“It was good to walk into a library again; it smelled like home.”

  – Elizabeth Kostova,

The Historian

Falls of Schuylkill Library

*Anticipated* Fall Hours (the Library is set to re-open Oct.21)

• Monday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Tuesday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

✍️From the Desk of:

Falls of Schuylkill Librarian, Jenn Estepp✍️

From the reference desk…

Greetings, Friends. It was obviously a pretty challenging summer for us, at the Falls of Schuylkill Library. Our HVAC system broke in the earliest days of the season, was briefly repaired, and broke again halfway through the season. Despite the challenges posed by high, uncomfortable temperatures in the building, we adapted as best we could and were operating with limited services out of the meeting room until we started having plumbing issues, which rendered all of the restrooms in the building inoperable. Since that time, the Falls Library has been closed completely as we wait for the necessary repairs to be made.

While staff have been able to stop in to empty the book drop and complete essential tasks, we have been redeployed and are currently working at other branches. Do be sure to say hello, if you see us behind the desk at Roxborough, Lovett, or Andorra! We can’t wait to be back to the Falls Branch and to be offering the sort of service and library programming that we love. As such, we are planning a slate of programs for the rest of the year (some of which are detailed in this newsletter) and crossing our fingers that they will all happen as planned.

We very much appreciate all of your support and the advocacy that you have been doing during this most trying time.

✊Picturing Advocacy in Everyday Life: 

Visiting the Little Free Library in Times of Library Closure✊

Featured in the picture are Jordan Linehart of Gypsy Lane (right), and her friend Lynn Archer (left) who was visiting from San Antonio. While Jordan sports a t-shirt with an image of a fully-armored knight carrying a banner and riding a big black cat with words above and below ” Defend your local public library!” Lynn ‘s  t-shirt depicted Godzilla quietly knitting; great advertisement for a local fiber arts group!

Our beloved Falls of Schuylkill, an English Collegiate Gothic style building made of stone sourced from the locality, conjurs up metaphors of being solid, permanent and unchangeable. This past summer, however, challenged these metaphors with the realities of a broken HVAC system in June, a municipal workers strike in July, and a plumbing/ drainage issue in August/ September which overall left a community without one of its anchor institutions for a good part of the summer moving into Fall and “back to school” time. 

Most programs, meetings, events all got cancelled or redirected with the exception of ones that could be held outdoors (QiGong sessions with Eileen Kelsall in July and August, and the recent Bird Walk on September 2 ), or pivoted to seeking out alternative spaces to meet in week after week such as the Fiber Arts meet up group.

Over the course of this summer, Friends also missed seeing and interacting with our library staff who were relocated to other branches in the Northwest, so instead of engaging in their well-planned, creative programs such as Science in the Summer; Murder, Mystery and Mayhem Book Discussions; Weekly Writers Group; the Pokemon Tournament to name just a few, they instead were stressed and strained , first with working in a library with no A/C in the Main Room, moving materials from the first floor to the lower one so as to provide for book holds and materials pick-ups, challenged with plumbing issues, being relocated on a weekly sometimes daily basis to other branches, and often times working in limbo awaiting news of when the AC or the restrooms at Falls of Schuylkill would get fixed, and they could return to their home library. 

In this, we say our hearts go out to Branch Manager, Jenn Estepp; Children’s Librarian, Grace Foster; Library Assistants, Patrick Hillanbrand, Rebecca “Becky” Langlais, Lisa Myers, Steve Rivers, Roslyn Thomas, after-school Leap Leader, Nancy Harris, and Municipal Guard, Charles Martin. We hope the wait is over, and hope things get back to “normal”, soon. We miss our library and Falls of Schuylkill staff!

On September 15, Garden Committee Co-Chair, Nancy Pontone, emailed to say that there was a backhoe in the Midvale Garden. No one was really given a heads up as to when work on the plumbing / drainage issues would begin. I stopped by the site on my way home from work that day, and took some pics of the work in progress. (Included in this article). Peering into the hole, I saw what looked to be an old well or septic tank; the next day this was gone. Instead, there were now visible, old corroded and cracked pipes. While, at first, many deemed this good news that the structural issues were being addressed, and we “might” be moving toward the (then) projected library re-opening date of September 30^th.  Friday morning, however, our Branch Manager emailed to say that the timeline for reopening the library has been pushed back to October 21st . This has a major impact on the planned program schedule for the Fall including postponement of the Fall Book Sale planned for October.

