This February, commemorate Black History Month with books that celebrate the history, culture, and beauty of Black Americans. Written and illustrated by #OwnVoices creators, these books are the perfect way to honor this important month. The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez ; illustrated by Lauren Semmer ebook available from Overdrive.… continue reading Picture Book Highlights | Black History Month
By written by Monica C. February 4, 2021 1
Have you seen the movie A League of Their Own ? This famous movie highlights the early years of the Women’s Baseball League in 1943. However, if you were a Negro woman during the 1940s, segregation laws forbid you from playing. How would you play the game you loved? Well, if your name is Marcenia Lyle , you become resourceful. In 1949,… continue reading Toni Stone: The First Female Player in the Negro League
By written by Sandy M. February 4, 2021 1
Librarianship is my second career. I have been a librarian for the past fifteen years and a coordinator for the last five. In this position, I coordinate and manage programs, connect with community members and organizations, and provide training. I have to say that I wear many hats in order to accomplish the duties of my job. What is Time… continue reading Improving Time Management Skills: How to be Efficient and Productive?
By written by Mary Marques February 3, 2021 1
The Art Department is now hosting a virtual book and art-making club and we're excited to kick off our next topic! Art Book Club Online: Picturing Information starts Tuesday, February 2, meeting 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays throughout February and March, for a deep dive into the various ways different kinds of artists… continue reading Art Book Club Online
By written by Alina J. February 2, 2021 4
Welcome to February and Black History Month 2021! This month we have titles about love & imagination, as well as titles about history and confronting uncomfortable truths about the past. Young Children (up to 2nd Grade) Milo Imagines the World written by Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Christian Robinson Milo is on a long subway… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in February!
By written by Rachel F. February 2, 2021
When I was in grade school, I remember that we would often cover the same people for Black History Month, every year. You know the list: Martin Luther King, Jr. , Rosa Parks , Harriet Tubman , George Washington Carver , Madame C.J. Walker , etc. While the contributions from these figures are monumental and certainly worth… continue reading Follow the Free Library on Social Media this February for #BlackHistoryEveryday
By written by Kamilah C. February 1, 2021 2
"For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us." Millions watched last month as Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, spoke to the weight of history. Her inaugural poem "The Hill We Climb" captured the whole country’s… continue reading Black History Month at the Free Library
By written by Andrew N. February 1, 2021
Welcome to our second blog post on how to use the Free Library’s website to find books for your family. In the first part of this series, we learned how about how to “narrow search” options while browsing in our catalog . In this post, we’ll learn where on the website you can go to find out more about popular topics and… continue reading Tips on Discovering Books and Resources for the Whole Family Through Our Explore Topics
By written by Rachel R. January 29, 2021
It’s that time of year again! The 2021 Youth Media Award winners have been announced, honoring this year’s best and brightest titles for children and young adults. Watch Julius C. Jefferson Jr., President of the American Library Association, deliver the full announcement of the award winners. Usually accompanied by audible cheers… continue reading Read a Youth Media Award Winner!
By written by Emily S. January 28, 2021
When the Free Library of Philadelphia first started working together to draft a curriculum for the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries project, we never guessed how essential the skills we proposed to cultivate and strengthen would be to libraries in 2021. We gave a well-received presentation about the curriculum in Philadelphia at… continue reading Community-Centered Libraries Are More Important Than Ever
By written by Community-Centered Libraries January 27, 2021
Read, Baby, Read is a grant-funded 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… continue reading Read, Baby, Read Presents Early Literacy Ideas: Things That Go!
By written by Sarah J. January 26, 2021
The new year brings about an urgency to create new goals, make resolutions, change some of our habits, and look toward the future. This applies not only to our personal lives, but to business as well—whether you’re in the start-up phase, already established, or in the process of scaling your business. Planning is key to… continue reading Business Librarian and Business Owner: Goal Setting and Planning
By written by Sharontina H. January 25, 2021
January 23 happens to be a date of importance for two similar reasons: it is the birthday of John Hancock , who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence , with his name becoming synonymous with the act of signing documents. It is also National Handwriting Day , which was started in 1977 by the Writing Instrument… continue reading Celebrate National Handwriting Day!
By written by Linda Y. January 22, 2021
Sanborn fire insurance maps are available once again through ProQuest’s updated and newly-released database, Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 (formerly known as Sanborn Maps Geo Edition 1867-1970). This database gives you access to black-and-white, large-scale maps of over 12,000 cities and towns across the U.S. Fire insurance maps were created to… continue reading New Release of the ProQuest Sanborn Maps Database
By written by Megan M. January 21, 2021 4
Thank you to Nourishing Literacy (NL) team member Carolyn for writing this blog post! In addition to sharing her experience and findings, Carolyn has included some of the activities and approaches that we use in NL. The Nourishing Literacy team enjoys providing interactive food information, ideas that spark curiosity, and that are inclusive to… continue reading Squash Across Tables
By written by Shayna M. January 20, 2021 2
Updated Wednesday, January 27, 2021 12:20 p.m. The Wednesday, January 27 Hear Me Out event is now SOLD OUT. Navigating social distancing and splintering ideological differences across Pennsylvania has not been an easy feat. Debuting in October 2020 , the Hear Me Out civic dialogue program works to get at the heart of the issues that we face.… continue reading Announcing the Upcoming 'Hear Me Out' Civic Dialogue Line-Up!
By written by Irma Q. January 19, 2021
On Monday, January 18, celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with us! These books honor Dr. King’s work and the impact of his amazing life during the Civil Rights Movement . A renowned speaker and activist, Dr. King’s words and actions remain powerful and timely. They still inspire us to do better every day and to stand for justice… continue reading Picture Book Highlights | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
By written by Monica C. January 15, 2021
The Free Library’s Winter / Spring 2021 Author Events series is set to begin! As in the fall, all of these events will be virtual and held on Zoom. All events begin at 7:30 p.m. Most are free, and you can find all the information you need to register to view them on our website, freelibrary.org/authorevents . You can also watch almost all… continue reading Author Events Winter / Spring 2021 Schedule
By written by Author Events January 15, 2021 1
The Free Library is thrilled to announce the 19th annual One Book, One Philadelphia selection... The Tradition by Jericho Brown Each year, a single book is chosen by library staff, teachers, and community members as the centerpiece for citywide reading, conversation, and eight weeks of programming. This is the first year that the… continue reading Announcing the 2021 One Book, One Philadelphia Selection...
By written by Brittanie S. January 14, 2021 1
I know a lot of parents and caregivers out there miss taking a trip to the library. Believe me, we miss having you! One part of using the library that is harder when you can’t actually come into the library is picking out books to share with children. But I’m here to make it a little easier. In this blog series, I’ll break… continue reading Tips on Searching for Books for the Whole Family in Our Catalog!
By written by Rachel R. January 13, 2021
