRARY AND THE ROSENBACH.

And why not? Recently, in honor of one of the most beloved—and

wackiest—children’s books in the English language, we began a wild ride

Down the Rabbit Hole: Celebrating 150 Years of Alice in Wonderland.

To commemorate and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—and all the maddening tea parties, disappearing cats, and

“off-with-their-head”-ing queens that came with it—the Rosenbach is hosting a landmark

exhibition and a bevy of fun and interactive programming for the young and the young at

heart, running through May 2016.

The celebration kicked off with a homecoming of sorts on October 14, when the original Alice

manuscript paid a very special visit to the Rosenbach before returning to the British Library. Dr.

Rosenbach once owned the precious piece and was part of a contingent of Philadelphians who

gifted the manuscript back to the people of England after World War II. This fall marked the first

time in nearly 70 years that the treasure has traveled back to the Rosenbach.

In addition, the Rosenbach is leaving no giant mushroom cap unturned in its captivating

exhibition covering the beloved classic. The exhibition, running through May 15, features

three distinct parts, each delving into a different aspect of the story behind the story. Part One,

Wonderland Rules: Alice at 150, explores the creation of the work and its lasting legacy. Part Two,

Alice in Philly-land: The True-Life Adventures of A.S.W. Rosenbach, Alice Liddell Hargreaves, and

the Manuscript That Made Them Famous, highlights the fascinating story of Dr. Rosenbach’s

ownership—and eventual transfer to England—of the original Alice manuscript. And

Part Three, Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk? Lewis Carroll’s Riddles, Puzzles,

and Games, delves into Charles Dodgson’s—the Oxford mathematics lecturer

behind the pen name Lewis Carroll—love of mathematics and games, and

offers visitors a chance to play some themselves, including circular billiards!

Finally, a special short-run show, Through the Camera Lens: The Photography

of Lewis Carroll, will run from March 25 through May 15.

When visitors aren’t exploring these varied exhibitions, they can jump into a giant

chess match at the Parkway Central Library, pick up a croquet mallet

and match skills against their favorite Wonderland characters in Dilworth

Park, listen to expert lecturers discuss the many facets of Alice, or join in on

any number of unique programs, all of which are listed at rosenbach.org and

freelibrary.org. And don’t forget the Free Library’s annual gala: This year we’ll

be celebrating with Through the Looking Glass: A Wonderland Ball, a far-out

fête worthy of Alice and all her adventures.

Take a hop down the rabbit hole with us, won’t you?

• • • BY ALIX GERZ

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• • • BY MICHELLE SARACENI SHEFFER

The People’s University: An Amusement Park for the MindHUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AT THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA

In Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling

novel, Station Eleven, a troupe of

actors traverses a post-apocalyptic

landscape, driven by the notion that

“survival is insufficient”—that in

order to truly live, we must celebrate

humanity and civilization through

art, music, theater, and more. Mandel

herself recently appeared at the Free

Library as part of its acclaimed Author

Events Series, which, along with

One Book, One Philadelphia, stands

tall among the Library’s flagship

humanities programming. But in

addition to these marquee programs,

in libraries throughout the city, the

Free Library is proud to host hundreds

of events each year that examine art,

life, and what it means to be human.

“I enjoy putting together thoughtful programs for curious people,” says Deborah Ahrens, Branch Head at the Oak Lane Library. “I see humanities-based programming as opportunities to bring people together in conversations that cross social, economic, and cultural barriers.”

Ahrens is one of many librarians who works hard to present

interesting programs that will appeal to a wide variety of

adults living in the communities their libraries serve. In the

northwest Philadelphia neighborhood served by Oak Lane,

she has hosted several readings and events celebrating new

books published by local authors, including a lively soul

food buffet in conjunction with East Oak Lane author H.

Victoria Hargro Atkerson’s novel Buttermilk Bottom, during

which more than 50 neighbors and friends shared food and

memories of growing up in the South. In bringing people

together through thoughtful, book-based discussions—as well

as through workshops on writing, drawing, sewing, gardening,

and more—Ahrens is helping to ensure that the intellectual,

creative, and social life of the community remains dynamic

and rich, with the Oak Lane Library as a beacon at its center.