Assistant Chief of Northwest Initiatives for the Free Library of Philadelphia, Sandy Thompson, arranged a Community Meeting on September 23rd at 6:00 P.M. at East Falls Presbyterian Church at 3800 Vaux Street. This is a town hall meeting held with Executive Staff of the Free Library of Philadelphia where we can discuss library closure, voice your concerns, and support our library staff. We hope for a good turn out; we hope to see YOU there!

Fingers crossed, if we re-open October 21, please save the date of Tuesday, November 18^th at 5:30 PM for our Friends Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held in the Community Room, downstairs.

Best,

Jenna Musket, President

Friends of Falls of Schuylkill Library

✂️ Fiber Arts Update✂️
 

If you are a regular, or even semi regular, Falls Library patron, you know it’s been a rough summer for everyone. 

To help navigate the speed bumps that the HVAC system has brought upon the Branch, our Fiber Arts group, which is a pretty intrepid group, pivoted to a few different locations for our regular Tuesday 2:00-4:00 pm meeting.
 
As a group of adults who wanted to continue to meet during the closure of the Branch, we have gathered at places like Thunder Mug, the Fallser Club and Wissahickon Brewing Company. Ernestine, whom we affectionately call our “social director,” has scouted out these places and talked with the businesses to see if we would be able to meet there. She has earned our grateful appreciation. 

Classes: we are exploring potential Fiber Arts classes for adults and for children, perhaps toward the end of 2025 or in early 2026. Stay tuned to the Friends website and social media posts, in addition to the Catfish Chronicle, for class news.

The 2 photos with this article were taken at our beginning knitting classes earlier in the year led by our instructor Gina Giles.

If you have questions and/or would like to reach out regarding the meetings for Fiber Arts and Sit and Stitch, please feel free to drop us a line at fallsfriendsfiberartsgroup@gmail.com.

On behalf of the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee and all who come to our meetings, we hope to see you in the future.

Martha Fuller,

Chair Fiber Arts Committee

🌻Garden Committee Update🌻

You might have noticed that the slope on the Calumet Street side of the library side is covered in black plastic. While not the prettiest, it has a very important job to do. That is to smother all the poison ivy and weeds in the area without the use of herbicides and their harmful effects. The garden on the Midvale Avenue side of the library is cared for organically and the practice should continue here.

The plan is to take up the black plastic (it can be reused) at the end of September or early October. Andrew Litts has proposed planting native trees and shrubs that attract pollinators and are good for the environment.

The Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library have proposed a patio area with seating on the Calumet Street side. Although the idea came up years ago,  the idea is being re-visited with a Calumet Exploratory Project group and discussions are taking place with library staff including  Northwest Initiatives and Property Management for envisioning what may be possible future outdoor library space.

If approved, and all stakeholders “buy in” to the concept, this could be a great addition for our neighborhood, a place where people can sit with friends, read or just enjoy nature. Right now, this proposal is in the ideation stage with discussions that engage necessary stakeholders.

Nancy Pontone
Andrea Sunderland
Co-Chairs Garden Committee

⭐YOUR Input is NEEDED!⭐ 

Your feedback is welcome on two, brief surveys from Friends’ commitees! Your ideas and opinions are greatly appreciated and they will help ensure the programming of the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library reflects our diverse constituency. 

🙋Outreach and Engagement Committee Survey

As we near the library re-opening please help us help you filling out this COE survey! The purpose of this survey is to 1) get community feedback on ideas for future programs and events the Friends can provide or support, 2) increase materials circulation, and 3) to continue to grow and cultivate a diverse, inclusive and engaged membership of the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library.

🙋Advocacy Committee Survey

In July 2025, the Advocacy Committee held its inaugural Advocacy Café in which community members from East Falls came together to discuss how to support library workers during the strike and advocate for repairs to the building. In order to plan for future events, we have put together a survey to better understand your interests! To better inform the content of these meetings, please complete this brief, 2-minute survey. You do not have to have attended the first Advocacy Café; all thoughts are welcome!

