Faithful to its compromise to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity, Kensington Library has organized a series of events to be held during this month of February.
The calendar of events includes a wide variety of activities including help to enhance creativity at school, exploration of the fascinating world of manga and animation, Spanish learning, computing, reading and many more.
Kensington Library exists to provide opportunities for discussion supported by educational resources, access to a vast array of information, and ideas that transform communities, open minds, and promote inclusion.
Below is the list of upcoming events at the Kensington Neighborhood Library which is located at 104 W Dauphin St, Philadelphia PA 19133 – 215-685-9996.
LEAP After-School Program and MakerJawn
Mondays-Thursdays, 3 to 6 PM, and Saturdays, 1 to 5 PM, during school year.
Get homework help and explore your creativity with adult and teen helpers.
Anime, Manga, & Gaming Group for Adults & Older Teens (16+)
Saturdays at 2 PM: 2/8, 2/22
Explore classic, current, obscure and popular anime shows and discuss over snacks!
Manga Thursdays for Kids & Teens 11-18
Thursdays at 4 PM: 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27
Children ages 10 and over and teens are invited to explore Japanese animation, comics, and pop culture! Try your hand at fanart and other activities.
¡A Conversar! Spanish Practice (kids, teens, & adults)
Every other Monday at 4 PM: 2/10, 2/24
Has your Spanish gotten rusty? Do you have nagging questions about grammar and vocabulary? Stop by to practice conversing in Spanish, pick up new vocabulary, and connect with other Spanish learners. ¡Conversemos! For more information/ to let us know you’re coming, contact Sara Palmer at 215-685-9997 or palmers@freelibrary.org.
Creative Expressions/Open Mic (kids, teens, and adults)
4th Wednesday of the month at 3:30 PM: 2/26
Perform your own writing or another writer’s works that inspire you! All levels of experience welcome. Sign up with Sara at 215-688-9997 or palmers@freelibrary.org.
Customized Job Search with PACareerLink Philadelphia
Tuesday at 10 AM: 2/11
Jobseekers are invited to drop by the branch for assistance with their search courtesy of PA CareerLink Philadelphia.
Fantasy Role-Playing Club for Kids and Teens (ages 8 & older)
Wednesdays at 3:30 PM: 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26
Role-playing games rely on teamwork: friends gather at a table to tell a story together, using dice, miniature figures, maps, game rules, and imagination. Contact LEAP Maker Mentor Ryan Friant at 215-685-9996 or friantr@freelibrary.org.
Short stories and songs time in Spanish (preschoolers and their families)
Friday at 11 AM: February 14; Monday at 5 PM: February 17
The whole family is invited to visit our library to share short stories, rhymes, and songs. The program is aimed for preschoolers. For more information: Sara Palmer, 215-685-9996, palmers@freelibrary.org.
Basic introduction to computers (adults)
2nd and 4th Tuesday at 10:30 AM: 11 and 25 February
Are you taking your first steps towards learning to use computers? Would you like some help? We offer a class for Spanish-speaking adults looking to better understand the digital world. Contact Sara Palmer with any questions or to register: 215-685-9996.
LEAMOS (adults)
Online/offline program teaching Spanish-speaking adults to read and write in Spanish. Contact Sara Palmer at 215-685-9997 or palmers@freelibrary.org if you know someone who might be interested in (and at the right level for) participating. Various times weekly.
Minecraft Day (ages 8 and up)
Tuesdays from 3-5 PM: 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25
Join us for Minecraft Day at the Kensington Library, where we’ve been collaboratively building cities in our very own realm! Work by yourself or with up to eight other participants. All your work will be saved automatically.
Nintendo Fridays (ages 8 & up)
Fridays at 3 PM: 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28
Kids and teens, come hang out with us for Nintendo Fridays! We play Nintendo Switch games like Smash Bros, Mario Party, and Just Dance on our projector.
One Book, One Philadelphia (OBOP) Events:
Book Discussion: There There
Monday at 4:30 PM: 2/3. Free public discussion of the 2020 OBOP selection, There There by Tommy Orange. Limited copies of the novel will be available on-site for participants to take home. Reading the book prior to the discussion is not required.
215 Drumming Community
Thursday at 4 PM: 2/13. “He’d have the whole world on a drum if he could” (There There). All ages are invited to learn or brush up on basic group percussion techniques. We’ll learn the histories and purposes of drum and percussion instruments from different musical traditions. This workshop is led by Ali Richardson and is inspired by There There.
Can You Hear Me? Listening to Experiences of Indigenous Erasure—Free Workshop #2: Taino in Lenapehoking
Saturday at 1 PM: 2/22.
There There shows how historical Indigenous erasure—deliberate and systematic destruction of cultures and violent displacement of peoples—continues today. The Counter Narrative Society (CNS) and collaborators present a three-workshop series facilitated by Trinity Norwood, Mabel Negrete (CNS), and Priscilla Bell, exploring the history and impacts of pan-Indigenous erasure here in Philadelphia. Dialogues will center the lived, hyper-present experiences of Lenni-Lenape today—whose traditional homeland is where Philadelphia now stands—as well as experiences of Taino (Indigenous Caribbean) and other Native communities living in the region. Non-Native participants are invited to listen, learn, and join in collaborative conversations about healing.
“Taino in Lenapehoking” will focus on the Taino Arawak peoples who are indigenous to the Caribbean and have made huge contributions to modern society yet they and their descendants continue to experience cultural erasure, including here in Philadelphia’s Boricua community. This workshop will explore Taino culture, with conversations guided by contemporary Taino and Lenape experiences and Native communities in the diaspora.
One Book Film Screening: Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock
Saturday at 2 PM: 2/29. This film movingly documents the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has forever changed the fight for clean water and our environment.
Toddler Storytime (young children & accompanying adults)
Wednesdays at 10:30 AM: 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26
Join us for toddler storytime! Together, we’ll explore stories and activities that help the reading habit in children. Program is intended primarily for one- to three-year-olds and their caregivers, but siblings of other ages are welcome. For information, contact Arrick Underhill at 215-685-9996 or underhilla@freelibrary.org.
By: Agencies