# Nicetown-Tioga: Community Leader is a Resourceful Librarian

The Nicetown-Tioga Library dates back to 1961 and inhibits a space which was called Linton's Restaurant. The current adult/teen librarian, Marsha Stender, is not just your average librarian. She also gives encouragement, confidence and hope by helping adults and teens find books, use computers and navigate their lives. **How long have you been working at this this library?**  Well, I've been a librarian for nine years in Philadelphia and I have been at this branch for a little over a year. **What impact does the library have in this community?** Huge. We’re a poor neighborhood. Most of our patrons do not have internet access at home. Some may have it on their phone. We have a tremendous demand for computer use and we have many people who are not computer users. So, they also need a tremendous amount of support. We have a lot of patrons coming to borrow movies and we have an afterschool program. We have lots of kids who come in that may or may not have a parent at home able to help them. We do a lot of homework help and other stuff. [![032](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215927/032-577x433.jpg)](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215927/032.jpg) **How does your position as a librarian affect people in the community?** I had people come back all the time and tell me they got the job because I helped them with their resume. I have lots of people who are looking for suggestions for what does a third grader read. They’re totally clueless when trying to look for books for their child. We supplement a lot of what schools would do on a good day. And, of course, there’s lots of reading material. You get lots of people looking through our career and test selection and we now have a GED class. We are the last resort for people. **![025](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215923/025-577x433.jpg)** **What are the challenges that either you or the library face in the community, specifically focusing on a few years ago? There was a threat from Mayor Nutter that many libraries were going to get shut down.** Staff have to train people - who are coming and going because a lot of staff are retiring or going to other places. Another challenge is there’s so much demand for computer help. We’re hoping to get a computer lab and a digital resource specialist. There was such an uproar amongst the public I think the mayor underestimated how much Philadelphians want and need their libraries. In a lot of cities, they’ve gone to centralizing services. It’s just like the loss of neighborhood schools - bigger schools, fewer of them - and that has been the trend with libraries consolidation. But people like to have services nearby in their own neighborhood rather than travel elsewhere. People like local services. **[![015](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215925/015-577x433.jpg)](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215925/015.jpg)** **Besides the library, are there any community services that are provided in this area that aid Philadelphians?** There are shelters for domestic abuse, for drug and alcohol addiction. There are a significant number of returning citizens, people who spend time in jail. Down the street from us is The Center for Returning Citizens that provides a lot of services. They’re relatively new and we overlap with them. I get a lot people coming out of prisons looking for jobs, so that’s particular to this location and we try to be as open and welcoming as we can. We get a lot of sick people. I wish there were mobile showers and laundry facilities \[for them to use\]. [![026](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215926/026-577x433.jpg)](https://phillyn-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/25215926/026.jpg) *- Text and Images by Jennifer Joselin and Sieara McLeod.*