West Oak Lane Library
Expanded Hours! Starting Monday, August 28, we will have the following hours: Mondays - Thursdays from noon to 6:00 p.m, and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
Upcoming Closures
- Mon., Oct. 9 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
- Sat., Nov. 11 : Closed Veterans Day
- Thu., Nov. 23 : Closed Thanksgiving Day
- Mon., Dec. 25 : Closed Christmas Day
Services By Appointment
Services
- Book Drop
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Reference Services
- Wi-Fi
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Printing Services
Facilities
- Book drop box
- Computer lab
- Computers for public use
- Handicapped accessible
- Meeting space (reservation required)
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Public restrooms
- Street parking
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
- Baby changing station
- Bicycle rack
- Electrical outlets available
- Parking lot
- Street parking (free)
- Study rooms
- Water fountain
Upcoming Events
PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance
PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance Meet with a Community Workforce Connector from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for one-on-one job search assistance. Get individualized support with…
Preschool Storytime
Join us for a fun storytime. For children ages 2 to 5 years old, along with an adult caregive. Siblings are always welcome. We will meet on the 1st and 4th Wednesday of the month,…
Learn Samba Dancing
This four-week samba class will introduce you to the fundamentals and musicality of samba from Brazil, and give participants an opportunity to have a deeper connection to this cultural music and…
It Takes Two to Talk
Join us for a series of workshops which will instruct parents, caregivers and educators on several ways to encourage communication development in children. It is strongly…
About
Located at the intersection of 74th Avenue, Washington Lane, and Limekiln Pike, the West Oak Lane Branch serves West Oak Lane and parts of Cedarbrook, Ivy Hill, and East Mt. Airy.
Find us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/WOLLibrary to see our programs and activities!
History
Before 1854, when the area became incorporated into the city of Philadelphia, the future neighborhood of West Oak Lane was made up of settlements called Pleasantville, Cedar Park and Pittville. As the region was mostly farmland in the 19th century, they were not really towns, just crossroads or a few acres of cleared land.
It is reported that a realtor began calling this collection of settlements West Oak Lane to distinguish it from Oak Lane, which occupied the area east of Old York Road and Broad Street. The area was officially named West Oak Lane in 1925, when real estate development began in earnest.
Limekiln Pike takes its name from the limestone quarries in Montgomery County, the road's original terminus. This old road, running north-south through the West Oak Lane community, was a toll road from 1735 to 1903. One of the toll gatehouses still stands.
A block away, Ogontz Avenue is named for Chief Ogontz, a Native American who entertained Civil War financier Jay Cooke when Cooke was a boy at his family's home in Sandusky Ohio. In 1865, Cooke named his Oak Lane mansion for Chief Ogontz.
The West Oak Lane Branch first opened to the public on August 26, 1957. 2,000 people visited the library during the first hour it was open. In 1980, disaster struck, and the West Oak Lane Branch was almost totally destroyed by fire. After reconstruction, it re-opened in 1985. The library was renovated in 2000 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet access to every branch.
Look for sculptures of abstract mask forms in the picture book area. Artist Charles Searles created them, reflecting his American, African and Native American heritage.