Library · Philadelphia
Free Library of Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s library is the Free Library of Philadelphia, a branch of Free Library of Philadelphia, open about 49 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Philadelphia’s branch belongs to Free Library of Philadelphia, which serves 1,603,797 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine St., Philadelphia 19103
49 hrsopen a week
286,556sq ft
Fine-freeNo late fees on books returned late
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at Free Library of Philadelphia
1.6M
visits
1.0 per resident
5.8M
loans, print + digital
3.6 per resident
26K
programs & events
517K attended
590K
library cards
37% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 100,000+ people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
1.0 visits · typical 2.1
Lower than most similar-size libraries (10th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
1.2 print items · typical 3.2
Lower than most similar-size libraries (11th percentile)
Digital borrowing
2.4 e-items · typical 1.4
Higher than 72% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
0.4 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Lower than most similar-size libraries (9th percentile)
Program attendance
0.3 attendees · typical 0.2
Higher than 74% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
37% of residents
A little below typical (41th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
5.8M loans last year
Books & media (adults)22%Kids’ books & media12%E-books, audio & streaming66%
Who the programs are for
25,966 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$74 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $119M.
Local 86%State 9%Federal 0%Gifts & other 5%
Locations
Other Free Library of Philadelphia branches in Philadelphia
And 38 more in Philadelphia.
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.