Penn Foundation Commits $25-Million to Philadelphia Libraries

The William Penn Foundation will spend $25-million over three years for a major renovation of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s central branch and makeovers at five neighborhood libraries, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The grant includes $17-million to support a $30-million project to redevelop the five local branches and $8-million for work aimed at refitting the downtown Central Library for a planned but not-yet-funded annex. Adjusted for inflation, the gift is the second-largest ever by the Philadelphia-based foundation, which gave $18-million to the library system in 1996, a donation worth $27.3-million in 2013 dollars.