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Free Library requests staffing and capital investments to expand hours and address aging systems
Summary
Kelly Richards, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, told City Council the system is expanding service hours, hiring staff and preparing a facilities condition assessment; the library seeks to move to consistent six‑day service systemwide and eventually add Sunday hours at key locations.
Kelly Richards, President Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, presented the library’s FY26 operating priorities and answered Council questions during the Committee of the Whole budget hearing.
Richards said the Free Library’s mission is to “advance literacy, guide learning, [and] inspire curiosity,” and described the library as a citywide public space essential for information access, workforce development and civic engagement. She said the library aims to expand public service hours: currently about 30 of 54 locations offer Saturday service; the goal is to reach consistent six‑day operations systemwide and to introduce Sunday service at key locations by FY27 as staffing grows. Richards said the library plans to hire roughly another 50 full‑time and about 57 part‑time staff (municipal guards and other positions) to support expanded hours; filling those positions remains a recruitment priority.
On capital needs, Richards confirmed a facilities condition assessment is included in the mayor’s proposed budget to provide a prioritized list of HVAC, roofing and mechanical needs across library buildings, many of which date to the 1960s or earlier. She told Council the FY26 capital request for the Free Library is approximately $33,850,000; the assessment will be used to develop a strategic five‑year facilities plan rather than continue ad hoc emergency repairs.
Richards described other operational priorities and programs: ongoing strategic planning and community engagement to shape services; a literacy enrichment after‑school program and a Teen Leadership Assistant (TLA) program of about 100 TLAs to provide job skills and homework help; and targeted infrastructure work to address HVAC failures and aging boilers that have caused temporary branch closures. She also said the library is coordinating with the managing director’s office and the Free Library board to prioritize building upgrades.
Council members asked about hiring and retention, the facilities condition assessment timeline, capital project priorities and communications to districts about Saturday/Sunday scheduling and grant opportunities. Richards committed to provide follow‑up materials, including a breakdown of proposed capital investments, the recruitment plan for TLAs, and a list of branches with current operational status and those scheduled for capital work.
Provenance: Richards’ testimony and Council questions appear in the hearing transcript beginning with her introduction and the library presentation and continuing through multiple council members’ line of questioning about staffing, HVAC failures, and the capital plan.
