Falls of Schuylkill serves the community of East Falls with a variety of programs for all ages. Some select samples of programs offered include:
👶🏻Stories and Songs for Babies and Toddlers
Sat, January 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Join Ms. Grace for stories, songs, rhymes, and bounces perfect for babies and children under 5, along with their caregivers! Free play with baby-friendly toys will wrap up the program. Siblings welcome. We will meet in the downstairs meeting room, please use the Midvale entrance.
📚¡Canticuentos Spanish Storytime!
Wed, January 7, 14, 28 February 4, 11, 18, 25 2026 at 11:00 AM
Join local storyteller Ana Atach for Canticuentos! We’ll explore songs and stories in Spanish, with a new animal theme each week – this week is conejo/rabbit. Feel free to bring your own animal toy to play along. No Spanish language skills are needed.
👸🏻Princess Storytime
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Join Ms. Grace and a special guest for princess storytime! Costumes welcome. We will meet in the downstairs meeting room, please use the Midvale entrance through the garden.
🪢Crochet for Children: Make a Scarf or Phone Case
Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 AM
Build on basic crochet skills in this project-oriented program. Choose your own project and follow a pattern, under the guidance and support of experienced crochet instructor Jakie Brown @knitwithjackie. For ages 12 and under.
✒️Author Event: Jack McCarthy – A Century of Music Under the Stars
Monday, February 2 at 5:30 PM
Join us for a discussion of the recently released book A Century of Music Under the Stars: A History of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and Robin Hood Dell with the author, Jack McCarthy.
🩸Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, January 13 at 1:00
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime. Can you help?
For us, winter is off to a good start. December has proved to be a good month with lots to anticipate as we move into 2026. The Friends held our Annual Meeting on December 2. This year, the theme was “The Importance of Libraries in the 21st Century.” Our guest speaker was Councilman Curtis J. Jones, Jr. who discussed the centrality of books and libraries in his own life, following the example of his grandfather, and noted that libraries continue to be an important safe space for children, teens and adults to gather and learn. To that end, Councilman Jones pledged that he is making $500,000 available from his capital projects funds he receives to commit to city-related endeavors in his councilmanic district. The pledged funds are for installation of a new HVAC system (estimated at $480,000, with the remaining funds to be put toward an ADA-accessible bathroom, downstairs, in the Library. The work is to commence in 2026.
I followed up the next morning to find that Jones’ Chief of Staff, Josh Cohen was already in touch with the Property Management of the Free Library of Philadelphia. And when I inquired further on this, Ty DuPass, Deputy Director of Property Management for the city stated “The process has already begun, starting with the scope of work. I do not have timeframes, yet. The disbursement of the funding is also in process.” I am pushing to find out more about a specific timeline. As soon as we know – we’ll get the word out.
This big win wasn’t the result of one thing. This came after inviting staff of the Property Management team to one of our Board Meetings last year, and activities such as our advocacy team encouraging letter writing to elected representatives during the library budget season this past Spring, initiating an Advocacy Café this summer, hosting a Community Meeting with Executive Staff of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the advocacy committee and circulating a petition to present to our district councilman at the Annual Meeting. At the time of presentation, 226 people had signed the petition. This was a collective effort that engaged Friends, library staff, parents of Mifflin School students, community residents and library patrons in concert with representatives of the Free Library and elected officials.
Special thanks go out to Advocacy co-chairs, Neha Pancholi and Karla Irwin and advocates Alex Nadel, Emily Kane and Beth Gross Erskine who worked on the recent getting of signatures for the petition. The petition is still available to sign as the committee has a goal of keeping the pressure on, and accumulating 500 signatures. If you’ve not yet signed, you can find a copy to sign at Vault and Vine or ThunderMug Café, and it is also still posted online on the Friends website, and will remain open until January 31.
One agenda item on the evening of the annual meeting was the nomination and election of officers for the Board. I presented the Report of the Nominating Committee on behalf of chair, Connie Gillespie. As the committee noted in their report, “This year, an odd numbered year, the Friends will be electing a new vice president and recording secretary. Our dedicated vice president, Neha Pancholi, has served two 2-year terms and cannot succeed herself.” While Neha canopy continue in the role of vice president, I am happy to say that she will continue on serving as co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee.
