Wyoming Library

231 East Wyoming Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19120-4439
Wyoming Ave. & "B" St.
Open today 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, 4/13 Closed
Monday, 4/14 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 4/15 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 4/16 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. *
Thursday, 4/17 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. *
Friday, 4/18 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed *
Saturday, 4/19 Closed
  • * Wednesday had hour changes – Due to staff shortage. Materials pick up services offered 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. today.
  • * Thursday has hour changes – preparation for the Good Friday holiday
  • * Friday has hour changes – Good Friday
Sunday Closed
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 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

  • Sun., Apr. 20 : Closed Easter
  • Mon., May. 26 : Closed Memorial Day
  • Thu., Jun. 12 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
  • Thu., Jun. 19 : Closed Juneteenth
View all holiday closings

Services By Appointment

Services

Facilities

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

Upcoming Events

English as a Second Language

Thu, April 17, 2025 10:00 A.M.

Community College of Philadelphia is offering English as a Second Language (ESL) prep classes beginning 3/25/25.  There is no cost to you and textbooks will be provided.  Interested learners must complete a placement test. Test dates are scheduled for 3/18  and 3/20/25. …

PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance

Thu, April 17, 2025 11:00 A.M.

Meet with a Community Workforce Connector from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for one-on-one job search assistance. Get individualized support with résumé development, career counseling, and professional development workshops. Call 1-833-750-5627 to learn more! PA CareerLink®…

Earth Day Program: Plant Science 101

Mon, April 21, 2025 3:30 P.M.

Come celebrate Earth Day with us! Students will be taught the basics of Horticultural Science with a hands on workshop. Students will learn how to plant and care for their own plants. No registration required but supplies are limited.  geared towards school-aged children.

English as a Second Language

Tue, April 22, 2025 10:00 A.M.

Community College of Philadelphia is offering English as a Second Language (ESL) prep classes beginning 3/25/25.  There is no cost to you and textbooks will be provided.  Interested learners must complete a placement test. Test dates are scheduled for 3/18  and 3/20/25. …

About

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History

The Wyoming branch serves the Feltonville area, which became known as "Wyoming Villa" or "Wyoming Valley" around 1890.

In 1927, Philadelphia City Council passed an ordinance to set aside 10,000 square feet of the playground located at "B" Street and Wyoming Avenue for the construction of the Wyoming Avenue Branch. This branch would turn out to be the last of 25 Free Library branches constructed through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. In fact, it turned out to be the last library in the world constructed with funds donated by the great library philanthropist. In all, Carnegie and his corporation gave more than $56 million to build 2,509 public libraries throughout the English-speaking world, to make self-education available to everyone.

In 1929, the architect was selected and ground was officially broken on March 1, 1930. The winning construction bid was $111,699, twice the cost of the Free Library's two previous Carnegie branches. Because it was the last Carnegie, it included more elaborate details than previous Free Library Carnegies, with marble instead of wood for the interior steps and the ledges under the bookshelves. The outside cornices and other decorative features are made of French limestone. At the dedication on October 29, 1930, Director John Ashhurst touted Wyoming as a truly fireproof building, constructed of steel and concrete. Even the roof foundation is concrete!

By 1935, Wyoming Branch had become a mecca of children's and teen activity, so much so that between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., as many as 650 high school students visited the branch to do research, borrow books and hang around. Frustrated adult patrons wrote letters of complaint to the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin decrying the noise level and quantity of young people in the branch and on the front steps. Franklin Price, then director of the Free Library, investigated, and a flyer was created to be posted and distributed in the schools appealing to students not to "make a recreation centre (sic) of the Library." This was, of course, in an era when it was thought best that children "be seen and not heard."

The library was renovated in 1999 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which refurbished branches and added Internet service to every library.