Ghost Walk tradition also returning

The Free Library of Philadelphia is expanding its six-day service by adding Saturday hours at several neighborhood library locations, including Chestnut Hill on Oct. 18.

To help celebrate the reopening, Friends of Chestnut Hill Library also is bringing back a popular fundraiser, the Ghost Walk, on Oct. 18th, starting at 5:30 p.m. The walk will begin at the library, continue to Chestnut Hill Avenue and Bethlehem Pike, and finish at Hilltop Books with beverages and light refreshments. Four storytellers will share four spooky tales and attendees may sign up for one of four time slots: 5:30, 6, 6:30, and 7 p.m. The earlier time slots are more appropriate for younger children while adults looking for spookier stories should sign up for the 7 p.m. slot. Tickets cost $10 or $25 for a family of 3 or more. You can buy them at chlibraryfriends.org.

“We’re thrilled that the Chestnut Hill library branch will join others across the city in offering hours on Saturdays,” said Amy Wilson, executive director of Friends of Chestnut Hill Library. “This opens up opportunities for many more community members to access the library. We’ve heard over and over again that it is difficult for members of the public to take advantage of library offerings without Saturday hours — it’s just not feasible for many working people to visit during the work week.”

Wilson said her group had spent months lobbying officials to restore the Saturday hours.

“While we’re thrilled that the Chestnut Hill branch plans to have regular Saturday hours, we’re still paying attention to staffing levels across the library system,” she said. “We’ll continue to push library administrators and City Council members to fully staff the library system so that we don’t see rolling closures or put a strain on the amazing library staff.”

For the Ghost Walk, the featured storytellers on Oct. 18, from Patchwork Storytelling Guild, are Denise McCormack, a storyteller and creative professional who is president of Patchwork; Ingrid Bohn, an interactive theater and storytelling performance artist; Chris Sturgis, an artist and writer; and Phil Moore, an Our Mother of Consolation alumnus whose stories draw on history shared by his grandmother.

As part of the library fundraiser, there will be a raffle of a fall harvest basket that includes gift cards and items donated by local businesses, including Bredenbeck’s Bakery, Laurel Hill Gardens, Chill on the Hill, Petite Matine’s Cafe, Weavers Way, Little Wares, Tavern on the Hill, Multiverse, Young American Hard Cider, and Zipf’s Candies. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at Hilltop Books anytime during open hours until Oct. 18. The winning ticket will be drawn at Hilltop Books on Oct. 18, but you don’t have to be present to win.

The Saturday expansion is part of the Free Library’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to vital resources and services, the library said in a press release. Its goal is to have all 54 branches open six days a week by the end of the year.

“Libraries are vital community hubs,” said Kelly Richards, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. “By expanding our hours, we’re ensuring that more people can access the information, technology, and services they need, when they need them.”

For more information and updates on Saturday hours, please visit freelibrary.org or follow the Free Library on Instagram and Facebook.