Philadelphia FIGHT’s AIDS Library — the only one of its kind in the country — is celebrating 25 years of providing resources to the local HIV/AIDS community.
The library will host a free public reception with refreshments from 4-6 p.m. Sept 28 at 1233 Locust St., second floor.
Since it opened a quarter-century ago, the library has provided a wealth of information for the public pertaining to all aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
When John Cunningham and Heshie Zinman founded it in 1987, there was a great deal of misinformation and stigma surrounding the disease, including how it was transmitted.
Mark Seaman, FIGHT director of development and communications, said the library was invaluable to those trying to find out more about the disease — before the Internet made anonymous research possible.
“Stigma around HIV/AIDS was pretty bad,” Seaman said. “It was a death sentence in the ’80s. People didn’t want to do research in public or disclose their status. They didn’t want others to think that they had HIV/AIDS.”
Today, patrons can find resources on treatment, education and nutrition, as well as the history of HIV/AIDS. The library’s collection includes books, periodicals, videos and other media.
The AIDS Library has provided interactive community programs throughout its 25 years, such as “Ask a Librarian,” which allows patrons to ask reference questions. The facility has also held computer classes and book drives, and has hosted a variety of summits.
Seaman said the library was originally a program of the AIDS Information Network in the 1990s under the supervision of Chris Bartlett, but was moved to FIGHT in 1999 when AIN disbanded. At that time, FIGHT also took on the Youth Health Empowerment Project.
Seaman said he hopes the event will bring former patrons back to the AIDS Library.
“The library has seen an incredible number of volunteers over the years. We would love to get them back,” Seaman said, adding he also hopes to “engage first-time visitors to the library who aren’t as familiar with this excellent resource.”
The library, now in its third home, has undergone many changes in the past two-and-a-half decades.
With the growth of technology, in 2007 the library installed a public computer lab that offers six stations. The lab was made possible through a donation from local businessman Mel Heifetz.
Seaman also noted that the library is offering a new class to help patrons learn how to research HIV/AIDS correctly online. This course will reveal what sites offer the most accurate information and which sites to avoid.
“The information has changed a lot during the years because HIV/AIDS has changed a lot over the years. In the ’80s and early ’90s, it was more about dispelling a lot of myths about HIV,” Seaman said.
For instance, he recalled, one librarian related a story about an HIV-positive grandmother who came in looking for information about whether her grandson could contract the disease by coming to her house or swimming in her pool.
The library provided her information on what to do and how to handle the situation.
Seaman said the anniversary event will highlight the tremendous amount of work that Cunningham and Zinman put into making sure the library was up and running for community members.
“They really got it going and put all of their hearts’ work into getting the library open. They did the legal paperwork, set up the board of directors, starting setting up grants, etc.,” Seaman said.
The pair will be recognized with a plaque honoring their contributions during the reception. FIGHT has also arranged a short video about the history of the AIDS Library that will be shown during the ceremony.
Cunningham and Zinman were both interviewed for the video, as well as Jenny Pierce, who served as director of the AIDS Library from 1999-2005.
“We think the video is going to be able to help people reminisce and see what the library was like and how far it has come,” Seaman said.
The library is open from 1-5 p.m. Mondays and Fridays and 1-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
For more information, visit www.fight.org.
