Bushrod Branch Library: Free Library of Philadelphia

Bushrod Branch Library: Free Library of Philadelphia The Bushrod Library, named for Philadelphia eye surgeon and humanitarian Dr. Bushrod Washington James Keep an eye out for fun programs for children and adults!

The Bushrod Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia is located at the corner of Castor Avenue and Stirling Street. We have a sizable selection of books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks, and more. Our public computers and free wifi are available to anyone with a Free Library card - come get one, today! Our Literacy Enrichment After-School Program (LEAP) offers homework help. Through the M

ayor's Commission on Literacy, we host ESL classes, too!
*Contact 215-474-1235 extension 229, for more information about signing up for ESL.

The GEOGRAPHY LADY presents: ANTARCTICACome join our good friend Alycia Larson, better known as The Geography Lady, as s...
05/07/2026

The GEOGRAPHY LADY presents: ANTARCTICA

Come join our good friend Alycia Larson, better known as The Geography Lady, as she once again introduces us to far-off places around the globe. This time we'll be going to the southernmost continent, Antarctica. Come join the fun on Tuesday, May 12 at 4pm. Don't worry, we'll be exploring Antarctica from the comfort of the Bushrod Room, so you can leave your parka and your passport at home.

Tuesday, May 12 - 4pm
Upstairs in the Bushrod Room

Hello Friends, and Happy May Day! We have some great programs coming up this month, so we hope you’ll stop in and check...
05/01/2026

Hello Friends, and Happy May Day! We have some great programs coming up this month, so we hope you’ll stop in and check them out.

Tuesday, May 5 - 4:00pm :
The Mobile Cooking Teacher, Keisha Prosser, presents a hands-on demonstration of some easy and delicious recipes you can make at home.

Tuesday, May 12 - 4:00pm :
The Geography Lady takes us to Antarctica, one of the coolest spots on Earth, in many ways.

And as always, Mr. Frank hosts our LEAP afterschool program, featuring activities and homework help, upstairs in the children’s department every weekday. No registration required.

Come on in and join the fun!

The MOBILE COOKING TEACHER returns to Bushrod!We are pleased to welcome Keisha Prosser, the Mobile Cooking Teacher, back...
04/22/2026

The MOBILE COOKING TEACHER returns to Bushrod!

We are pleased to welcome Keisha Prosser, the Mobile Cooking Teacher, back to Bushrod Library. Join us for this after school program at 4pm on Tuesday, May 5, and learn how to make a meal that pleases both the palate and the budget.

Tuesday, May 5 - 4pm
Upstairs in the Bushrod Room

In Observance of Easter Weekend, Bushrod Library will have the following Hours of Operation:Thursday, April 2: 10:00am ...
03/31/2026

In Observance of Easter Weekend, Bushrod Library will have the following Hours of Operation:

Thursday, April 2: 10:00am to 1:00pm
Friday, April 3: CLOSED for Good Friday
Saturday, April 4: 10:00am to 5:00pm
EASTER SUNDAY: CLOSED
We will reopen on Monday, April 6, at 11:00am

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

The holidays are once again upon us, and we have some holiday closures to announce. The Free Library System will close ...
12/23/2025

The holidays are once again upon us, and we have some holiday closures to announce. The Free Library System will close at 1pm on Wednesday, December 24, and remain closed through Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25. We will reopen at 10am on Friday, December 26.
Likewise, we will close early at 1pm on Wednesday, December 31, and remain closed through New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1. We will reopen on Friday, January 2, 2026.

The Staff of Bushrod Library wish you all a very Happy Holiday season, and a Happy New Year.

As part of the Free Library of Philadelphia's commitment to providing six-day service to all of its neighborhood library...
11/24/2025

As part of the Free Library of Philadelphia's commitment to providing six-day service to all of its neighborhood library branches, we are pleased to announce that beginning on November 29, Bushrod Branch will be open on Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturdays at Bushrod!

The Thanksgiving holiday is this Thursday, and we have some adjustments to our service hours this week:On Wednesday, Nov...
11/24/2025

The Thanksgiving holiday is this Thursday, and we have some adjustments to our service hours this week:
On Wednesday, November 26, all Free Library locations will close at 1:00pm
On Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving Day) and Friday, November 28, all Free Library locations will be CLOSED
And on Saturday, November 29, we will be open from 10:00am to 5:00pm as Saturday service returns to Bushrod Library

Come help us celebrate 75 years! Bushrod Library first opened its doors to the public on October 25, 1950. Since then, ...
10/08/2025

Come help us celebrate 75 years! Bushrod Library first opened its doors to the public on October 25, 1950. Since then, we have provided the Oxford Circle and Castor Gardens neighborhoods with books and magazines, quality programming and story times, and Internet access and computer games. Come join us on October 27 at 4pm as we begin our next 75 years of service.

ELEVATOR BACK IN SERVICE!Good News! We are very pleased to report that the elevator at the Bushrod Library has been repa...
10/08/2025

ELEVATOR BACK IN SERVICE!

Good News! We are very pleased to report that the elevator at the Bushrod Library has been repaired, and is once again in service.

ELEVATOR OUT OF SERVICE As some of you are already aware, the elevator at Bushrod Library is currently out of service. ...
09/06/2025

ELEVATOR OUT OF SERVICE
As some of you are already aware, the elevator at Bushrod Library is currently out of service. We don't yet know how long it will be until we can get it fixed. We recognize that this problem does affect the ability of many people to use and enjoy our library, and we will be working with the City and our elevator contractors to get it back up and running as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience.

Address

6304 Castor Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19149

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 7pm
Tuesday 11am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12156851471

Website

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