Similarly, across town at Northeast Regional Library, librarian

Keith Kessler presents a variety of summer programs designed

to carve entry points into potentially intimidating subject

matter for people of all education levels, believing “that any

program can be done in a user-friendly manner.” He has hosted

several mini-courses featuring films, handouts, quizzes, brief

lectures, and group discussions on such topics as “Faulkner,

An Introduction,” “James Joyce’s Ulysses for Beginners,” and

“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Greek Tragedy,

but Were Afraid to Ask,” with future plans in the works for a

series on Dante’s Divine Comedy. He believes programs like

these provide an enjoyable alternative for senior citizens

and those who may not have attended a college or university

to learn about literary classics—and he’s so grateful to his

program attendees that he creates custom t-shirts for them to

celebrate their completion of each course.

“Humanities programming at the Free Library really sits at

the heart of what a library can and should be doing for its

community,” says Siobhan A. Reardon, President and Director.

“Libraries are a source of self-enlightenment and transformation for everyone who walks through our doors, regardless of background or circumstance.”

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THE FREE LIBRARY CELEBRATES THE HUMANITIES WITH POP-UP THEATER PERFORMANCES (TOP), HANDS-ON MUSIC

ACTIVITIES (MIDDLE), AND RICH LITERARY DISCUSSIONS AND READING GROUPS (BOTTOM). AT LEFT, THE DANCERS

OF PENNSYLVANIA BALLET II PERFORM IN PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY’S MONTGOMERY AUDITORIUM.

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“By presenting programs that advance literacy, guide learning,

and inspire curiosity, the Free Library is ensuring that all

Philadelphians have the opportunity and ability to engage with,

examine, and celebrate our diverse world.”

At the Parkway Central Library, many departmental librarians

present programs that allow attendees to delve deep into a

particular topic or survey a wide variety of subject matter. Often

in collaboration, the Art Department and Print and Picture

Collection host exhibitions and programs that celebrate the visual

arts and showcase the Library’s inspiring special collections,

like Crafty Tuesdays—in which participants can drop in to

create an easy art project over their lunch breaks. The Print and

Picture Collection regularly hosts artist talks in conjunction with

exhibitions it presents, and its librarians issue a yearly call for

entries for future exhibitions to highlight the impressive and

unique work of area artists.

“Philadelphia is an art-rich city, and we attempt to bring the visual arts to a perhaps slightly different audience—library users—who might be more word-oriented, helping them stretch a bit in their view of the world,” explains Art Department Head Karen Lightner.

In many ways, the Free Library is a nationwide leader among

libraries in hosting innovative programming that unites the

humanities and the arts with a strong sense of community

and accessibility. The Library’s Music Department is receiving

national accolades for its extensive work bringing live music and

engaging programs that encourage creativity and critical analysis

to community members for free. Music librarians Perry Genovesi

and Adam Feldman were recently recognized as 2015 “Movers

and Shakers” by Library Journal for their efforts to not only

expand the services libraries provide but to transform libraries

themselves in the 21st century.

“As a teenager in Philadelphia,” says Genovesi, “even though you

might not be in the upper echelon of society, the Yale-educated

class or whatever, you can still enter into and enjoy scholarly

discourse. And I think music’s a really great vehicle to unpack a lot

of societal matters.” To that end, Genovesi and Feldman assembled

a popular Teen Music Critics’ Round Table, which welcomed and

encouraged Philadelphia’s young adults to listen to music and

discuss the various messages and themes within.

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PHILADELPHIANS ENJOY LIVELY PERFORMANCES, THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXHIBITIONS, AND HIGH-INTEREST CLASSES WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE FREE LIBRARY.

The Music Department also regularly hosts free pop-up

performances at Parkway Central Library, and in partnership

with the Philadelphia Jazz Project and the Producers Guild it also

presented the acclaimed Mysterious Travelers Concert Series,

featuring the estimable skills of acclaimed area jazz musicians

like Vince Turnbull, Wayne Smith, Jr., and Anwar Marshall, among

many. “The Music Department is a conservatory-quality music

library accessible to Philadelphians at every point in their musical

education,” says Feldman.

Additionally, the Free Library hosts the beloved and long-

running Monday Poets series, led by Kay Wisniewski, Head of the

Literature Department, during which two local, published poets

give readings on the first Monday of every winter month, often

with an open mic to follow. Due to the success and reputation of

the series, which has been running since the 1990s, the Library

has also hosted pop-up performances for Philly Poetry Day in the

last two years, as well as in the last three years of the Philadelphia

Poetry Festival, where all the different poetry venues and

publications meet to read and greet. The Library also regularly

hosts engaging talks with area historians, interactive creative

writing workshops, family-friendly celebrations of authors and

artists, and much more.

