Independence Library | Philadelphia County, PA

The staff at Independence Library are very helpful, gracious and friendly. They had my books on hold waiting for me at the reference desk when I called about picking them up. This branch has been a lifesaver as a place to pick up book holds while our Charles Santore branch still struggles with HVAC issues and regular closures. Independence Library has a nice sized-selection of new books and a separate reading room with a special collection of Chinese-language books and materials. The branch has a lovely mural and activities in the children's section. There are free computers to use and a book drop for use when they're closed. This branch is open 6 days a week year-round and open weekdays until 7pm.

Posted on: January 21, 2026

Pretty decent library with a good amount of computers. Kids/infants come in from time to time so if you're looking for solitude while you work this may not be the best library for you. It Can get very hot from time to time as well, I'm not sure if they have ventilation or not.

Posted on: March 18, 2026

Unprofessional condescending gentleman here wouldn't allow me just two more minutes to print one important page I needed. I could not believe it. If he likes to be the big man in charge, then the Vine St location would be perfect for him. Homeless people are literally sleeping and unbathed at the work stations over there at that location. And the front desk worker was sleeping like a log too when I arrived. Being from the NY/NJ area the librarians there are much more pleasant and understanding. Horrible experience the last few days at both these free libraries. (the one on Vine and the one on 7th St) So I sent my complaints to the Director.

Posted on: February 19, 2026

It's a small, intimate library tucked away in a nondescript locale of Philly. It seems that it serves a small Chinese community that is apparently in the area. The staff are courteous and friendly. The easiest way to get there from points west is to take the L to the 11th St station and walk the four blocks along Market Street to 7th. Make a right @7th. The library will be a block down on the right

Posted on: December 19, 2025

As the other reviews note, yes it’s small, dated (shelves aren’t quite labeled correctly) and not the cleanest but there’s a good selection of books for both adults and kids. I brought my kids and because it’s small I could browse books for myself while keeping an eye on them. They were very engaged by all the books but also by the wide variety of toys and games for kids. Worth checking out if you have little ones.

Posted on: January 25, 2025