Fishtown Community Library
| Sunday, 5/11 | Closed |
| Monday, 5/12 | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, 5/13 |
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. * |
| Wednesday, 5/14 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, 5/15 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 5/16 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, 5/17 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
- * Tuesday had hour changes – Due to staff shortage. Materials pick up services offered 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Upcoming Closures
- Mon., May. 26 : Closed Memorial Day
- Thu., Jun. 5 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
- Thu., Jun. 19 : Closed Juneteenth
- Fri., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
Services By Appointment
Services
- Book Drop
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Printing Services
- Reference Services
- Wi-Fi
Facilities
- Baby changing station
- Bicycle rack
- Book drop box
- Computers for public use
- Electrical outlets available
- Meeting space (reservation required)
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Public restrooms
- Scanner
- Screen-reading software (JAWS)
- Street parking (free)
- Street parking
- Water fountain
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
Upcoming Events
Special One Book, One Philadelphia Storytime: The Artivist
Thu, May 15, 2025
10:30 A.M.
This event has already happened.
Come join Miss Liz for a special storytime featuring the 2025 One Book, One Philadelphia Children’s Book selection The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith . Limited copies of the book will be given out at the end of the program. The Artivist is an inspiring, award-winning…
LEAP Movie Day!
Thu, May 15, 2025
2:30 P.M.
Join us for a family-friendly movie on the 3rd floor, every Thursday starting at 2:30pm! This event happens during LEAP ( L iteracy E nrichment A fterschool P rogram), the library's FREE Daily Drop-In After School Program, happening every day Monday through Friday from…
Overdose Awareness and Reversal Training
Sat, May 17, 2025
1:00 P.M.
With Philadelphia, and the nation, in the grips of an opioid overdose crisis, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is offering FREE training on overdose awareness and overdose reversal using naloxone, or Narcan. This training will teach you concrete actions you can take to help…
English Conversation Group
Tue, May 20, 2025
5:45 P.M.
Build your confidence in speaking English while meeting other adults in a casual learning environment. No registration is required. This group is for intermediate/advanced English speakers and is led by Free Library volunteer Gleb. Questions? Email adultlearning@freelibrary.org or call…
About
Welcome, friends!
The Fishtown Community Library serves Fishtown, East Kensington and Olde Richmond, as well as visitors from throughout the city of Philadelphia and surrounding region.
Fishtown staff provide free programming for all ages, including storytimes, English conversation groups, book clubs, afterschool activities and homework help as part of LEAP, and so much more! In the warmer months many programs are held outdoors in favorable weather.
Have questions? Call us as 215-685-9990, or email fishtown@freelibrary.org
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what we're up to!
Prefer an email newsletter? Sign up for our News from the Neighborhood monthly update.
Do you want to support our programs and services? Make a donation to the Fishtown Community Library!
History
The history of Fishtown begins with the Native Lenni-Lenape people, who called the area Shackamaxon. In the early 1600's, Swedes, German, Dutch and English settled on scattered plots of land, and on April 23, 1683, William Penn negotiated a land exchange to acquire Shackamaxon.
In the early 1700s, English businessman Anthony Palmer purchased a large tract of land that he named Kensington after a suburb of London. This was combined with Shackamaxon. The Consolidation Act of 1854 brought the area into the present city limits. Legend has it that Charles Dickens named the area Fishtown after seeing the fish sold in the open air farmer's market on Girard Avenue.
Open for business in 1947, the original Community Branch Library was located at 615 Girard Avenue. However, the building was soon torn down so that a police station could be built.
The library opened at its current location at East Montgomery Avenue and Flora Street on March 31, 1950. This building was built in 1895 as a stable, and was later used as a fire station for horse-drawn wagons. It was donated to the library by the city through the efforts of the Men's Organization of the Community League of Kensington, hence the initial name, Community Branch.
Reflecting neighborhood pride, the name was changed to Fishtown Community Branch in 1982. The library was renovated extensively in 1989, with the addition of a balcony, meeting room and elevator. Further renovations were completed in 1997 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which refurbished branches and brought Internet access to every library.