“Authentic creation is treasure; propaganda, publicity, advertising,

and entertainment are mostly products. One needs to be able to

tell the difference between the authentic and the exploitative—or,

as the Harry Potter novels would say, the right, hard way and the

less good, easy way,” enthuses Wisniewski. “The humanities may

not look ‘useful’ to some people, but how else are we to make

sense of our world and lives? Poetry, novels, plays, movies, the arts,

philosophy, religion—all are about understanding what it means

to be human and framing our lives in ways that increase integrity,

relationships, and felicity.”

Thanks to the Free Library’s incredible librarians, who every day find inspiration in the community, materials, and collections they maintain, Philadelphians of all walks of life can enjoy high quality, engaging programs that explore and celebrate our common humanity.

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PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG PHOTO BY RYAN BRANDENBERG

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Words are everywhere—the names of the foods on our plate, the colors on a walk down the street, the shapes of items at the grocery store. Naming these things is essential for children, which is why the Free Library is partnering with organizations across the city and local parents on a fun new learning initiative to bring more words to our youngest citizens.

This initiative comes in response to one of Philadelphia’s greatest

needs. Philadelphia is the poorest big city in the United States,

and study after study shows direct links between poverty and

low literacy. For these children, knowing too few words plays out

as an early hurdle that doesn’t lift over time.

Dubbed the “30 million word gap” by researchers, this word deficit

puts these children at a distinct disadvantage. They hear fewer

words per hour than their more affluent peers. Once this gap

develops, it tends to widen, not narrow. Early educational success,

graduation, higher learning, and a good job are all imperiled

when literacy lags.

The Free Library’s new Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative aims to

help close this divide. With support from PNC Grow Up Great, and

working with the Franklin Institute, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia

Museum of Art, and Philadelphia Zoo, the Free Library has designed

this program to give the littlest learners a head start on literacy.

Through playing, singing, talking, and reading at “Play Parties,”

families will discover new ideas to help strengthen their

child’s vocabulary. Once a month, this word-building fun will

travel to community organizations for “Pop Up Play.” Also,

look for the Words at Play team at assorted community events,

distributing information and leading learning activities. Once

a year, participating families will receive transportation and

tickets to the leading cultural organizations (proud Words at

Play partners) mentioned above!

Words at Play focuses on families with children under age 5

and will be taking place at two neighborhood libraries, both

located in North Philadelphia, west of Broad Street: Cecil B.

Moore and Widener. Half of the families in the communities

served by these libraries are living below the poverty line,

and nearly half of the neighborhoods’ adults have less than

a high school education. Launched at a festive block party in

the spring, Words at Play will pool the resources of its partner

organizations to increase the breadth and depth of seriously

playful vocabulary-building offerings.

Check out our Words at Play programming,

and keep reading, writing, talking, singing,

and playing with your little ones today for

a great tomorrow!

• • • BY JENN DONSKY

from the

NEIGHBORHOODS

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CHILDREN AND PARENTS ENJOY WORDS AT PLAY PROGRAMMING AT CECIL B. MOORE LIBRARY AND WIDENER LIBRARY.

PHOTOS BY CURT HUDSON

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS AT HADDINGTON LIBRARY This year marks the centennial of Haddington Library, a

keystone of its community since 1915.

The neighborhood of Haddington first appeared on an 1816

map of Philadelphia and was named for the country town

of Haddingtonshire in England. The village of Haddington,

centered around 62nd Street above Arch Street, consisted

of a dozen houses and a coach stop inn called The

Whitesides.

By 1865, Haddington was accessible via the West

Philadelphia Passenger Railway. With the opening of the

Market Elevated line in 1907, small shopping districts

developed along Market Street. The shopping district

bounded by Market and Chestnut Streets, and by 60th

and 61st Streets, was later designated as the Haddington

Historic District and listed on the National Register of

Historic Places.

Haddington Library, located at 446 N. 65th Street, has been

part of the Free Library system since December 3, 1915.

Albert Kelsey, an architect who chaired the committee

to develop the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, designed the

building on land donated by Alex Simpson, Jr. Haddington

was the 18th Library building erected using funds from

Andrew Carnegie.

Here’s to many more years of great library service at

Haddington Library!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: SUSAN GUNSENHOUSER, LIBRARY SUPERVISOR AND CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN AT WIDENER LIBRARY How did you get started working for the Free Library?

