March 4th is National Employee Appreciation Day. I wanted to publicly commend our extraordinary staff who continue to keep one of our newest resources alive and well…our Call Center! The Free Library’s Call Center went live in June 2020. It came about so that we could still serve our patrons during the pandemic, even when our buildings were closed. This started out as, and still is, a volunteer situation. It gave staff members, who volunteered, a way to help our patrons even when we could not do it in person. The Call Center has been called approximately 34,000 times to present. This is an incredible number and shows there is a real need for this service. 

The helpline is staffed by knowledgeable Free Library employees from all job classes, who volunteer their time to answer calls. Without them, the Call Center could not exist.  The staff members, past and present, who take the time to answer calls, should be commended for their commitment to the patrons that we serve. When our locations opened back up to the public, these staff members continued on serving the public through the Call Center along with doing their daily jobs. They not only help people on the phone, but they help people that come into their branch or department.  

Do you need help with e-books or audio books? They can help you! Do you need to find out if your library has hours today? They can help you! Do you need to renew the items that you have checked out? They can help you! Do you need to know where you can learn a different language, take an online class or where you can go to find out about grants? Talk to someone on the database line! 

The Call Center has  3 lines available:

• Line 1 – Databases and Research - This is for questions about the library’s many databases or if someone has any questions about research.
• Line 2 – Digital Media and Technology – This line is for anything to do with our digital media services, such as e-books and audiobooks, and the devices that are used for them.
• Line 3 – General Information etc.  – This line is for anything else you may need help with.

The phone number for the Call Center (1-833-TALK FLP) is now a part of everything that goes out about the FLP. 

Even though our libraries are back open, the Call Center still gets a lot of business. It is a one-stop shop for information. The Call Center has helped deliver one of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s goals, by providing exceptional customer service. Kudos to the staff who are a large part of making that happen. Happy National Employee Appreciation Day!