📢Call for Volunteers📢 

East Falls Fest is on for Saturday, October 18 from 11:00 am-5:00 pm! We are recruiting volunteers to represent the Friends at our table, where we will have information about upcoming events, forms for neighbors interested in becoming FFSL members, and other materials. Don’t worry if you haven’t tabled for us before – we’ll schedule volunteers in pairs so you don’t have to go it alone! If interested, please reach out to our COE co-chairs (outreachffsl@gmail.com) to let us know which shift(s) work for you: 11:00 am-1:00 pm, 1:00-3:00 pm, 3:00-5:00 pm.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

by Karen Valby

Book Review by Roslyn Thomas

Misty Copeland ‘s name is known, as is her story. And she has always paid homage to the dancers on whose shoulders she stands. However, the story of the first black ballerinas has remained virtually hidden, until now. Karen Valby has brought the lives of the first ballerinas in the Dance Theater of Harlem to the public, finally.

First of all, the book is an introduction and primer for those who are unfamiliar with the art of ballet. We are introduced to the grueling emotional and physical requirements of the dance, along with the beautiful lines the bodies create.

However, the real gems in the book are the personal stories of the women (and men) who danced because they had no choice; dance had chosen them.  They were classical ballet dancers in a world that did not want them. This is also the story of Arthur Mitchell, the first African-American principal dancer at New York City Ballet. However, his presence did not open the door for others so easily, because the door did not open often, if at all. This is the story of a man so driven by his desire to show the world that the same black bodies that picked cotton could be trained to dance ballet on the world stages that he appeared mad at times. He was mad because he was familiar with the wall.

The women in these chapters were exceptional because they stayed. They stayed in the face of sometimes overwhelming adversity. It’s a story of the sisterhood they created to lighten the load. Associate Justice Ketanji-Brown-Jackson tells a brief story of her first year at Harvard. Coming from a large, warm family in Florida, Ketanji was very sad (her words) that first winter. Walking across the quad toward her was another African-American woman. They did not know each other. As they passed, the stranger leaned in and whispered “persevere.” Ketanji said that incident was a turning point for her because she learned the value of sisterhood and she consciously creates sisterhood for spiritual sustenance in all her spaces.

The Swans of Harlem is a love story.

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults (2022), adapted by Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Neidhardt, and The Serviceberry: Abudance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2024)

Book review by Lisa Meyers

I chose to review these two books together because the content and message overlap and are similar. Both were written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The Young Adult version of Braiding Sweetgrass differs from the original work initially published in 2013 in its visual presentation, sidebar discussions, and definitions, and includes questions for reflection. I found the Young Adult version much easier to read.

In all Native Indian cultures, gratitude and reciprocity are central themes to their storytelling and communal life. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Ms. Kimmerer balances her Indigenous beliefs and “cultural wisdom” with the scientific world she was immersed in as a scientist. She sees these two worlds as
complementary. For example, scientists study the land and conduct experiments to understand how
an ecosystem functions what “problems” need to be fixed. This makes them storytellers and healers.
Reciprocity may come in the form of ecological restoration and the responsibility of caring for the land. She recounts the creation stories of other Indigenous people and how strongly tied to the natural world they were. The questions for reflection allow for a more personal connection to the content.

Gratitude, giving, reciprocity and responsibility continue to be the underlying themes in The Serviceberry. The concept of a “gift economy” promotes an understanding of how one simple plant can reach into different layers of a community and foster relationships. From planting and caring for the bushes, picking the berries to make a pie, sharing with others, and receiving a service in return, the cycle repeats. In comparison, a “market economy” involves transactions with monetary
exchanges. Neither party is really vested in the actions or the product. It is all about consumerism.

So, what was my takeaway? I could not help being reminded that the treatment of the Native American Indians described in Braiding Sweetgrass, (think Carlisle Indian School) is not too far removed from what is going on in this country right now. In this time of chaos, these books offered a quiet and simple approach to life. The reader is encouraged to find ways to find joy and gratitude in simple acts in ways that make sense to them but not by appropriating Native Indian culture. These books remind me that extreme capitalism and greed have ruined this country. Indigenous cultures focus on gratitude, sharing, reciprocity and community. They had it right.

🍁Autumn 2025 Calendar of Events🍁

The library has multiple free programs this Autumn with programs for all ages. Programs will take place in the downstairs meeting room (Midvale Entrance) unless otherwise noted. Check the library website for any updates to the verify the specifics of which space/time changes for each event.

