These new titles can be checked out from the Library starting in March 2025! Young Children (up to 2nd Grade) Every Monday Mabel by Jawan Ashar Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window to make sure she didn’t miss the one thing she’s been looking forward to the whole week. She drags her chair down the… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in March
By written by Megan J. February 26, 2025
Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, begins on February 28 this year. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar and all over the world Muslim families celebrate with daily fasting and prayer. For families that observe the holiday and for those who want to learn more about it, here are four books to share with your little… continue reading New Children's Picture Books for Ramadan
By written by Rachel F. February 26, 2025
Modern media can leave the impression that the African American experience, as depicted primarily in television and film, functions on a timeline illustrated as a backward-moving ray. Many of the stories are either contemporary, our starting point, or historical. Both are important but there is a necessity to imagine, envision, and… continue reading Afrofuturism: Still Moving Black to the Future
By written by Dr. Guy Sims February 25, 2025
The exhibition Black Histories of Philadelphia observes the stories of people and places that make up Philadelphia’s countless histories. Some stories are kept, some fade over time, and others are misrepresented or silenced. The people featured in this exhibition created change through determination and innovation.… continue reading Black Histories of Philadelphia: Preserving Historical Sites
By written by Kelly D. February 25, 2025
Comic books and graphic novels are a dynamic and significant presence in the mainstream media. The number of films, television, and other media centered on and inspired by the illustrated pages and fantastic stories of comics have exploded in the market since the early 2000s. Today, if you ask anyone on the street, they could easily name… continue reading Black Independent Comic Books and Philadelphia's Impact
By written by Dr. Guy Sims February 18, 2025 3
The 2024 IRS tax season has begun and IRS tax return paper forms are available at the Library. This year, the Free Library locations that participate in the IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program are receiving the following three tax return publications: 1. 1040/1040 SR Combined Instruction Booklet 2. 1040 Tax Return Form 3. 1040-SR Form (an… continue reading Tips to Guide You This Tax Season
By written by Chris M. February 18, 2025
Love is in the air, and we’re not just talking about Valentine’s Day. February 14th is also Library Lovers’ Day! To celebrate, we’ve gathered some of our favorite comments from the outpouring of support we received during our Library Love competition last week, when hundreds of Free Library patrons let us know why they… continue reading Library Lovers' Day: In Your Own Words!
By written by Anthony T. February 14, 2025
Residents can get out of the cold and into a heated space at a neighborhood library with access to books, computers, wireless internet, and other Free Library amenities. The following neighborhood library locations will serve as warming centers during the citywide Code Blue : Bustleton Library | 10199 Bustleton Avenue (19116) Haddington… continue reading Warming Centers Open at Select Libraries on February 17, 2025
By written by Administrator February 13, 2025
![The Dunbar Theatre historical placard [Credit: By Nick-philly - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83579365]](https://libwww.freelibrary.biz/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/dunbar-theatre.jpg)
Theater plays a significant role in our society. Beyond entertaining us, it promotes education and literacy, and it promotes different perspectives on issues and historical events, as well as discussion, social change, and discourse. From the earliest civilizations in Egypt, Persia, and Greece to modern times, the purpose and impact of… continue reading Philadelphia and the African American Stage
By written by Dr. Guy Sims February 10, 2025
Everyone needs legal assistance at one time or another. Rest assured, the Free Library has Gale Legal Forms resources at the ready. State-Specific Gale Legal Forms is relevant to Pennsylvania law. There are categories like Divorce , Bankruptcy , Power of Attorney , and Incorporation (among others). You simply choose a category and… continue reading Legal Forms Now Easily Accessible With Your Library Card
By written by Tyler S. February 6, 2025 2
The first week of February is Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of the writers and artists who play an integral part in the literacy journey of children worldwide. Philadelphia’s vibrant literary community has its share of wonderful and talented children’s authors… continue reading Celebrate Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week With Local Creators
By written by Anthony T. February 4, 2025
The exhibition Black Histories of Philadelphia observes the stories of people and places that make up Philadelphia’s countless histories. Some stories are kept, some fade over time, and others are misrepresented or silenced. The people featured in this exhibition created change through determination and innovation. They… continue reading Black Histories of Philadelphia: An Exhibition from Special Collections
By written by Kelly D. February 4, 2025
There is lots to explore with these new titles coming to the Free Library of Philadelphia in February! Young Children (up to 2nd Grade) Space for Everyone by Seina Wedlick Zainab cherishes time spent with family and friends around the kitchen table and worries these traditions will end after moving, only to find comfort as new friends and… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in February
By written by Rachel F. February 4, 2025
Most CEOs read four to five books a month — join their ranks! Every Fourth Saturday of the month, the Entrepreneur Book Club will discuss books focusing on starting, running, and enhancing business success, with titles that speak to the entrepreneurial mindset. Join us on Saturday, February 22 at 2:00 p.m. to… continue reading Join the Entrepreneur Book Club
By written by Lonnie J. February 3, 2025 3
The commonalities connecting our African heritage, which is our Blackness, our resistance, and our resilience are well represented in writers from around the world. Within the history of African-American descent, our familial, cultural, and linguistic ties did not extinguish upon our physical separation from the Motherland. We have… continue reading Celebrating Black Authors From Around the Globe
By written by Ashabi R. February 3, 2025
For centuries Black free labor was simply a guarantee. However, there was always an awareness that we were entitled to equity in the profits from the country we worked hard to create. 1850 ushered in the first attempt at a Black labor union, the very short-lived American League of Colored Laborers. Founded in New York, the group focused on… continue reading Nothing Less Than What We’ve Earned: Black Voices in the Labor Movement
By written by Maya R. January 30, 2025 1
As the Philadelphia Eagles advance in the playoffs (GO BIRDS!), football fans everywhere are looking for a copy of A.J. Brown's viral sideline read , Inner Excellence . While the Free Library does carry digital audiobook copies of the self-help title on Libby , our main catalog doesn't typically carry physical copies of… continue reading Inner Excellence: Read-Alikes for Championship-Level Inspiration
By written by Bridget G. January 22, 2025
![Librarian John Thomson at his desk in Free Library of Philadelphia at City Hall, 1894. [Photographic Prints]. Retrieved from the History of the Free Library of Philadelphia Archive.](https://libwww.freelibrary.biz/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/1894-city-hall-librarian.jpg)
For over 130 years, the Free Library has been serving the communities of Philadelphia. Because we believe that history is important and should be shared, we are working to make the Free Library of Philadelphia Archives an accessible and sustainable collection. By "archives," we mean the records (documents, photos, recordings, and… continue reading History in the Free Library Archives
By written by Bill R. January 21, 2025
On Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. the Social Science and History Department will screen Abortion and Women's Rights 1970 , the first documentary made in the U.S. about the struggle for reproductive rights. Following the 28-minute film, there will be a panel discussion about the film, its historical context, and its relevance to… continue reading Abortion and Women's Rights 1970: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
By written by Ben R. January 16, 2025
On a recent winter day, Sheryl Oring found her childhood library cards and the memories came flooding back. For Oring, the local library was a refuge: a place for kids to feel safer and dream with fewer interruptions. As a fellow library kid and current library worker, I know the power libraries can have on us — but… continue reading Secretary to the People: Activating Democracy With Art
By written by Suzanna U. January 15, 2025 2
