Saturday hours are coming to even more Philadelphia libraries in the new year.
New branch schedules that add a sixth day of service will take effect at 12 neighborhood branches during the first weekend in January.
Ten other branches have been offering Saturday hours since mid-November, and they’ll continue to do so as well. The next two weekends are an exception, as the Free Library system will be closed this Saturday and next for the observance of Christmas and New Year.
Starting Jan. 6, the full list of Free Library branches offering Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include:
- Cecil B. Moore Library, 2320 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
- Charles L. Durham Library, 3320 Haverford Ave.
- Charles Santore Library, 932 S. 7th St.
- Eastwick Library, 2851 Island Ave.
- Fumo Family Library, 2437 S. Broad St.
- Greater Olney Library, 5501 N. 5th St.
- Holmesburg Library, 7810 Frankford Ave.
- Katherine Drexel Library, 11099 Knights Rd.
- Lillian Marrero Library, 601 W. Lehigh Ave.
- Lovett Memorial Library, 6945 Germantown Ave.
- McPherson Square Library, 601 E. Indiana Ave.
- Nicetown-Tioga Library, 3720 N. Broad St.
- Queen Memorial Library, 1201 S. 23rd St.
- Ramonita G. de Rodriguez Library, 600 W. Girard Ave.
- Richmond Library, 2987 Almond St.
- Tacony Library, 6742 Torresdale Ave.
- Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library, 1935 Shunk St.
- Torresdale Library, 3079 Holme Ave.
- Walnut Street West Library, 201 S. 40th St.
- West Oak Lane Library, 2000 E. Washington Lane
- Wynnefield Library, 5325 Overbrook Ave.
- Wyoming Library, 231 E. Wyoming Ave.
Starting January 20, the Parkway Central Library will be open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fishtown Community Library and Logan Library had been announced earlier this month as part of the group gaining Saturday hours on Jan. 6, but their weekend openings have since been delayed until further notice “due to staffing issues,” according to library spokesperson Trenton Smiley.
More library branches are expected to join the list in the near future. The ultimate plan — funded by a boosted budget this fiscal year — is to have every library branch open six days a week.
It’s one piece of the library system’s efforts in the past several years to build up its ability to provide stable service to Philadelphians. Although it temporarily offered Saturday hours during the spring and summer 2023, the Free Library hasn’t had permanent Saturday service at any branches since before the COVID pandemic. In recent history, many branches have even struggled to stay open even during their limited weekday hours.
The major problem has been a lack of staffing, but increases in library funding in the past two city budgets have looked to remedy that issue. The system has since been on a hiring spree, which has made expansions to weekday hours and the current set of Saturday hours possible.
In November, Free Library Director Kelly Richards told Billy Penn that the library’s “optimistic goal” for opening all libraries on Saturdays was “sometime in January.” The additions are expected to come in “waves” as more staff are onboarded.
Updated Jan. 9 to reflect the addition of the Parkway Central Library branch’s Saturday hours.