🐦Fall Migration Bird Walk

with Expert Birder Holger Pflicke🐦
October 11, 10:00 am

Meet on the front steps of the library for a fall migration bird walk around the neighborhood, led by expert birder Holger Pflicke. We plan to stay out for 1-2 hours and walk mostly on flat and well-traveled paths. Open to everyone, beginners welcome. Limited to no restroom access and please dress for the weather. A limited number of Birding Backpacks will be available.

✍️Author Visit: Charles A. Bush✍️
November 15, 3:00 pm

Join us for a visit from young adult author Charles A. Bush, Author of the acclaimed YA novel Every Variable of Us, which won the 2022 Moonbeam Gold Medal for Young Adult Fiction and was selected by the NYPL of one of the best YA books of the year.

Bush grew up in Philadelphia, where he attended Cabrini University before honing his craft at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, Charles studied literature and creative writing. He is a founding member of the Oxford Pride Alumni Group. In all his work, he strives to create stories for the marginalized and underrepresented, to allow their stories to be told so they can feel seen and know that their lives matter.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library.

📸Digital Photography Workshop📸
November 29, 1:00 pm

Elevate your photography journey with professional wildlife photographer Troy Bynum! Join us for this introductory workshop and unlock the secrets of digital photography. This hands-on course delves into the essentials of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and much more, empowering participants with a solid foundation on digital photography basics. 

Perfect for beginners and seasoned photographers alike. By the end, you’ll confidently use manual settings to photograph wildlife and diverse subjects. The information covered is applicable across various camera types – even your phone! Participants should bring a camera with a fully charged battery (your phone is fine!) and the instructions/user manual for use during the hands-on portion. 

Instructor Troy Bynum, owner of TB Wildlife Photography LLC, is not only an enthusiastic birder but also a passionate wildlife photographer from Philadelphia, PA. Troy’s work focuses on capturing and showcasing the remarkable colors, and rich textures that are abundant throughout the natural world. He is on a mission to accentuate and celebrate the inherent magnificence of nature.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library.

✍️Author Visit: Joe Lex✍️
December 1, 5:30pm

Join us for an author visit from local author Joe Lex, host of the podcast  All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories – some scripts from which his new book All Bones Considered: 52 Laurel Hill Women has been adapted. In 2016, Joe Lex retired after more than 45 years in emergency medicine. His career began as a combat medic in Vietnam, followed by years as an ER tech and RN before starting medical school at age 35. He spent 14 years as a community ER doctor, then 13 years teaching at Temple University, where he retired as a professor. Joe became one of the most recognized emergency medicine educators globally, helping establish training programs around the world. Known as the “Godfather of Free Open Access Medical Education,” he made over a thousand lectures available online and the
American Academy of Emergency Medicine renamed its top teaching award the Joe Lex Educator of the Year Award in his honor.

After retirement, Joe missed research and teaching. He began volunteering as a tour guide at Laurel Hill Cemetery, leading to the podcast All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories, which features more than 400 residents of Laurel Hill East and West. He later launched Biographical Bytes from Bala to explore lives at Laurel Hill West.

Meet him LIVE and pick up an autographed copy at this Author Event!

Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library

Officers 

Jenna Musket, President

Neha Pancholi, Vice President

Ann Wiley, Treasurer

Mary Jean Cunningham, Recording Secretary

Jenn Estepp, Branch Librarian, ex-officio

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.  

Thank you to our business members!  

Joseph D. Boyle Agency;

The Fallser Club;

Connie Gillespie, Realtor, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors;

East Falls Family Dentistry;

McIlvaine Funeral Home;

Rossi Auto Repair;

ShopRite of Fox Street

Committees and chairs

Advocacy – Neha Pancholi 

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 – Roger Marsh & Nicolas Colarossi

Members of the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee

Emily Branch – Newsletter Editor

Elizabeth Corea – Outreach & Engagement

Polly Edelstein & Cassy Krueger – Committee Co-Chairs 

Martha Fuller – Fiber Arts 

Karla Irwin – Newsletter layout and design

Angie Levy – Volunteer Directory 

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)

Contributors to this issue of The Catfish Chronicle:

Jenn Ainslie; Mary Jean Cunningham & Marie Filipponi; Jenn Estepp; Martha Fuller; Patrick Hillanbrand; Beth Hymel & Ann Wiley; Jenna Musket; Lisa Myers; Nancy Pontone; Roslyn Thomas.