Fishtown Community Library
| Sunday, 3/19 | Closed |
| Monday, 3/20 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, 3/21 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, 3/22 |
Closed * |
| Thursday, 3/23 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 3/24 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, 3/25 | Closed |
- * Wednesday had hour changes – Due to staff Shortage. Materials Pickup services offered 10 a.m – 6 p.m.
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
Upcoming Closures
- Thu., Apr. 6 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Fri., Apr. 7 : Closed Good Friday
- Sun., Apr. 9 : Closed Easter
- Thu., May. 4 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
Services By Appointment
Services
- Reference Services
- Book Drop
- Wi-Fi
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Printing Services
Facilities
- Book drop box
- Computers for public use
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Public restrooms
- Scanner
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
- Baby changing station
- Bicycle rack
- Water fountain
Upcoming Events
Read, Baby, Read Storytime
Join us for our Read, Baby, Read story time! Songs, books, and shaker eggs; what more could a toddler want? Geared for ages 0-2, but older are welcome. We will be meeting on the third floor…
Knitting and Crochet Club
Knitting and Crochet club, Mondays, 4 - 5:30 pm. Please bring your own supplies. We are accepting donations of yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and other supplies. Thank you!
Homeschooler Hangout
What do you want to learn about? What do you want to do? Every Tuesday at 11 am, our programming is up to YOU! Join us for our weekly Homeschooler Hangout. Programming will be determined based on…
Career Storytime with Chef Caroline Conrey
Join chef Caroline Conrey as she reads about being a chef, talks about her work, and shows us a recipe! "I grew up in the suburbs in New Jersey. Two children; Gabriel who is 3 and Sally Rose…
About
Located in a former stable and fire station, the Fishtown Community Branch serves Fishtown, East Kensington, and Olde Richmond.
History
The history of Fishtown begins with the Lenape Native Americans, 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.