The cluster initiative addresses several challenges. The Free Library’s strategic plan mandates that we encourage experimentation and pilots, enable staff specialization, and intensify community engagement, among other initiatives. This strategic plan was developed during a period of weak economy in Philadelphia and the nation, and cut-to-the-bone resources for the Free Library. Another challenge the cluster addresses is the long established culture of staff preferring to stay within the walls of “their” library. It was often challenging to get people to go to a different building to cover during vacations and illness. The North Philadelphia Neighborhood Libraries (NPNL) Cluster was launched in October 2013 as a six-month pilot. The six libraries in the cluster are in neighborhoods that have some of the highest rates of violent crimes, no or under-employment, and poverty. The digital divide is wide in North Philadelphia, and all types of literacy levels are low. Citywide, a number of public schools closings was announced as the cluster was being formed; the highest number of closings was in the new cluster service area. The charge given to the appointed leader of the cluster, in addition to meeting the challenges described above, was twofold: Decentralize decision making in order to empower staff at all levels to take greater responsibility and become more nimble, and create a community council of local leaders, activists, and customers.

Staff that had been working at the six libraries was offered the opportunity to transfer out before the launch of the cluster. None did, though there was skepticism about the viability of the model. A librarian steeped in mentoring and with excellent management skills was selected to lead the NPNL. She was given free rein to develop the cluster as she saw fit, operating in what the President referred to as a “lawless society.” Shifting opening hours was an important step. Every neighborhood library in Philadelphia is open late two nights per week, though not always on the same day. This made it impossible to identify a time when all of the staff from the NPNL could meet to begin to build the camaraderie and understanding that was essential to the model’s success. A consistent schedule across six libraries was established, and they are all closed one morning a month for professional development. The time is used for information sharing, team building and training, and to begin to set metrics for the cluster’s work. The library managers were charged with deepening contacts with local nonprofit organizations, social service providers, police and fire departments, and elected officials, among others. This is in addition to the traditional outreach done to schools and day care centers. Many of them now comprise the Community Council, which meets quarterly, advises the Library, provides a networking opportunity for all, and is serving to heighten awareness of our work.

Monthly staff meetings have improved morale based on target surveys (see attached). Moving staff and ensuring coverage at every location no longer requires an administrator’s involvement; staff handles it among themselves. We are proud to report that NPNL closures due to staff shortages are rare as compared to one year ago. Collaborating on programs has become the norm. Further, programming is no longer the sole domain of the librarians. Staff in all job classes is welcome to plan and deliver programs. For example, a security guard is running a gardening class and another one did a presentation on rocketry. Special events are also being planned: a 5k run between two of the branches is scheduled for June 7, 2014 to raise funds for the NPNL. New and stronger collaborations have been established with outside organizations. A dynamic partnership with Temple University is growing and will include access to additional public computers. Other partners include the Transit Police, and organizations serving the homeless and the Latino community. Perhaps most importantly, the NPNL experiment will serve as a prototype for the entire Free Library system. We anticipate launching the next two clusters in the fall of 2014, and the remaining five within 18 months. Having said that, we are not expecting the subsequent clusters to look like the NPNL, regardless of how successful it has been. A community-centric model must reflect its own neighborhoods and users, and we are looking forward to seeing what variations and innovations develop in the future.