These photos feature the kids who preserved the vibrancy of their beloved library

(Kids and adults at McPherson Square Library)

Last year, I gave out ten film cameras to 10 kids who attended the after-school program in McPherson Square in Kensington to see, through their eyes, what life was like in the library and the surrounding neighborhood.

Once the cameras were full, they were collected, developed, and then hung up on display at an open mic event I organized in December. The photos featured children playing, selfies, play captains, volunteers, library staff, and the park. 

For many of these kids, this neighborhood is their whole world; many kids and adults never leave the community. So what little outsiders see online in videos or photos is their entire life – that and so much more than what people see or know about.

(McPherson Square Library in Kensington)

The project was meant to emphasize the needs that McPherson Square Library fills in the community and the detrimental effect it would have on the youth and the neighborhood at large if the library were to close– whether due to its condition or if someone decides that it’s not needed anymore. 

The McPherson Library has become a second home for many, not just the youth. It holds the memories of all of them. As a Kensington resident and activist, much of my time is spent at the library, helping with youth programming, and working with my neighbors to make Kensington a better place.

(Community members at the McPherson Square Library)

Most McPherson youth who frequent the library spend all their free time there, in the mornings before school and after they get out until the building closes. Most even eat there before dinner, helping low-income families who could always use a hand with food. 

Members of our community have petitioned for emergency building repairs for ADA accessibility, the leaky roof, and updating plumbing and electrical systems – and to address the mushrooms growing out of the walls from water damage.

We deserve better. 

After the exhibition, I worked with “Miss Tuesday,” McPherson’s youth librarian, to preserve the kids’ photographs in the library’s legendary “memory binder.” 

For decades, the huge “memory binder” was full of photos and articles of the library, the neighborhood, and the people who call it home, but it hasn’t been updated since the 70s. So, we created a brand new memory binder, starting with the view through the eyes of the McPherson youth.

The new binder is still growing, too, and has a home behind Miss Tuesday’s desk. Feel free to stop by and ask to see both binders, but remember to be careful– many of the things in them are irreplaceable.