The Welsh Road Branch Library is part of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which provides services to over 1.5 million city residents. The library system maintains 2.8 million volumes and circulates more than 7.5 million items annually, including print books, local history materials, and digital media. The branch library, which is located behind Northeast Shopping Center, first opened its doors in 1968. Since then, it has provided local communities with educational and recreational resources, and it now circulates more than 200,000 items per year.