Lovett Memorial Library

6945 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19119-2189
Germantown Ave. & Sedgwick St.
Closed Today
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., Feb. 17 : Closed Presidents' Day
  • Thu., Mar. 13 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
  • Fri., Apr. 18 : Closed Good Friday
  • Sun., Apr. 20 : Closed Easter
View all holiday closings

Facilities

  • Baby changing station
  • Bicycle rack
  • Book drop box
  • Handicapped accessible
  • Public restrooms
  • Self-service checkout
  • Street parking (free)
  • Street parking
  • Wireless internet access (wi/fi)

Upcoming Events

Bleyblades Training Club

Mon, February 10, 2025 4:30 P.M.

Train your body and mind to be the best Bleyblades trainer. We will talk about the science behind the Beyblades and train to become the very best we can be. Some Bleyblades will be provided,…

Read, Baby, Read Storytime

Tue, February 11, 2025 11:30 A.M.

Come join Ms. Dee for songs, stories, rhymes and lap time! Stick around for playtime afterward.  This program is intended for ages 0 - 24 months, along with their caregivers. This program has…

Teen Tuesdays

Tue, February 11, 2025 3:30 P.M.

Join us for all sorts of activities including a book club, STEM make-and-take projects, research and study practice, arts and crafts, media shorts, and more! Stop by and see what's…

Chess Club

Tue, February 11, 2025 5:00 P.M.

The Lovett Chess Club has been in existence for nearly a decade!  Intermediate players of all ages are welcome.  This is a cross-generational group that plays based on ability, not…

About

Located on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy, Lovett serves the communities of East and West Mt. Airy. Check out the garden next to the branch.

We are part of the transformational Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative. Learn more: http://www.21stcenturylibraries.org

History

Germantown Avenue began as an Indian footpath through the woods used as a road by settlers. In 1865, Thomas Lovett purchased more than ten acres along the avenue as a family estate. Mount Airy Free Library was founded twenty years later by a trio (one of whom was Miss Louisa Lovett) in a rented room at a lumberyard, where 7153-55 Germantown Avenue now stands. Another of the trio, Mrs. Sheldon Potter, acted as volunteer librarian. She had a small circulating library at her home for neighborhood boys, hoping to raise their standard of reading materials from the "dime novels" that were all they could afford for themselves.

In 1887, Charlotte Lovett Bostwick built and endowed the library as a memorial to her brother, Thomas R. Lovett. This portion now serves as a meeting room. Lovett Library became a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1924. A new addition was opened in 1961, and in 1982 the Friends of Lovett Library started.

The library was renovated in 1999 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign. In 2004, the Lovett Memorial Reading Garden was dedicated.