South Philadelphia Library
🏢 Free Library of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
South Philadelphia Library
South Philadelphia's flagship community hub opened in June 2016 as the city's first facility to unite a public library, a pediatric clinic, a city health center, and a recreation center under one $42 million roof — with bilingual staff, a computer-and-maker space, and late hours on Monday and Tuesday to serve the neighborhood's diverse immigrant and working families.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 11am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 11am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–5pm |
| Thursday | 10am–5pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1700 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Phone: (215) 685-1866
Website: libwww.freelibrary.org
Plus Code: 87F6WRHJ+H7 (Philadelphia, PA)
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📖 About South Philadelphia Library
The South Philadelphia Library traces its roots to November 24, 1914, when it opened as the 16th Andrew Carnegie-funded branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, originally at Broad and Ritner Streets. In 1965 it relocated to Broad and Morris Street, and in 2016 that site gave way to the South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center — a groundbreaking 96,429-square-foot, LEED Silver-certified building designed by VSBA Architects & Planners and built by minority-owned Perryman Building and Construction. The new structure, which cost approximately $42 million, was developed as a public-private partnership between the City of Philadelphia and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and earned the Urban Land Institute Philadelphia's Willard G. 'Bill' Rouse Award for Excellence. Inside, the library occupies the first floor with general seating along Broad Street, age-specific flexible seating clusters, a dividable multi-purpose room, a computer lab with a maker space, and a dedicated health-literacy section. Its 31 bilingual staff speak Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, and in 2019 the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia designated the library a Zone of Peace for its violence-prevention work in the community.
⭐ What makes this library special
- First library in Philadelphia to co-locate with a pediatric primary care clinic (CHOP), a city health center, and a recreation center in one building
- LEED Silver-certified 96,429 sq-ft facility designed by VSBA Architects & Planners, opened June 2016, winner of the ULI Philadelphia Rouse Award
- 31 bilingual staff speaking Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, serving a diverse South Philly immigrant community
- On-site computer lab and maker space plus a dedicated health-literacy section linking library resources to clinical care
- Designated a Zone of Peace by the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia (2019) for community violence-prevention work
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
South Philadelphia cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through the Free Library's digital collections and Pennsylvania's statewide resource:
📚 Services
- Computer lab and maker space for patrons of all ages
- ESL (English as a Second Language) and computer classes
- Health and medical literacy section linking library resources to on-site clinical services
- Dividable multi-purpose room for community programs and events
- Free public Wi-Fi and printing
- Bilingual services in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese
🎸 Programs
- Adult literacy and ESL classes (staff trained in partnership with University of Pennsylvania)
- Children's storytimes and Pre-K Zone activities
- Teen space programming
- Community health fairs coordinated with CHOP and Philadelphia Health Center 2
- Afterschool programs in conjunction with DiSilvestro Recreation Center
📍 Nearby Libraries in Philadelphia County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Philadelphia · Browse all Pennsylvania libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the South Philadelphia Library different from a typical branch library?
The branch is housed on the first floor of the South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center, a $42 million LEED Silver-certified building that also contains a CHOP pediatric clinic, Philadelphia Health Center 2, and DiSilvestro Recreation Center. It was the first facility of its kind in Philadelphia to combine human health and literacy services under one roof, and patrons can pick up a library book and see a doctor in the same visit. The building opened in June 2016 and earned the Urban Land Institute Philadelphia's Rouse Award for Excellence.
Does the South Philadelphia Library have language services for non-English speakers?
Yes. The library's 31 staff members speak Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, reflecting the neighborhood's large immigrant population. The branch also offers ESL and computer classes developed in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, and the health-literacy section helps residents navigate medical resources in multiple languages.
What is the Zone of Peace designation at the South Philadelphia Library?
In 2019, the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia recognized the library as a Zone of Peace for its active role in violence prevention and community healing in South Philadelphia. The library works across all four organizations in the building — the library, the CHOP clinic, the health center, and the recreation center — to provide safe programming and services for neighborhood youth and families.
What is the original history of the South Philadelphia branch before the 2016 building?
The South Philadelphia branch opened on November 24, 1914, as the 16th Free Library branch funded by Carnegie philanthropy, originally at Broad and Ritner Streets. In 1965 it moved to Broad and Morris Street, the same block where the current Health and Literacy Center now stands. The 1965 building was demolished in 2014 to make way for the new $42 million facility, one of the first five pilot neighborhood libraries reimagined by the Free Library's Building Inspiration initiative.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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