Mary Jean Cunningham has served a full 2-year term as Recording Secretary, and has done such a good job that we convinced her to slide into the role of Vice President. Mary Jean will also continue on as co-chair of the Hospitality Committee. And I am delighted to welcome Mamie Doyle Mannella on board as our new Recording Secretary! Professionally, Mamie is a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience in strategy, operations, fundraising, and public policy. She currently serves as the Vice President of External Affairs for Teach For America Greater Philadelphia. She brings her skills and experience to the Friends. And it was great to see her son, Quincy, by her side as she unanimously got voted in.
Next time you stop by the library, take note of the “Roger Marsh bench” in the Midvale garden (Warden Street side). Roger recently retired from being the tech guy and the all-round “go to guy” for the Friends. Friends expressed their appreciation at the Annual Meeting by noting the placement of a name plaque on the garden bench. Marie Filipponi and I offered a few words of praise for Roger’s years of service to the Friends, and we wish him well in his new chapter. We also welcome Nic Colarossi to the Board as our new tech support expert. Nic has taken over responsibilities such as maintaining the Friends web-site, sending out emails to membership and other listservs such as coordinating efforts with our newsletter and advocacy teams. Nic has a great skill set, works full time at SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) so, he is very tech savvy, the Friends are lucky that we found such a neighborhood resource. Nic Colarossi and Friend Rich Lampert, who is also vice president of the EF Historical Society, are partnering to offer mutual tech support to each other and both of our organizations.
While our December days get colder, I encourage you seek out the warmth of community spirit by coming out for any of the wonderful programs sponsored by the Friends, or offered by Falls of Schuylkill branch. Crochet 101 is a new one for us this January; there are introductory classes for both children and adults. Crochet not your thing, take a look at the winter calendar and to other programs noted in this issue of the Newsletter.
Oh, and if you have received this newsletter, but are not yet a member or have not yet renewed your Friends membership…get on it…now. Just make your way to the Friends website at https://www.eastfallslibraryfriends.org and click on “Join or Renew.”
Let’s build on the energy of the start of the year and meet up at Falls of Schuylkill which if you have not yet heard, has recently been named “Best Public Library in Philly” by Metro Philly’s 2025 Winners Guide. Thank you to Metro Philly for recognizing that a great city (and neighborhood) has a great library. A big thank you to our membership and supporters for recognizing the values that our library brings to our community in not just lending books, and offering computer access and provisions for printing out, but in also providing non-traditional items such as birding backpacks and blood pressure monitors, and serving as a third space, a safe space, a meeting place for community organizations, afterschool activities, or local interest groups such as our writing groups, and book groups, and on and on. And a huge part of what makes our library so special is the leadership of Branch Manager, Jenn Estepp; Children’s Librarian, Grace Foster (who has rock star status with our younger friends); Afterschool L.E.A.P. Coordinator extraordinaire, Miss Nancy; Library Assistants Steve, Ros, Patrick, and “Becky” who all go “above and beyond” providing a variety of activities such as running book or writing groups or writing book reviews for The Catfish Chronicle, and who can engage you in lively conversation on almost any topic. And if you’ve not yet met her, Falls of Schuylkill has a new part-time library assistant, Lil. And rounding out our Library staff is Municipal Guard, Charles who does more than guard the library space as you can find him on any given day raking leaves, or arranging the downstairs meeting room for a program.
Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season as we welcome 2026! To celebrate the year of the “Fire Horse”, consider embracing something new, fresh, bold or creative.
Warmly,
Jenna Musket, President
Friends of Falls of Schuylkill Library
From the Desk of:
Falls of Schuylkill Librarian, Jenn Estepp
Happy New Year, Friends! 2025 was an eventful year for us, here at the Falls of Schuylkill Library. We had plenty of ups and downs and you were with us for all of them. Thank you for your steadfast support, care of, and advocacy for the branch and our staff. It’s impossible to know what 2026 might hold for us. We are cautiously optimistic and making plans, but have certainly learned the value of flexibility and being able to change things up at the last minute. We are so grateful to have the FFSL as our partners in whatever comes our way.
