Haddington 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
- Mon., Feb. 20 : Closed Presidents' Day
- Thu., Feb. 23 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Thu., Mar. 23 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Fri., Apr. 7 : Closed Good Friday
Services By Appointment
Services
- Book Drop
- Wi-Fi
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Reference Services
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Printing Services
Facilities
- Street parking (free)
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
- Book drop box
- Handicapped accessible
Upcoming Events
Storytime with Ms. Sa-de
Join Ms. Sa-de at the Library on select Tuesdays for a fun Storytime together.
Tabletop Games: Black History Month Edition with LEAP
Come join our after-school program to play classic and new tabletop games.
Snap Circuits: Sensors Activity with LEAP
Get ready to STEMulate your minds and LEAP into some Snap Circuit Challenges! We will have a project building contest with 2 or 3 teams. This time we will be learning Morse…
It’s Lit: Thursday African-American Knowledge Series with LEAP
Join our After-School LEAP program for our African-American Knowledge Series every Thursday in February. Each week there will be a different activity to introduce/reintroduce you to some famous…
About
Located at the top of a hill, the library serves the communities of Haddington-Carroll Park and Overbrook-Morris Park. You can climb the front steps to the stately main entrance of the building or use the elevator located inside the side entrance on Girard Avenue.
History
First appearing on an 1816 map of Philadelphia, Haddington was named for the country town of Haddingtonshire in England. The village of Haddington, centered around 62nd Street above Arch Street, consisted of a dozen houses and a coach stop inn called the Whitesides.
By 1865, passengers could take the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway, which traveled out down Haverford Avenue to 54th Street, then south to Vine Street, then west to 66th Street before returning to the depot. With the opening of the Market Elevated line in 1907, small shopping districts developed along Market Street. The shopping district around the 60th Street El stop, bounded by Market and Chestnut Streets, and by 60th and 61st Streets, was later designated as the Haddington Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Haddington Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia opened on December 3, 1915. Albert Kelsey, an architect who chaired the committee to develop the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, designed the building. Haddington was the 18th library building erected using funds from Andrew Carnegie. Land for the library was donated by Alex Simpson, Jr.
The Old Academy Bell, which was a school bell at the "Yellow School House," a block away from the library, still sits in the main reading room. A mural inside the branch reimagines the outside courtyard and depicts neighborhood children at play.
The library was renovated in 2001 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every branch. With their Free Library cards, members of the public can use the Library's public computers or connect to the internet with their own devices using the Library's free WiFi service.