David Cohen Ogontz Branch - Free Library of Philadelphia

About

Ogontz is named after the Oak Lane mansion of Jay Cooke, a Civil War financier. In 2011, over 93,000 people visited the branch.

Story

David Cohen Ogontz Branch at a Glance:
The David Cohen Ogontz Branch, serving the communities of Ogontz and Belfield, is located at Church Lane and Ogontz Avenue.
History Ogontz is named after the Oak Lane mansion of Jay Cooke, a Civil War financier. As a young boy, he met Chief Ogontz in Ohio and later named his home for the Indian leader.
The community first requested a library in 1961, but due to problems with sites, funding and construction, the library was not opened until 1997. David and Florence Cohen helped get the community organized by circulating petitions and even hosting a meeting at their home. In the 1960's and 70's the area was served by a bookmobile, and various sites were considered, and even purchased, but the plans were rejected and funding was rescinded.
In 1984, the neighborhood association requested a library on the site of the former Ogontz Theatre and the library applied for library construction funds from the state. In 1994, groundbreaking was held at 6017 Ogontz Avenue, next to the site of the theatre. The library was to be a pre-engineered modular building, with carousel book shelves.
On February 10, 1997, the new library was finally opened, with a special poem written and recited by Nikki Taylor, who fondly remembered the weekly bookmobile visits and considered the new library a blessing for the entire community.

Facts about the neighborhoods served by the David Cohen Ogontz Branch
The median age is 33.6 years. Household types include married couples, single-parent families, and other families. Grandparents are caregivers in many households; many homes are multigenerational. Nearly 7 in 10 residents are black, and 2 in 10 are white. Twelve percent of the population is Hispanic. More than 20 percent of the employed residents work for the government. Approximately one-third of the households are on Social Security or public assistance. Although education attainment levels are below the US level, a slightly higher proportion of residents aged 25 or older have graduated from high school.

In FY 2011:
• Over 93,000 people visited the branch.
• 272 programs were attended by 1998 people.
• 33,137 reference questions were answered.
• Library computers were used 15,495 times.

Other Highlights:
One of the smallest branches in the Free Library system, the construction of the building is modular, from the ceiling to the floor. Every part of the building is metal or plastic, except the chairs, tables, librarians’ desks, and the circulation desk. The circular shelving was designed specifically for the building.

The Spring Fling is an annual community event of games, cook-out, poetry, and yard sale held to raise money for the Friends of the David Cohen Ogontz Branch. This year's Spring Fling was held on Saturday, May 12, 2012 and attracted close to 100 seniors, adults, teens and children.