If you’ve not had an opportunity to stop by since the library re-opened in mid-October, please do so soon. The long, cold nights of winter are the perfect time to tackle that doorstopper of a classic book you’ve been meaning to read for years, to finally watch that tv series that everyone was talking about a few years ago, or to take up a new hobby. Our extensive collections, both in-house and across the library system, are extensive and can certainly help with those endeavors. And, with the help of our Interlibrary Loan department, we can also help you try to get materials not owned by the Free Library. Registering for the service is easy and, while it doesn’t always work out (my last Interlibrary Loan request went unfilled sadly), you might just find yourself reading a book that’s travelled from across the country.
And while we’d love to see you in the branches, I understand the allure of staying at home at this time of the year. If that’s more your inclination, be sure to utilize the Free Library’s digital collections and databases, which provides access to books, comics, movies, magazines and newspapers from around the world, learning opportunities, and so much more! Digital resources that I personally use regularly include Overdrive/Libby for ebooks and magazines, New York Times anywhere to read articles behind the paywall, and the Oxford English Dictionary to indulge my inner logophile. A recently added database that I’m looking forward to trying out this winter is Lingopie, which claims to help you learn a new language via tv shows and movies. I do love my daily Duolingo habit, but it will be nice to supplement it with something else and Lingopie seems a little more fun than Mango – which you also have access to with your library card.
For help to learn more about these resources, to chat about books, or to suggest a
program you’d love to see at our library, feel free to reach out!
Recently, our Tuesday Fiber Arts group had a guest who was visiting from California.
We were delighted to meet Ellen who, along with her husband, was visiting their daughter who lives in East Falls. When Ellen learned there was a Tuesday afternoon Fiber Arts group, she joined us.
It was a pleasure to have Ellen tell us about her many knitting projects as she is a skilled and creative knitter who makes beautiful sweaters, shawls, cowls and other items.
We look forward to meeting and seeing new people in our 2 fiber gatherings. Ellen, please join us the next time you’re in Philly visiting your daughter.
Our crochet 101 class for adults and our crochet 101 class for children will take place in January.
You can find registration info on the website. Please do know that space is limited and pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
Martha Fuller
Chair Fiber Arts Committee
🌻Garden Committee Update🌻
Here is a brief summary of gardening activity in 2025. Library staff pulled out a mature holly tree and severely trimmed another in order to work on plumbing. The Garden Committee planted grass seed in areas disturbed by this work and a magnolia tree to replace the holly.
We added new volunteers and dropped inactive members. Otherwise, the garden looked great and many compliments were received. We are waiting for the go ahead to plant on the Calumet Street side of the library after performing non-toxic weed control.
Nancy Pontone
Andrea Sunderland
Co-Chairs Garden Committee
🏆Falls of Schuylkill Library is an “award winning Library” AGAIN🏆
Falls branch won the award in 2023, now again for 2025. Falls of Schuylkill Library (was voted) Metro Philly‘s Best Public Library award for 2025. The Falls branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia was recognized by Metro Philly‘s Best for its community programs, like therapy dog story times, and for being a vibrant community spot with unique programs, making it a favorite for families, and a library with a great “community vibe.”
Congratulations to Branch Manager, Jenn Estepp and the wonderful staff of Falls of Schuylkill Library. We love and appreciate you!
Instead of book reviews this issue, we are sharing the favorite books of the year by Falls Library Staff!
Here are their recommendations:
From Becky, LA: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison Good Spirits by B.K. Borison Mate by Ali Hazelwood Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
From Jenn, Branch Manager: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell Slow Horses by Mick Herron Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
From Patrick, LA: Post Office by Charles Bukowski Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan Blankets by Craig Thompson
Lil, PT LA: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar
Nancy, ASL: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans All the Colors in the Dark by Anthony Doerr
The library has multiple free programs this Winter with programs for all ages. Programs will take place in the downstairs meeting room (Midvale Entrance) unless otherwise noted.
Click here to see the most up-to-date listings on the Free Library of Philadelphia website.
🧶Fiber Arts🧶
Tuesdays at 2:00 PM
January 6, January 13, January 20, January 27, February 3, February 10, February 17, February 24, March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24, March 31
Stop by the library and bring a portable craft project (knitting, crochet, hand-sewing, embroidery, etc) that you are working on. Don’t know how, but want to learn to hand-craft from others who are passionate about their work? Stop in to watch and learn some basics.
