2021 Annual Report - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Dear Friends,
Throughout history, libraries have provided communities with the opportunity
to connect with literature and culture. Our founder, Andrew Carnegie,
believed that with access to books, reading and self-directed learning, a
person could be anything they want to be. Our staff see this every day.
Patrons speak fondly of childhood trips to the Library and checking out books
with their very own library card. Newcomers to the city tell us the Library was
the first place they came when they were new in town and how they found a
community within the building walls. We receive countless cards and emails
thanking staff for their assistance – a patron who found a job, a student who
received an A on their homework assignment or a caregiver grateful for our
digital resources that help a family member who can no longer hold a printed
book continue their love of reading.
All of this is possible because of your support.
On November 5, 2020, during the height of a global pandemic, Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh began a year-long celebration to commemorate 125
years of serving our region. The words “Free to the People” – etched above
the doors at our Main Library – are an important part of Pittsburgh’s heritage
and are still significant to our community more than a century later.
If last year taught us anything, it was that we, as an institution, are resilient,
innovative and committed to safely connecting our community with critical
services and resources. Because of you, as pandemic guidance evolved, we
were able to reopen all of our spaces, including our newly renovated CLP –
Mt. Washington, CLP – Downtown and Library of Accessible Media for
Pennsylvanians (LAMP); welcome patrons back for long-awaited in-person
programming; continue lending laptops and mobile hotspots to help bridge
the digital divide; celebrate the conclusion of our 125th anniversary with a
spectacular Crash the Carnegies two-day event; and launch RAD Pass, an
online county-wide ticket lending system that provides access to cultural
assets in our region.
Last year, CLP joined other large library systems across the country and many
of our colleague libraries in Allegheny County in adopting a fine free model to
increase access for everyone in our community. In addition, we also waived all
existing fines from cardholders’ accounts. While fines generate less than 1% of
our annual budget, statistics show that they are a barrier to service. As a result
of this change, we expect that more patrons will check out items, use library
resources and sign up for library cards. It may have taken 125 years, but our
Library is officially FINE FREE, and we could not be more excited about it!
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At the end of 2021, Mary Frances Cooper retired as the Library’s long-time
President & Director. On behalf of our entire Board of Trustees, I would like
to thank Mary Frances for her commitment to CLP. In particular, we thank
her for her leadership in guiding the Library through the global health crisis
while ensuring that the public had continued access to library services,
programming, books and Wi-Fi hotspots and laptops. It has been exciting to
advance such a vital community asset that helps so many people in so many
ways. I’m incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to work with Mary
Frances on a number of initiatives, including the 2011 Our Library, Our Future
campaign, which expanded funding sources to help sustain Library operations
and ensure its long-term sustainability. The past decade has been both
exhilarating and challenging as we worked hard to diversify our funding
streams, become more inclusive and equitable, and bridge the digital divide
that many in our community face.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
Mary Frances’ passion for library service, lifelong learning and equality has
supported the way our system responds to the needs of our community.
She always said that “the Library is something we all do together.” It is up to
all of us to fulfill the promise of “Free to the People” to ensure that vibrant
neighborhood-based services, including reading programs for children and
families, job search assistance, and digital access, remain available to residents
of all abilities, skills and backgrounds.
A new year brings with it a flurry of exciting possibilities. Thank you for your
continued belief in the transformative power of literacy and learning. Together
we have built the infrastructure needed to serve a growing population of
library users and created a model for the state-of-the-art library system
Pittsburgh deserves.
Patrick Dowd
Chair, Board of Trustees
3

On November 5, 1895,
philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
personally dedicated “Carnegie
Institute,” his gift of a library, an
art and natural history museum, a
lecture hall and a grand music hall
(the first home of the Pittsburgh
Symphony)—all in one building—
to the people of Pittsburgh.
It was the birth of the arts in
Pittsburgh. Years later, Carnegie
would profess: “The success of
Library, Art Gallery, Museum, and
Music Hall—a noble quartet in an
immense building—is one of the
chief satisfactions of my life.”
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
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More than 2,000 people attended the
building dedication in 1895. It was the event
of the year – a place to see and be seen.
Our archives are full of letters from notable
Pittsburghers clamoring for one of the
exclusive tickets, either for themselves or
for friends or relatives.
125 years later, the Library still knows how
to throw the event of the century. Only this
time, in the spirit of Free to the People, we
marked our shared 125th anniversary with
our colleagues at Carnegie Museums of
Pittsburgh by inviting the entire community
to “crash” our historic Oakland campus for a
free November weekend celebration. During
Crash the Carnegies, more than 8,000
patrons experienced the Library and
Museums like never before as art, literature,
information, history and science collided.
We had live performances, historic tours,
hands-on art making, special storytimes,
science demonstrations, a campus-wide
scavenger hunt, and so much more! Even
Andrew CARDnegie, our mascot, debuted
his new look.
This once-in-a-lifetime event celebrated not
only the continuing impact the Library has
on communities in Pittsburgh, but also the
strength of our partnerships with other
cultural organizations and institutions for
learning. It’s a powerful reminder of the
interconnectedness of literature, art, science
and other fields, and how they work together
to enrich and strengthen individuals, families
and entire communities.
above
The public “Crashed the
Carnegies” during a two-day
event in November.
right
The celebration, 125 years
in the making, was in honor
of CLP’s and Carnegie
Museums of Pittsburgh’s
shared anniversary.
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
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Through the power of art, four new library card designs
were commissioned to celebrate this historic anniversary.
We asked Takara Canty, Cue Perry, D.S. Kinsel and Janel
Young, four highly esteemed Pittsburgh artists, to design
a library card based on their interpretation of
“What does ‘Free to the People’
mean to you?”
The artists, inspired by their own library stories, created
a series of vibrant library cards to kick-off the Library’s
next exciting chapter.
above
Four commemorative library
cards made their debut
during the Library’s historic
125th anniversary.
right
Artist Janel Young and
Crash the Carnegies
attendees create their own
unique library card designs.
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
“When I thought about the
theme ‘Free to the People,’
immediately, my mind went
to my experience reading,
especially when I was younger,”
Janel Young said. “I always
felt like reading is a form of
liberation, so my mind actually
went to ‘Free the People.’”
9