I started working for the Free Library back in 2001 as

a Teen Leadership Assistant at the Fox Chase Library. I

responded to a job ad that my grandmother saw in the

local newspaper. It was fate—I’ve been around in some

capacity or another ever since!

What do you enjoy most about working in the

neighborhood libraries? The best part about working

in the neighborhood libraries is the chance to really get

to know the people who come in to use the library. I’ve

worked as an adult librarian and enjoyed conversations

with avid fellow readers, and I’ve worked as a children’s

librarian and enjoyed entertaining kids with storytimes.

It can be especially rewarding to see children’s faces light

up when they see you.

How has the Words at Play Vocabulary Initiative taking

place at Widener Library impacted your customers?

With Words at Play there was a big push for outreach

into the community. As a result of that and because of the

quality of the programs, I’ve seen a lot of people come in

that I haven’t seen before. I think that’s amazing.

If you could have lunch with any author, living or dead,

who would it be and why? That’s a really hard question

to ask a librarian! I concentrated in 18th- and 19th-century

literature when I was in college, so I think I’d eventually

have to go with Jane Austen. People read her in so many

different ways—as an old-fashioned romance writer or as

a subversive social critic. It would be interesting to pick

her brain and find out how she saw herself.

• • • BY EILEEN OWENS

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Philadelphia native Mat Johnson’s newest

novel, Loving Day, landed on the cover

of the New York Times Book Review,

giving his childhood neighborhood—

and the novel’s setting—of Germantown

prime attention. His witty, cutting racial

satire draws on his own experiences as

the son of an Irish father and a black

mother. Winner of the Dos Passos Prize

for Literature and a professor at the

University of Houston Creative Writing

Program, Johnson is known for using

fiction to dig into deep societal truths. The

New York Times pegs him as a “satirist,

historian, spy, social media trickster, and

demon-fingered blues guitarist” on the

subject of being “blackish” in America.

OTS WHAT ROLE HAVE LIBRARIES PLAYED IN YOUR

LIFE? WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THEY PLAY IN OUR

21ST-CENTURY WORLD?

MJ Most of the books I read growing up came from the Free

Library of Philadelphia. My local library was Germantown’s

Northwest Regional, with its sunken floor and wooden dragon

bookshelf. And the quieter Lovett Library in Mt. Airy, with its

glass-wall modernism. The special occasions were when my dad

took me downtown to the main library. Going to the library was

an event, and the opportunity to have all the information and art

I wanted, which is something I took for granted as a child, but

now I know how much vision and money and effort went into

making that possible.

What’s fascinated me about the modern library is its evolution

in the face of the digital world. What does a library become

when books are available in digital format instantly at home? I

think it focuses even more on providing people who are cut off

from information with an opportunity to connect, and on the

communal aspect of information for people in general. Computer

access, public lectures and readings, book clubs. The library is

the hub for a community’s thinking people.

OTS YOU HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO KURT VONNEGUT,

PHILIP ROTH, AND RALPH ELLISON. WHICH AUTHORS HAVE

MOST INFLUENCED YOU AS A WRITER?

MJ Probably the single biggest influence, in the beginning, was

Joseph Heller. I read Catch 22 as a senior at Abington Friends; I

recognized the lens of absurdity, I felt like it named the way I was

already silently viewing the world. I felt the same way, in college,

when I read Ellison’s Invisible Man. Gloria Naylor was a big sign

post as well, Mama Day and Bailey’s Cafe, her mix of intelligent

storytelling and humor. The great thing about writing is you get

to choose your literary ancestry.

OTS HAVING GROWN UP IN PHILADELPHIA, IN WHAT WAYS

HAVE THE CITY AND YOUR EXPERIENCES FILTERED INTO

YOUR WRITING?

MJ My writing is filtered out of the city, really. I think, as a kid, my

entire physical world was within the metro area. I could barely

imagine leaving. I’m my head; no matter how far I get away

physically, I still haven’t left, I still filter my understanding of the

world through my norm: Philly. So my work comes out of that.

When I write about Philly, I feel electrified. I feel like the names

and places are talismans on the page for me, forcing me to be

more honest and real.

OTS MANY OF YOUR NOVELS USE SATIRE. WHAT DRAWS YOU

TO THIS TECHNIQUE?