✒️Falls Writing Group✒️
Tuesdays at 5:30 PM
January 6, January 13, January 20, January 27, February 3, February 10, February 17, February 24, March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24, March 31
Connect with other writers for motivation, accountability, and inspiration via free writing, prompts and writing games, group sharing, feedback sessions and more. This will be a positive and non-judgmental community open to writers of all genres and skill levels.
🪡Sit and Stitch🪡
Saturdays at 10:30 AM
January 3, January 17, February 7, February 21, March 7, March 21
Join us for a casual, drop-in meet-up for crafters of all varieties and levels. Bring your own knitting, crochet, embroidery, or other project for socializing and inspiration.
🧑🏫Crochet 101 for Adults and Teens🧑🏫
Saturday, January 10 at 11:00 AM
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/eQuwWPr5YBzRapbT8
Discover the joy of crochet in this fun, hands-on program! Start your crochet journey in this beginner-friendly class, where you’ll learn the essential skills every crocheter needs. Topics to be covered include mastering the slip knot and chain stitch; creating single crochet, half-double, and double stitches; how to hold your hook and yarn with ease; and how to read patterns, join yarn, and finish project neatly. By the end of the session, you’ll have the confidence to crochet your first project, while building on a strong foundation for future creations. No experience necessary – just bring your curiosity and creativity.
Supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own. Space limited, preregistration strongly encouraged. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library and will be taught by Jackie Brown @knitwithjackie, an experienced certified knitting and crochet instructor.
👶🏻Crochet 101 for Children👶🏻
Saturday, January 31 at 11:00 AM
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/hURbt1vgjqFVBpYYA
Discover the joy of crochet in this fun, hands-on program! Start your crochet journey in this beginner-friendly class, where you’ll learn the essential skills every crocheter needs. Topics to be covered include mastering the slip knot and chain stitch; creating single crochet, half-double, and double stitches; how to hold your hook and yarn with ease; and how to read patterns, join yarn, and finish project neatly. By the end of the session, you’ll have the confidence to crochet your first project, while building on a strong foundation for future creations. No experience necessary – just bring your curiosity and creativity.
For ages 12 and under. Supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own. Space limited, preregistration strongly encouraged. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library and will be taught by Jackie Brown @knitwithjackie, an experienced certified knitting and crochet instructor.
🩸Red Cross Blood Drive🩸
Tuesday, January 13 at 1:00 PM
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime. Can you help?
On the day of your appointment, you can streamline your donation experience by visiting RedCrossBlood/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions.
🔍Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder🔍
Tuesdays, January 13, February 10 and March 10 at 4:00 PM
If you love mysteries and thrillers, join us for our book club!
As a genre, mysteries span countries, cultures, and historic periods, varying in tone, pace, and characterization. From the hardboiled to the cozy, from the plodding of a procedural to the twisty legal thriller, there are as many types of mysteries as there are reasons to read them. Let’s explore it all, led by our own curiosity and interests!
In January we’ll be reading and discussing books that we read as a group in 2025 but were not able to discuss because of the library closures, such as The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Searcher, The Dry, and The Devil in the White City. Titles for February and March will be announced later.
📖Falls Book Club📖
Mondays, January 26, February 23 and March 29 at 5:30 PM
Join the Falls Book Club – one of the Free Library’s longest running programs. The book selection for January is Ancestor Stones by Aminatta, for February is Horse by Geraldine Brooks, and for March is The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
The group is open to all and new members are welcome.
⛑️Stop the Bleed Training⛑️
Tuesday, January 27, February 24 and March 31 at 1:00 PM
Death due to traumatic bleeding can occur in less than 5 minutes. In under 1 hour, you can learn to save a life.
Individuals will receive formal Stop the Bleed training, which includes a presentation followed by hands-on practice of applying direct pressure, packing a wound, and using a tourniquet to stop bleeding. Presented by educators from Jefferson Health in the Meeting Room.
Walk-ins welcome, no registration required.
💓Blood Pressure Screening for All💓
Tuesday, January 27, February 24 and March 31 at 1:30 PM
Drop in for a free blood pressure screening by Jefferson Health staff. Learn about factors that can impact your health and check out a blood pressure monitor to track your blood pressure at home.
