Philly Library System Gets $25M Grant To Renovate
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia public library system will undergo $25 million in renovations thanks to funds from a local philanthropy.
The money from the William Penn Foundation will help overhaul the main library building downtown as well as five neighborhood branches. The funds will be disbursed over three years.
Library officials plan to remove several floors of outdated book stacks in the main building to create a new common area. The neighborhood branches will get new technology and unique programming specific to their communities.
The gift announced Thursday is the biggest ever received by the Free Library of Philadelphia. It's also the largest grant ever given by the foundation.
More than 6 million people visited the library in 2013.
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