On November 8, 2006, the Lehigh Avenue Branch (601 W. Lehigh Ave) will celebrate its 100th Anniversary and be named in honor of former Branch Librarian, Lillian Marrero. There will be entertainment, face painting, refreshments, and the dedication of a new mural and technology lab. Below is the day’s schedule.

10:00 a.m.: Joaquin Rivera sings Puerto Rican and Latino canciones

11:00 a.m.: Branch dedication

12:30 p.m.: Tambueno & Philareyto perform Bomba

3:30 p.m.: Tambueno & friends perform Puerto Rican Plena

5:00 p.m.: Ritmo y Sabor performers dance Salsa

Lillian Marrero (1956-2005)

Like the garden she planted at the Lehigh Avenue Branch, Lillian Marrero was the ultimate gardener-under her care, things always thrived. A co-worker remembers, “She loved trees and plants. One of the first things she did when they moved to Netherfield Rd. was plant half a dozen trees in the backyard. She brought new plants to the library and planted azaleas along Lehigh Avenue. The inside of the building often resembled a jungle. So many plants and she always managed to find a place for the new ones. She did the repotting and the watering, feeding and nursing.”

Marrerobegan working for the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1991, eventually becoming a beacon of library leadership. Her passion and patience empowered members of the Lehigh Branch community, whom she supported through job and house hunting, English as a Second Language, and other educational programs.

With her efforts, Lehigh became a thriving nucleus of activity in the neighborhood, forming partnerships with local Latino community groups such as Project Ayuda and Impact. She cataloged the written archives of Taller Puertorriqueño, created a computer lab to develop users’ information technology skills, and raised $25,000 for the renovation of the library in 1997. That same year, Marrero won the Governor’s Advisory Council on Latino Affairs Pride Award for her extraordinary hard work.

According to her husband, Hector Rios, she loved her work because “She loved service and books and a librarian connects those two fields.” He believes one of the reasons she connected so strongly with Lehigh was “that library happened to be in a Latino community and it connected with a sense of mission for her. She brought her professional interests and her personal sense of mission to that library and that’s why it excelled.” Rios and their daughter Tania are pleased that the branch will be re-named for her. “I think it’s a great honor for the Latino community and a victory for the library. We have a person of Latino-Puerto Rican-descent’s name on a public building. I understand that she will be the first librarian that a library is named after in this city. It is an honor to the family and a recognition of her dedication.”