Fishtown Community Library
| 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., Oct. 5 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Mon., Oct. 9 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
- Thu., Nov. 2 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Sat., Nov. 11 : Closed Veterans Day
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
Sensory Storytime
Join us for this storytime designed for children ages 5 and under who are on the Autism Spectrum or otherwise neurodiverse. We will read stories, sing songs, and do other activities as children…
We Are Au-some
Meet up and chat with other neurodiverse tweens and teens every Wednesday at 3:30 – 5:30 at the Fishtown Community Library. Grades 5-12.
SAGA Club: Sexuality and Gender Awareness
Queer or questioning and looking for community? Join us each week for games, crafts, and conversation. Allies welcome. For youth in grades 7-12.
Read, Baby, Read Storytime
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, and bounces. This program is intended for our friends ages 2 and under and their caregivers. Siblings are welcome. PLEASE NOTE: Mondays are at 11:30; Fridays…
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.