Since 1895, whatever the divide, the Library has
been a bridge, helping people learn, grow and
connect with others to transform their lives.
Together we have helped transform Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh from buildings that are
repositories for books into gathering places for
anyone looking to learn something new.
Our quasquicentennial (yes, that is a word!)
kicked-off during this pandemic, which is in
some ways fitting, because during this time
so many people found that they needed
their library more than ever. As a society we
learned a lot about the luxuries we often
take for granted.
This past year tested us,
but we didn’t let it beat us.
Despite the pandemic’s ongoing challenges,
2021 was a full year of providing library
services to our community. It was a year of
transition that started with all CLP locations
providing only curbside pickup and virtual
services. In late February, we welcomed our
first patrons back into the buildings with time,
occupancy and spatial access limits in place.
In July, as vaccination rates increased and
COVID-19 infection rates decreased, we were
able to expand hours of service at all
locations, including Sunday hours at three
locations. By October, a reduced menu of
in-person programming for children, teens
and adults resumed, and meeting rooms
reopened for public use.
With in-person programs halted for most of
the year, and schools experiencing varied
types of instruction ranging from remote
learning to in-person instruction to blended
schedules, the Library designed book
giveaways that provided high-quality reading
materials for youth. Books were given away
through partner organizations, including
participating Pittsburgh Public Schools, and
directly to library patrons during our annual
Summer Reading Program. In total, 28,322
books were put into the hands of area youth.
10

left
Readers bond over their
love of books at Library
book clubs.
below
Fun storytimes engage
the littlest learners.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
“Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
has been a constant source of
knowledge, imagination,
curiosity, social awareness,
creativity and enjoyment for
our family,” said library patron
Christie Lagemann. “It really
provided an opportunity for
my children to develop a love
for books and reading.”
13

CLP – Mt. Washington, CLP – Downtown
and the Library of Accessible Media for
Pennsylvanians (LAMP) were renovated
thanks to more than $12 million raised from
public and private funders. Never could we
have imagined that we would be completing
our 18th, 19th, and 20th renovation projects
in the midst of a global pandemic. While
we were unable to celebrate these three
amazing spaces by hosting our usual
community day festivities, the Library created
timed, ticketed events, special community
tours and ribbon cuttings to introduce the
new spaces to our patrons. At CLP – Mt.
Washington and CLP – Downtown, visitors
received an up-close look at the expanded
and accessible spaces for children and teens,
as well as flexible spaces for adults to connect
with workforce, literacy and social service
resources. The renovation of LAMP created
a vibrant and accessible library to meet
patrons’ needs, including an acoustically
secure recording studio area. Renovating
these essential assets supports the post-
COVID revitalization of Pittsburgh and the
resiliency of our community.
above
CLP - Downtown’s new
TeenSpace is a vibrant place
for teens to be creative.
right
Library of Accessible
Media for Pennsylvanians
completed substantial
interior and exterior
renovations in 2021.
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
Together we have helped transform
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh from
buildings that are repositories for books
into gathering places for anyone looking
to learn something new.
15

