William Penn Foundation Donates $25 Million to Free Library of Philadelphia
By Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Free Library of Philadelphia is getting a huge cash infusion from a major Philadelphia foundation.
There was a standing ovation and lots of smiles from library, civic, and community leaders gathered in the library's Skyline Room at the main branch as Janet Haas of the William Penn Foundation delivered the news:
"A landmark grant of $25 million to help make this 21st century transformation! ..."
(The William Penn Foundation was created by Otto Haas, one of the founders of the Philadelphia-based Rohm & Haas Corporation.)
Siobhan Reardon, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, says the gift, to be paid over three years, is monumental.
"This is gigantic," she said today. "It's the biggest we've ever received. We had no idea how large it was going to be, and when they let us know what they were considering, we were over the moon, because we knew we could go so far with this gift."
Reardon says the gift will go a long way toward helping to pay for renovations at the main library to free up 40,000 square feet of space for public areas, plus extensive renovations to five neighborhood library branches.
Reardon says the gift also should help leverage other contributions to keep the library on track not only for building renovations but for more programs geared toward early childhood learning and family literacy.
