Ludlow: Free Library helps ensure children's safety after school

Last year, the Pennsylvania State Senate was unable to pass their budget, which resulted in many of Philadelphia's libraries being shut down. However, despite the monetary issues, one library is still standing and holds the safety of many children after school.

The Ramonita G. De Rodrigues Library at 600 W. Girard Avenue in Ludlow is a safe place for children to rely on after school hours. A teacher at Young Scholar's Charter School, Paul Thallner, says that their school offers many after school programs to ensure the safety of students who have nowhere to go. Although he was unsure how many students actually visited the library after school, he was satisfied with the placement of the library only a block away. "If you walk out of here and go towards Girard it's a very unsafe place for students to be walking," says Thallner, "if you go East, you're heading right towards Northern Liberties."

Another school that uses the library as a safe haven is Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partner's Charter School. With their close proximity to the library, one can see many students heading their way over to the library during dismissal time. The Ramonita G. De Rodrigues Library is still open and free for anyone to visit, and their pleasant staff is more than willing to assist every individual.

Christina Paone and Elizabeth Harrington, su1016ludlow