1188 items checked out, 102 new cards issued at Free Library’s grand opening at Broad and Morris

In January of 2014, the Free Library at Broad and Morris closed its doors to make way for something bigger and better – the new CHOP Community Health and Literacy Center.

That new facility was unveiled in early May, but the library was still empty at that time. At the grand opening celebration over the weekend, the new location for the library issued 102 new library cards, along with checking out more than 1,000 items to visitors. The neighborhood really did miss having a library.

Did you know? 1188 items were checked-out from South Philly @FreeLibrary at their grand reopening on Saturday! Visit soon at Broad/Morris!

— FreeLibraryNeighbor (@neighborhoodFLP) June 13, 2016

More on the facility from the Free Library’s blog:

The new space also houses a “living room” area where customers can gather with friends, engage in library programs, and interact in a warm environment. On display in the Children’s Library is a mural by renowned late author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The only surviving Sendak mural, it has been on display at theRosenbach for nearly five years. It will have a new life at the library, which also includes a teen space, a Pre-K Zone, a computer lab, and updated study rooms.

This library design is part of an initiative to reimagine the concept of a library for the changing needs of the community today. Four other Free Library locations will soon be renovated.