In the Adult area of the library, from 1:00-3:00.
✨Author Event: Jack McCarthy A Century of Music Under the Stars✨
Monday, February 2 at 5:30 PM
Join us for a discussion of the recently released book A Century of Music Under the Stars: A History of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and Robin Hood Dell with the author, Jack McCarthy.
Everyone has a memorable story about attending a performance at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts or the Robin Hood Dell—“the Mann” and “the Dell” to their many patrons. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 images, meticulously researched, and engagingly written, this book reveals the fascinating inside story of Philadelphia’s premier outdoor concert venues on the eve of the Mann’s 50th Anniversary.
Jack McCarthy is a longtime Philadelphia archivist and historian who has held leadership positions at several area historical institutions and directed a number of major archives and public history projects. He has written extensively on the history of Philadelphia music, industry in Philadelphia, and Northeast Philadelphia. He is the author of In the Cradle of Industry and Liberty: A History of Manufacturing in Philadelphia, numerous articles for the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, and was a major contributor to The Philadelphia Music Book: Sounds of a City. He has served as a consulting archivist and historian for The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and the Philadelphia Jazz Legacy Project.
The granny square is a timeless crochet pattern – a classic that never goes out of style. In this program, you’ll learn to create the foundation for stunning blankets, totes, sweaters, and more! We’ll cover three different granny square motifs (classic, solid, and corner to corner) and two simple joining techniques (single crochet and slip stitch).
This class is for those who know the basics of crochet – how to chain and work single, half-double, and double crochet stitches.
Limited supplies available but feel free to bring your own. Space limited, preregistration strongly encouraged.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library and will be taught by Jackie Brown @knitwithjackie, an experienced certified knitting and crochet instructor.
Build on basic crochet skills in this project-oriented program. Choose your own project and follow a pattern, under the guidance and support of experienced crochet instructor Jakie Brown @knitwithjackie.
For ages 12 and under. Limited supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own. Space limited, preregistration strongly encouraged.
👨🏽💼Tarik Khan Library Office Hours👨🏽💼
Monday, March 16 at 4:00 PM
The staff of PA House of Representatives Tarik Khan will be at the branch to provide local support for state services, like unemployment issues, renewing/applying for older adult SEPTA cards, assistance with property tax or rent rebate, and more! From 4:00 PM until closing.
Jenna Musket, President
Mary Jean Cunningham, Vice President
Ann Wiley, Treasurer
Mamie Doyle Manella, Recording Secretary
Jenn Estepp, Branch Librarian, ex-officio
Committees and chairs
Advocacy – Neha Pancholi, Karla Irwin
Archives – Peggy Gertz
Book Case Sales – Martha Fuller
Book Sale – Beth Hymel & Emily Bongiorno
Building – Rich Matkowski
Community Outreach & Engagement – Polly Edelstein, Cassy Krueger
Garden – Nancy Pontone & Andrea Sunderland
Governance and Nominating – Connie Gillespie
Hospitality – Mary Jean Cunningham, Marie Filipponi
Membership – Jenn Ainslie
Marketing – Connie Gillespie
Social Media – Piyanut “La” Sripanawongsa
Technology – Nicolas Colarossi, Rich Lampert
Members of the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee
Emily Branch – Newsletter Editor
Polly Edelstein & Cassy Krueger – Committee Co-Chairs
Martha Fuller – Fiber Arts
Karla Irwin – Newsletter layout and design
Tali Satlow – Board Game Café co-host
Penny Scott – Outreach & Engagement
Piyanut “La” Sripanawongsa – Social Media (FB, IG) and co-host Board Game Café (Májiàng)
Thank you to our business members!
Joseph D. Boyle Agency;
The Fallser Club;
Connie Gillespie, Realtor, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors;
East Falls Family Dentistry;
Grim and Grove Communications;
McIlvaine Funeral Home;
Rossi Auto Repair;
ShopRite of Fox Street;
JT Ideations
Join the friends!
Ensure the library remains a vital center of lifelong learning for all the members of our East Falls community. Sign up online today!
We are looking for volunteers, too! All ages are welcome, email outreachffsl@gmail.com for more information.
