The Kingsessing Library has served the Southwest Philadelphia community for a full century! All are invited to come to the Centennial Celebration on Thursday, December 5th, from 4:00-6:00 pm, at 1201 S. 51st Street (between Chester and Kingsessing Aves).
Funded as part of Andrew Carnegie’s endowment to build public library branches nationwide, the branch has seen the neighborhood through many changes. The Centennial will commemorate this history with a display of pictures, articles, and artifacts, from old maps showing when the branch was about to be built, to pictures of the community uprising that saved this and ten other Free Library branches in the wake of the budget cuts after the Great Recession, to artwork made by neighborhood kids this year. Everyone who comes will be invited to share their stories of the library and the neighborhood in a Story Share, which will be recorded for posterity.
The Centennial Celebration will also feature live entertainment, including an African dance lesson from AFRICOM: The Coalition of African and Caribbean Communities, and a soul band of 8-14 year-olds from the Kingsessing Recreation Center. The Director of the Free Library and several local elected leaders will also say a few words about the momentous occasion.
Children are always central to the library’s mission-, of course, and so the celebration will include fun kids activities from local community partners Bartram’s Gardens, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and Studio Ludo. The Fire Department has even promised to send a fire truck for kids of all ages to enjoy.
What’s a party without food? There will be trays of food, cake, and carrot cake from the legendary Carrot Cake Man.
Lastly, to thank the community, the library will be offering fine forgiveness all week, from the 2nd to the 6th. Call the library at 215-685-2690 if you have questions about this or any other aspect of the Centennial Celebration.
