Posts by Administrator (164)
Blog Articles
For over 50 years, Mae’s Millinery (definition: "the art of hat-making") was a fixture in Philadelphia, a destination for women from up and down the East Coast in search of the… continue reading A History Minute: Who was Mae Reeves and Why is She in the Smithsonian?
By written by Administrator December 26, 2019 5
Guess what, Philadelphia? We have great news! Drumroll, please... Today, the Free Library of Philadelphia Board of Trustees voted to approve a measure that will eliminate most overdue fines… continue reading We're Going Fine-Free!
By written by Administrator December 11, 2019 9
by Peter SM and Dena H. Imagine stepping into an alternate universe where not everything is as it seems, animals—known as dæmons —can talk and act like humans, and a mysterious… continue reading His Dark Materials Screenings and Scavenger Hunts!
By written by Administrator October 21, 2019 1
by Erme C. Maula, Read by 4th Reading Captain Heading into my Reading Captain training, I didn’t know what to expect. I had wanted to get involved in my community by doing something that I… continue reading Checking in with a Read by 4th Reading Captain!
By written by Administrator January 30, 2019 1
Update: The Free Library’s At These Crossroads exhibition was honored as an Adobe Government Creativity Awards finalist in the ‘Multichannel Campaign – Museum of Park… continue reading At These Crossroads: The Legacies of Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois Exhibition
By written by Administrator December 20, 2018 3
In our ongoing series of blog posts highlighting our awesome staff throughout the Free Library of Philadelphia, today we take some time to speak with Marvin DeBose - Haverford Library Branch… continue reading Meet Your Library Staff: Marvin DeBose - Haverford Library Branch Manager & Adult Teen Librarian
By written by Administrator September 18, 2018 2
by Kate M. This may sound familiar: you’re going to Italy in two weeks. Or Greece. Or Vietnam. You’ve been planning this trip for months, but it just never seemed like the right time… continue reading Learn a New Language with Mango Languages & Duolingo!
By written by Administrator August 8, 2018 3
We're now into round 4 of our Summer Madness blockbuster reads online bracket game! The Final Four battle is ON! Here's some stats on each title to see how they match up against each… continue reading The Final Four Book Battle Is ON a.k.a. Round 4 of Summer Madness!
By written by Administrator August 3, 2018
We're into round 3 of our Summer Madness blockbuster reads online bracket game! With only two weeks left, the Great Eight has arrived with devils and dolls, fly girls and tigers, hitchikers… continue reading The Great Eight Takes Shape a.k.a. Round 3 of Summer Madness is Under Way!
By written by Administrator July 27, 2018
We've gone a bit crazy from the heat over here at the Free Library. You might even say, we've got... SUMMER MADNESS ! This online bracket-style tournament matches blockbuster, best-selling… continue reading We're Turning Up the Heat with... Summer Madness!
By written by Administrator July 20, 2018
In our ongoing series of historical posts about Philadelphia neighborhoods, today we bring you our neighbors to the northwest, Germantown... Germantown was the first permanent German… continue reading A History Minute: 11 Things You Should Know About Germantown
By written by Administrator June 5, 2018 6
As Head Designer of Horace Trumbauer’s architecture firm, Julian Abele designed the Free Library and the Philadelphia Art Museum and set the tone for the entire parkway. He designed… continue reading A History Minute: 11 Things You Didn't Know About Julian Abele, Architect of the Parkway
By written by Administrator February 7, 2018 10
Gladys Jamison couldn’t know this, but she was a girl coming of age in an exodus. Thirteen years old when her father moved her and her siblings to Brooklyn, she’d lost her mother five… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Brooklyn, Black Girlhood, and the Great Migration
By written by Administrator November 22, 2017 3
It has been more than 150 years since Octavius Catto may have slipped on a sack overcoat that hung by his front door, pushed a well-worn felt pocket hat over his parted hair, stepped out into the… continue reading Following Octavius V. Catto’s Footsteps
By written by Administrator September 25, 2017 13
On Sept. 26, 2017, the fence will come down and a new statue will be unveiled: the first new City Hall statue since 1923 and the first of an African American on any city-owned public… continue reading A History Minute: Octavius V. Catto - Philadelphia's Forgotten Freedom Fighter
By written by Administrator September 22, 2017
by Emma Seeley The Free Library of Philadelphia recently opened a new office, the Center for Public Life (CPL), to coordinate cultural and civic programs for adults across the library system. At… continue reading A Conversation with Andrew Nurkin, Head of Our New Center for Public Life (CPL)
By written by Administrator August 24, 2017 3
by Annette Mattei Did you know that close to 30 percent of adults who visit the Free Library come here to look for jobs? Moreover, That’s according to a Pew survey conducted in 2012 , 40… continue reading Job Readiness Labs: Supporting Job Seekers in Southwest Philadelphia
By written by Administrator August 11, 2017 3
Almost 100 years before Ellis Island, Philadelphia established The Lazaretto Station. It became the point of entry for all ships and passengers arriving during the quarantine season of June… continue reading A History Minute: What is The Lazaretto?
By written by Administrator August 7, 2017 5
In the spring of 1776 , the British began a blockade of American ports, throwing coastal shipping into disarray and sending many captains back to the more secure European routes. But a young… continue reading The Richest Man in America
By written by Administrator April 27, 2017
The following is a guest blog post by Frances Egler, who serves as the Director of Programming and Presentations at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts . Egler is responsible for booking the… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Broadway Booking and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
By written by Administrator December 28, 2016