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The Free Library is adding Saturday hours at 7 more branches

The Free Library has been slowly expanding its weekend hours since they ceased during the pandemic.

The Philadelphia Parkway Central Library in 2023.
The Philadelphia Parkway Central Library in 2023.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer
    by Nate File
    Published 

Looking for an excuse not to watch Penn State football on Saturdays? It could be time to check out your local library.

The Free Library is adding Saturday hours to seven more branches throughout the city, it announced Thursday. Soon, 39 total branches will be open on the weekend.

“Libraries are vital community hubs,” Kelly Richards, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, said in a statement.

“By expanding our hours, we’re ensuring that more people can access the information, technology, and services they need, when they need them,” he said.

Most have already started their new schedule, but two more branches are set to begin Saturday hours over the next couple of weeks.

The branches that have already begun their new Saturday schedule, under which they will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., are:

  1. Bustleton Library, 10199 Bustleton Ave.

  2. Frankford Library, 4634 Frankford Ave.

  3. Haddington Library, 446 N. 65th St.

  4. Lawncrest Library, 6098 Rising Sun Ave.

  5. Roxborough Library, 6245 Ridge Ave.

Saturday hours will begin for Cecil B. Moore Library, 2320 Cecil B. Moore Ave., this week, and for Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave., on Oct. 18.

Building back the weekend schedule that ceased during the pandemic was a major priority for Richards since he began his tenure with the Free Library in 2022, but the rollout has been slow and unsteady because of funding and staffing problems.

The Free Library aims to have all of its 54 locations open with weekend service by the end of this year, according to its statement. Three branches are currently closed because of long-term building issues or renovations, but are expected to reopen later this fall.

If you are planning a trip to your local branch soon, take note that all Free Library branches will be closed Monday for Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day.