Oak Lane Library

By Appointment services available - call to schedule

6614 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19126-3299
12th St. & Oak Lane
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 Closed

Upcoming Closures

  • Thu., Dec. 21 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
  • Mon., Dec. 25 : Closed Christmas Day
  • Mon., Jan. 1 : Closed New Year's Day
  • Mon., Jan. 15 : Closed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
View all holiday closings

Services By Appointment

Services

Facilities

  • Bicycle rack
  • Book drop box
  • Computers for public use
  • Electrical outlets available
  • Meeting space (reservation required)
  • Photocopier (black/white)
  • Printing (black/white)
  • Public restrooms
  • Street parking (free)
  • Water fountain
  • Wireless internet access (wi/fi)

Upcoming Events

Pajama Storytime

Mon, December 4, 2023 6:00 P.M.

Feel free to wear pajamas and bring a stuffed animal to this evening storytime.  Join us inside the library, in the chilldren's area, for books, songs and rhymes to wind down your…

Bibliophiles Reading Group

Wed, December 6, 2023 2:00 P.M.

The Oak Lane Bibliophiles is an adult book club that meets at the library every other month.  For October we will each choose a book to share with the group.  It can be fiction,…

Career Explorers

Wed, December 6, 2023 4:00 P.M.

Each week we will have a new expert visit the library to talk to kids about their job.  Hear from a mechanic, a forensic scientist, a pastor, a videogame designer, and more!  This…

Crochet Club for Kids

Fri, December 8, 2023 3:15 P.M.

Have you always wanted to learn how to crochet? Learn the basics of crochet with us or work on your own project.  Supplies and instruction will be provided.  For children in grades…

About

Serving the community of Oak Lane, which is east of Broad Street at the city's northern border.

History

The neighborhood's earliest settlers arrived in 1697, when Griffith Miles and several Welsh families came to settle and farm. Miles built a log cabin in the vicinity of Old York Road and Haines Street. The area became known as Milestown in 1711.

After farming began to flourish, water power from streams was used to operate mills. The products of the mills were sold in the surrounding communities.

In 1761, Joseph Armitage built a school on the site of the present Ellwood School - a plot of land on the north side of Oak Lane, between 12th and 13th Streets. Subsequently, three larger schools were built on the site to accommodate the growing population. The name changed from the Armitage School to the Milestown School, and finally to the Ellwood School.

The name Oak Lane comes from a beloved, large oak tree that stood on the property of Hall W. Mercer, who lived on Martin's Mill Road. After the tree blew down during a storm in 1860, Mercer changed the name of the road to Oak Lane.

The Oak Lane Library was built in 1910-11 with the combined efforts of the Ladies Review Club of Oak Lane, the Library Association, and funding from Andrew Carnegie. During the Great Depression, a Friends of Oak Lane Library group formed in order to provide book funds until budgets were restored by City Council.

In 1958, the newly rehabilitated Oak Lane Branch held an open house, and a new "Friends" group formed, sponsoring lectures and purchasing materials. The library was renovated in 1999 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every library.