Northeast Regional Library
| Sunday, 7/3 | Closed |
| Monday, 7/4 |
Closed * |
| Tuesday, 7/5 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, 7/6 | 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, 7/7 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 7/8 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, 7/9 | Closed |
- * Monday had hour changes – Independence Day
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 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., Jul. 14 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Thu., Aug. 11 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
- Mon., Sep. 5 : Closed Labor Day
- Thu., Sep. 8 : Opening at 2:00 PM due to staff development
Services By Appointment
Services
- Book Drop
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Reference Services
- Computer Use
- Browse Shelves
- Printing Services
- Wi-Fi
Facilities
- Baby changing station
- Bicycle rack
- Book drop box
- Change machine
- Children's only restroom
- Computers for public use
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Public restrooms
- Screen magnify tools
- Street parking
- Street parking (free)
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
- Handicapped accessible
- Screen-reading software (JAWS)
- ZoomText Keyboard & Special Key Features
Upcoming Events
Baby Story Time
Join us for Baby Storytime Mondays 10:30am – 11am! Babies up through 18 months and their caregiver are invited to meet in the Children's Department for stories, songs, bounces and…
Teen Summer Reading: Game Day
Game Day-Challenge your friends to various board games including a virtual reality Escape Room, a Rubik’s Cube Speed Challenge and more.
PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance
PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance Meet with a Community Workforce Connector from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for one-on-one job search assistance. Get individualized support with…
Crochet Club
Join us for our Kids Crochet Club Wednesdays July 6 – August 10 at 2pm Join us on Wednesday afternoons for some crochet fun! Crochet hooks and yarn supplied. This program is…
About
The Northeast Regional Library is second only to the Central Library in size, available resources and number of staff. Located near the intersection of Cottman and Bustleton Avenues, it serves the greater northeast area as a regional library, and the entire city for research.
History
The area served by Northeast Regional Library encompasses land that was originally Lower Dublin Township and parts of Oxford and Delaware Townships. Settlers from northern Europe first arrived there in the seventeenth century, and established farms. The area remained primarily agricultural until the early twentieth century. In 1854, these townships, along with the boroughs of Frankford and Bridesburg, were consolidated into Philadelphia County.
In 1955, the Free Library of Philadelphia developed the concept of the regional library, which would serve as a branch for its immediate area, and also as a bridge between the comprehensive collections of the Central Library and the more modest resources offered by neighborhood branches. A proposal to build the first regional library was approved for the 1957-1962 capital budgets. On July 11, 1962, ground was broken for the Northeast Regional Library, the first in a proposed series of regional libraries that would be built in each geographical sector of the city.
The city's northeast saw rapid development after World War II. Large tracts of vacant land were soon filled with thousands of row homes and twins. The homes were occupied by returning servicemen, many the sons of immigrants.
Retail development soon followed. In 1952, ground was broken for a $5,000,000 shopping complex that included a department store and supermarket at Cottman and Castor Avenues. The Roosevelt Mall opened in the early sixties, followed by another department store at Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard in 1965. The site selected for Northeast Regional is located in the heart of this shopping complex.
Northeast Regional offers a collection of more than 150,000 books divided into four subject departments, including the children's department. A fifth department offers an extensive collection of periodicals and newspapers. Each department occupies an entire floor of the building; the lowest level is an auditorium meeting room. The circulation desk is located in the ground floor lobby of the building. When you visit, look for the 9x44' three-dimensional wooden mural that adorns the right wall of the lobby.
The children's department of the library opened on Monday, October 28, 1963; the adult departments opened in December, 1963. In 1998, the library was renovated as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every branch.