| Forest Park Branch – 380 Belmont Avenue – Springfield MA 01108 |
|||||||
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
| 1-5 | 10-5 | 1-5 | 1-8 | 1-5 | 11-3 | Closed | |
Springfield MA 01108
Parking: On-street parking is available on Belmont Avenue and Oakland Street. There are time limits on Belmont.
Book Drop: Located near the side entrance, on the right side of the building as you face the library’s main entrance.
PVTA Bus Route: G2
NOTE: The phone lines are currently down at this branch. Please call the Central Library at 413-263-6828.
Manager: Cherokee Lowe
Supervisor: Alexandra Dupuis
The Forest Park Branch will be closed for the following holidays:
| The libraries will be closed on the following dates for holidays: | |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2023 (Sunday) | New Year’s Day: Central Library Closed |
| January 2 (Monday) | New Year’s Day (Observed) |
| January 16 (Monday) | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
| February 20 (Monday) | Presidents’ Day |
| April 9 (Sunday) | Easter: Central Library closed |
| April 17 (Monday) | Patriot’s Day (MA holiday) |
| May 29 (Monday) | Memorial Day |
| June 19 (Monday) | Juneteenth |
| July 4 (Tuesday) | Independence Day |
| September 4 (Monday) | Labor Day |
| October 9 (Monday) | Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day |
| November 10 (Friday) | Veterans Day (Observed) |
| November 11 (Saturday) | Veterans Day |
| November 22 (Wednesday) | Thanksgiving Eve: All libraries close at 5 pm |
| November 23 (Thursday) | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 24 (Sunday) | Christmas Eve: Central Library closed |
| December 25 (Monday) | Christmas Day |
| December 31 (Sunday) | New Year’s Eve |
| January 1, 2024 (Monday) | New Year’s Day |
Fax Service: Fax service is available. There is a $1 per job charge for a traditional fax. We cannot receive faxes. There is no charge to scan your document to an email address, USB, tablet or smartphone. To scan to your smartphone you must have a QR code app.
Note: As of January 9, 2020, the community room is now available for booking again.
To promote neighborhood culture and development, the library makes its community room available for educational, social service, and other organizations. Visit the Meeting Room page for information about booking the Community Room, to review our meeting room rules and policies, and submit a meeting room request.
Forest Park neighborhood residents outgrew the provisional circulating library that was set up at Park Memorial Baptist Church and residents wanted a full service branch library. In 1908, industrialist Andrew Carnegie provided $50,000 for three branch libraries that included Forest Park Branch Library. Carnegie required that neighborhood citizens subscribe for land to match his donation of money for the building. Over 500 prominent Forest Park citizens subscribed for land and soon Forest Park Branch Library was completed in 1909.
The renovated Forest Park Branch Library children’s area, now the Charlie & Joan Ryan Family Place, was made possible through the generosity of the Barker Foundation and Troy and Pat Murray. Honoring former Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan and his wife Joan, the creative new space will provide inspiration and learning opportunities for so many area children, just as the original room did for young Charlie and Troy.
Thanks to our benefactors the changes are astonishing, the room looks phenomenal, and the Charlie & Joan Ryan Family Place is ready to welcome all ages.
For more information about the history of the Forest Park Branch, download our brochure.
Branch News
Summer Reading Club – Thank you!
Thank you for participating in our 2023 Discover Your Summer Reading Challenge. Check out a list of our winners!
Mayor Sarno Recognizes our Springfield City Libraries During National Library Week
April 24th marks National Library Workers Day. Thank you to all our dedicated Springfield Library workers for your tremendous service.
Springfield City Library collecting pajamas for Boston Bruins drive (WWLP)
The Springfield City Library has partnered with the Boston Bruins to take part in the Bruins PJ drive that benefits children. The drive runs through March 15 at all nine library locations in the city.
Branch Programs
- Acrylic Paint Pour
09/30/23 @ 12:00pm - 09/30/23 @ 2:00pm FP Community Room Forest Park Branch Registration for this event is required. Registration is required. Enjoy traditional painting but want to try something new? Visit the Forest Park Branch and make a fluid acrylic masterpiece! Adults 18+. Supplies are limited, registration required.
- Home City Families Playgroup
10/03/23 @ 10:30am - 10/03/23 @ 11:30am Program Den Forest Park Branch Join us for stories, songs, movement, fingerplays, a craft and playtime. No registration required. Adult must accompany children. Presented in collaboration with Home City Families. For ages 12 mos. - 6 years, siblings welcome. This program is designed for children and accompanying adults. Please plan to attend and be engaged with […]
- Job Corps Information Table
10/03/23 @ 12:00pm - 10/03/23 @ 3:00pm Forest Park Branch Stop by to learn about Job Corps. Job Corps is a free residential and job training program that helps both young adults as well as adults of any age who have a disability to gain employment.
- Meat-Free Meals for Teens
10/03/23 @ 4:00pm - 10/03/23 @ 5:00pm Program Den Forest Park Branch Registration for this event is required. Registration is required. Registration starts: 08/01/2023 @ 8:00am Registration end: 09/29/2023 @ 4:00pm We're cooking up a storm at Forest Park Library! Do you […]
- Crafty Wednesdays
10/04/23 @ 3:30pm - 10/04/23 @ 4:30pm Program Den Forest Park Branch Come visit the Forest Park Branch for some crafting! Every other Wednesday we'll have an interactive craft for tweens and teens! Some examples are slime, painting, and soap making. For ages 11-18, from 3:30-4:30pm.