Oak Lane Library
6614 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19126-3299
(12th St. & Oak Lane)
215-685-2848
Join us for Tai Chi for Adults: A healthy and stress relieving break in the middle of your day. Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. with instructor Darrel Bryant. Please wear comfortable clothing.
Open today 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 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., Dec. 20 : Opening at 2:00 PM Due to staff development.
- Tue., Dec. 25 : Closed Christmas Day
- Tue., Jan. 1 : Closed New Year's Day
- Thu., Jan. 17 : Opening at 2:00 PM Due to staff development.
- Mon., Jan. 21 : Closed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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)
Nearby Libraries
Support Oak Lane Library
Donate NowUpcoming Events
It's LIT for Little Brown Girls
Wed, Dec 19, 5:30 P.M.
Join us for an interactive book club for young girls of color. We'll focus on books with characters that look like us! For girls,…
First Monday Writers Group
Mon, Jan 7, 6:30 P.M.
Are you a writer who needs some motivation and encouragement? We can provide this, as well as technical skills and information that…
Amulets Workshop
Mon, Jan 28, 6:30 P.M.
Learn how to create an amulet for power and protection-- like the gris-gris bag Jojo’s grandfather makes for him.
Bluesy Style Sounds for All
Mon, Feb 4, 6:30 P.M.
Mississippi, particularly the Delta, lays claim to being the land where the Blues began. Join Weez the Peeples Collective Duo, featuring Ali…
First Monday Writers Group
Mon, Feb 4, 6:30 P.M.
Are you a writer who needs some motivation and encouragement? We can provide this, as well as technical skills and information that…
Book Discussion: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Wed, Feb 6, 6:30 P.M.
Sit down at your local library to discuss this year’s One Book, One Philadelphia selection, a novel about family and time. Reading…
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.