Fishtown Community Library
The Fishtown Library is currenly experiencing air conditioning problems leading to frequent closures. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Stay informed about our status by checking this page before you visit, and/or monitoring our Instagram and Facebook pages.
We hope to be reliably open again very soon! Thank you for your understanding.
| Sunday, 6/29 | Closed |
| Monday, 6/30 | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, 7/1 | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, 7/2 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, 7/3 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 7/4 |
Closed * |
| Saturday, 7/5 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
- * Friday had hour changes – Independence Day
| 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
- Fri., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
- Mon., Sep. 1 : Closed Labor Day
- Thu., Sep. 4 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
- Mon., Oct. 13 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
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
Read, Baby, Read Storytime!
Mon, June 30, 2025
11:30 A.M.
Join Miss Liz for Read, Baby, Read storytime on Monday mornings at 11:30am. Stay after storytime for playtime! Intended for babies and toddlers ages 0-2, but all are welcome. In the colder months this event will be held indoors on the library's 3rd floor, accessible…
English Conversation Group
Tue, July 1, 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…
Storytime Adventures!
Thu, July 3, 2025
10:30 A.M.
Join Miss Liz for Storytime Adventures on Thursday mornings at 10:30am, where we'll explore a new theme each week! Stay after storytime for playtime. Intended for preschoolers ages 3+ and their caregivers, but all are welcome. In the colder months this event…
Read, Baby, Read Storytime!
Mon, July 7, 2025
11:30 A.M.
Join Miss Liz for Read, Baby, Read storytime on Monday mornings at 11:30am. Stay after storytime for playtime! Intended for babies and toddlers ages 0-2, but all are welcome. In the colder months this event will be held indoors on the library's 3rd floor, accessible…
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.