MJ I didn’t want to write satirical books, actually. I wanted to

write somber, sweeping tomes like Toni Morrison. But that just

wasn’t me, as a writer. You only get to be the writer you are, not

the writer you want to be. So I had to accept that my strongest

voice on the page is a satiric one, because that’s the lens through

which I’m already viewing the world.

OTS TO YOU, THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA IS

ALSO THE FREE LIBRARY OF________________. WHY?

MJ The Mind. Libraries used to be private institutions, meant

for the wealthy and privileged to exchange comparatively rare

and expensive books. At one point, Philadelphia decided to

open membership of a great library to the larger, poorer city.

And that information freed minds, led to the creativity and

accomplishments and everyday improvement of life. The Free

Library is one of our city’s greatest accomplishments. I feel

fortunate to have had access to it as a child and honored to

have my books in its catalog today.

{ 14 } { 15 }

TO LISTEN TO THE FREE, DOWNLOADABLE

PODCAST FEATURING MAT JOHNSON, VISIT

FREELIBRARY.ORG/AUTHOREVENTS.

TAKE A FRONT ROW SEAT

The George S. Pepper Society recognizes those who give

$1,000 or more annually to the Free Library Foundation.

In appreciation of their generosity, Peppers receive advance

access to and reserved seating at the Author Events Series,

exclusive invitations to private events, personal access to

world-renowned authors, and much more.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PEPPER SOCIETY,

CONTACT NICK MCALLISTER AT

MCALLISTERN@FREELIBRARY.ORG OR 215-814-3542.

{ 14 }

CHAIR Pamela Dembe

MEMBERS Donna Allie Steven M. Altschuler Christopher Arlene Jacqueline Barnett Darwin Beauvais Brigitte Daniel Tobey Gordon Dichter Donald Generals W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Melissa Grimm Robert C. Heim Nancy D. Kolb H.W. Jerome Maddox Sonia Sanchez Suzanne Simons John J. Soroko Sherry Swirsky Nicholas D. Torres Ignatius C. Wang

EMERITUS Joseph F. Burke Gloria Twine Chisum Armand Della Porta Herman Mattleman Teresa Sarmina

EX-OFFICIO Michael DiBerardinis Deputy Mayor for the Environment and Community Resources

Dawn Maglicco Friends of the Free Library

CHAIR Tobey Gordon Dichter

MEMBERS Robert Adelson Cynthia Affleck James H. Averill Phyllis W. Beck Sheldon Bonovitz Benito Cachinero-Sánchez George Day Andrea Ehrlich W. Wilson Goode, Sr. Daniel Gordon Richard A. Greenawalt Melissa Grimm Janet Haas Robert C. Heim John Imbesi Michael Innocenzo Philip Jaurigue Geoffrey Kent Alexander Kerr Marcienne Mattleman Thomas B. Morris, Jr. Stephanie W. Naidoff Bernard Newman Patrick M. Oates Derek N. Pew Nick Pournader Greg Redden William R. Sasso Susan G. Smith Miriam Spector Stacey Leigh Spector Lenore Steiner Barbara Sutherland Monica Vachher Jay Weinstein Larry Weiss

EMERITUS Peter A. Benoliel Marie Field Elizabeth H. Gemmill Leslie Miller A. Morris Williams, Jr.

FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES

FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

{ 15 }

freelibrary.org/ball

Literary Costume Party Don your Alice-themed costumes to mark a fanciful Halloween!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 • 6:00 P.M. • DENWORTH ROOM, THE ROSENBACH

Chess Through the Looking Glass Participate in a human chess match for a chance to win a prize!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 • 4:00-7:00 P.M. • PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY

Eat Me, Drink Me: Tea and Tarts with Alice Bring the Mad Tea Party to life by learning all about tea preparation and appreciation

from Alexis Siemons, tea consultant and writer, while enjoying delicious tarts and teas.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 • 6:00 P.M. • CULINARY LITERACY CENTER,

PARKWAY CENTRAL LIBRARY

Charles Santore Talk and Book Signing Renowned artist Charles Santore will give a visual presentation about the stunning

illustrations in his latest publication project, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 • 6:00 P.M. • DENWORTH ROOM, THE ROSENBACH

SUPPORTTHEFREELIBRARY! To make a gift to the Foundation, please visit freelibrary.org/support or call 215-567-7710.

The Rosenbach of the Free Library celebrates

150 years of Alice in Wonderland with the exhibition

Down the Rabbit Hole, which will immerse visitors

in Lewis Carroll’s imaginative world.

ON DISPLAY FROM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015, THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2016.