On January 17, our nation commemorates the 27th Annual National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work and legacy. Dr. King’s part in the Civil Rights Movement is well-documented. Alongside his wife Coretta Scott King and countless others, his tireless organizing and courageous leadership of the nonviolent… continue reading In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By written by Emily S. January 13, 2022
Join the Adult Literacy Book Club, presented by the Free Library's Languages and Learning Center and Beyond Literacy . Improve your reading skills while reading and discussing interesting books! Don't always have a lot of time to read? No problem. This book club only covers a few chapters at each meeting, so you will have plenty of time… continue reading Adult Literacy Book Club's Winter Book Selection
By written by Phil K. January 12, 2022 1
Nourish your literacy by creating stories from scratch—with a seed starter! Chrissy loves to read, write, and tell stories. Her suggested steps for creating folklore were offered back when she was Talking About Tomatoes ! The story Chrissy started during that time was inspired by tomato seeds. Now this story is a fully grown… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Planting Story Seeds with Madame Marie and Her Magic Garden
By written by Shayna M. January 11, 2022
The Free Library has many resources and programs for Philadelphians of all ages to improve their reading skills! Read, Baby, Read is a Free Library initiative focused on encouraging early literacy development among infants and young toddlers (0-24 months old). Read by 4th is a citywide effort managed by the library that aims to… continue reading Improve Your Reading Comprehension Skills with the Free Library
By written by Lindsay S. January 10, 2022 1
Words mean things. We communicate with them, express ourselves with them, define and describe our surroundings and world with them. In the 21st Century, in the absence of physical reference books, we also look them up through online dictionaries. Overwhelmingly, 2021's words of the year were of the time and moment while also being… continue reading 2021's Words of the Year
By written by Peter SM January 7, 2022
Turn the lights down, grab some snacks, and tune into your screen of choice—the National Film Registry 's 2021 recommendations and selections have been announced! 25 films have been selected each year—for the past 33 years—to be preserved in the Library of Congress , showcasing the range and diversity of American film… continue reading Newest Additions to the National Film Registry
By written by Peter SM January 6, 2022
What better way to start your new year than with one of these new titles coming to the Free Library this January? Young Children (up to 2nd Grade) The Year We Learned to Fly written by Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by Rafael López On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice:… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in January!
By written by Rachel F. January 5, 2022
The Free Library and the Philadelphia Poet Laureate Governing Committee are excited to announce that Airea D. Matthews has been appointed the 2022-2023 Philadelphia Poet Laureate . The committee of poets, educators, and arts-organization professionals selected Airea from a deeply talented group of applicants. Her two-year term began on January… continue reading Philly, Meet Your New Poet Laureate
By written by Administrator January 4, 2022 4
It's that time of year again for my annual list of favorite books from the Philbrick Hall Fiction Department at Parkway Central Library ! Welcome to the tenth anniversary of this yearly list and the second year of pandemic reading! This year my reading slowed down even more—with only 220 books read. I blame a much-increased amount of… continue reading Dena's Favorite Books of 2021
By written by Dena January 3, 2022
It can be difficult to get into the holiday spirit in the midst of so much confusion, fear, and grief. Children and adults alike may find ourselves feeling sad at the loss of a loved one, of normalcy and routines, or of beloved traditions that have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Or maybe those very traditions feel out of place? With… continue reading Giving Back for the Holidays
By written by Emily S. December 23, 2021
Read, Baby, Read is a Free Library initiative focused on encouraging early literacy development among infants and young toddlers under two years old. We work with 12 participating libraries across Philadelphia to reach caregivers of all ages, providing resources that support early literacy skills, language development, and purposeful play. In… continue reading Read, Baby, Read Presents Early Literacy Ideas: Numbers!
By written by Sarah J. December 22, 2021
Which were the best books you read this year? The Children’s Librarians at Parkway Central Children’s Department have all the extremely specific book awards and recommended reads you never knew you needed! Ms. Becky’s Awards Becky Shaknovich – Department Head of Children's Department and Field Teen… continue reading Best Books of 2021 Selected by Parkway Central Children's Librarians
By written by Administrator December 21, 2021
Can you believe we’re about to turn the page on another (long, strange, COVID-19 filled...) year? I know I can't! While I've never really been a big New Year's Resolution person, I do appreciate how the turning of the page to a new calendar year can motivate us toward new goals and new expectations for all that… continue reading The Free Library and You: New Year’s Resolutions in 2022!
By written by Kate C. December 20, 2021 2
Free Library staff recently took the time to chat and answer some of our Library-specific Rebuild questions. Read their insights and enthusiasm about what Rebuild (Rebuilding Community Infrastructure) will bring to select libraries in Philly. Hello! Please introduce yourselves and tell us about your current involvement in Rebuild efforts at… continue reading Free Library and Rebuild: Building Stronger Communities One Park, Recreation Center, and Library at a Time
By written by Jenn D. December 17, 2021
You may know bell hooks for her innovative and tranformative works in literature, poetry, and feminist studies. Did you know she also wrote picture books? These titles are not to be missed! Homemade Love written by bell hooks; illustrated by Shane Evans Her Mama calls her Girlpie—a sweet treat, homemade with… continue reading bell hooks and picture books
By written by Monica C. December 16, 2021
On the eve of One Book, One Philadelphia’s 20th anniversary year in 2022, now is a good time to look back at the past two decades of a citywide tradition that has only blossomed with age. When this program began in 2002, I was only six years old and lived halfway across the country. Since I’ve moved to Philadelphia,… continue reading Happy 20th Birthday, One Book!
By written by Nell M. December 15, 2021
Would you like to learn a new language for an upcoming vacation? Or would you like to share the love of your language with someone? As the New Year approaches, the Languages and Learning Center is providing the opportunity for you to learn a language or teach your native language one-on-one. Hiring a language tutor can be expensive… continue reading Introducing World Language Tutoring
By written by Rachel H. December 14, 2021
No matter what holiday(s) you celebrate, the month of December is jam-packed with holiday offerings at the Free Library–both in-person and virtually! So whether it's Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or a love for sweater weather, we're here to help you celebrate this month! For a complete list of our holiday… continue reading Celebrate the Holidays with the Free Library!
By written by Kate C. December 13, 2021 1
The Free Library Board of Trustees will hold a meeting on Friday, December 17, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. View the upcoming meeting agenda » The meeting will take place through the online meeting platform Zoom, due to continued COVID-19 precautions. To access the meeting: Join via Zoom with the following link:… continue reading Free Library Board of Trustees Public Meeting on Friday, December 17 at 8:00 a.m.
By written by Administrator December 10, 2021
What art projects can you think of that involve layers? What recipes have you tasted that include layers of ingredients? Leanna and Tonii share two ideas for layering, while creating art and recipes in the following video. These ideas might be ones that you want to try or they might inspire different ideas of your own! Tonii's Layered… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Let's Layer: Art and Cooking!
By written by Shayna M. December 10, 2021