Pittsburgh has so many wonderful culturally
diverse arts and educational experiences.
Thanks to the Allegheny Regional Asset
District (RAD), our newest offering, RAD
Pass, an online ticket lending system, is giving
cardholders from any of Allegheny County’s
46 public libraries access to some of the
region’s vast array of cultural assets. Being
able to experience the art, culture and history
living right in our own backyard, and that was
instrumental in Andrew Carnegie’s noble
quartet, has been a luxury for many in our
community. RAD Pass helps make our
region’s cultural resources more accessible
to everyone. We are grateful to RAD and
our many partners for connecting library
cardholders to the region’s cultural assets.
As this program expands, we look forward
to welcoming even more Pittsburgh favorites
to the program in 2022 and beyond.
When our branches reopened to the public
last year, we saw people coming back to the
libraries to learn and discover once more. It
was proof positive that our libraries are not
just places to borrow books – they have
become one of life’s comforts, a feeling of
home, a place to dream of possibilities.
Never take the Library for
granted. Your library will
be “Free to the People”
because we all work
together to make it so.
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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
“I grew up going to the Library a
couple of times a week. I never tire
of being in a library or archive where
you never know what you might find.
Being among the books and resources
allows your imagination to work and
frequently be rewarded,” says patron
Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt. “Learning
never stops. Being among primary and
secondary sources supports critical
thinking in a way Wikipedia does not.
Wikipedia has its place, but it is not
sufficient to replace the opportunity
to learn or explore provided by a
physical library.”
left
RAD Pass, a new RADical
way to use your library card.
right
Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt,
author of The Mount
Washington Transit
Tunnel Disaster.
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2021 Operating Budget Information
2021
65.4%
14.0%
11.2%
4.6%
2.6%
2.1%
0.1%
OPERATING REVENUES
•
Regional Asset District. ............... $ 21,878,269
City Library Tax. ......................... 4,671,589
Commonwealth of PA .................... 3,745,000
Fundraising (Annual). .....................1,531,543
Earned Income. .......................... 868,472
Table Games. ............................ 705,302
City of Pittsburgh. ........................ 40,000
TOTAL REVENUES. ................. $ 33,440,175
2021
57.3%
13.9%
10.9%
3.9%
3.5%
3.0%
2.9%
2.4%
2.2%
PPP LOAN FORGIVENESS. ............$ 4,002,000*
OPERATING EXPENSES
•
Salaries and Benefits. ................ $ 19,150,522
Library Materials. ....................... 4,659,801
Facility Related. ....................... 3,627,909
Supplies & Professional Services. .......... 1,313,231
Fund Balance. .......................... 1,168,823
Debt Service. .......................... 1,000,000
IT & Electronic Services ................... 986,244
Utilities. ................................ 795,071
Fundraising & Communication. ............. 738,574
TOTAL EXPENSES. ................. $ 33,440,175
*The PPP Loan Proceeds reflect the official IRS forgiveness of the funds received and spent in the
2020 budget year. Forgiveness was awarded in 2021 and recognized as revenue in 2021. This is a
one-time revenue source.
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2021 Fundraising Revenues by Source & Purpose
Unrestricted
Operating
(Operating Budget)
Restricted
Operating
Capital
Endowment
Library of Accessible
Media for
Pennsylvanians
Grand
Totals
Individuals
$ 716,601
$ 15,688
$ 27,265
$ 251,634
$ 45,173
$ 1,056,361
Bequests
5,000
231,930
—
9,000
—
245,930
Corporations
415,607
10,800
25,000
1,000
1,440
453,847
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Annual Report 2021
Foundations
Groups and
Organizations
Trusts
Competitive
Government
Grants
364,725
29,610
—
$ 1,531,543
$ 19,858
135,524
484,380
18,576
$ 896,898
$ 127,044
1,419,433
—
—
$ 1,471,698
$ 750,000
100,867
—
—
$ 362,501
—
18,710
2,555
—
$ 67,878
—
2,039,259
516,545
18,576
$ 4,330,518
$ 896,902
PPP Loan
Forgiveness
$ 4,002,000
$ 4,002,000
This report reflects private philanthropic revenues received in 2021, as well as revenue from
competitive government grant programs to support essential services that the Library provides.
19

Board of Trustees
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Patrick Dowd, Chair
Lafe Metz, Vice Chair
LaShawnda Thomas, Vice Chair
City Councilperson Erika Strassburger, Secretary
Susan Kirsch, Treasurer
Joel Bernard
Marc Brown
Kenyokee Crowell
Justin Krauss
Laura Miller
Carolyn (Cary) B. Reed
Patricia L. Siger
Jeremy Kubica
City Councilperson R. Daniel Lavelle
Eboné Lockyer
Barbara Logan
Monica Malik
State Representative Dan Miller
Alice Mitinger
Huma Mohiuddin
Carol Robinson
Gia Tatone
Lou Testoni
Sylvia Wilson
Greg A. Zovko
TRUSTEES
Carolyn Hess Abraham
Molly Brean
State Senator Jay Costa
Betty Cruz
County Councilperson Sam DeMarco III
James Galitsis
City Councilperson Deborah Gross
County Councilperson Bethany Hallam
Frances Jordan
City Councilperson Theresa Kail-Smith
City Councilperson Bruce Kraus
TRUSTEE EMERITI
Marcia Gumberg*
Frank J. Lucchino
James Walton*
Betsy Watkins
COMMUNITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Whitney Cromie
PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR
Mary Frances Cooper (retired December 31, 2021)
*deceased

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