Lillian Marrero Library , under the leadership of Branch Manager Mieka Moody, has been named the 2020 winner of ALA's Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation ! Branch Manager Mieka Moody The award, supported by the Penguin Random House Foundation, recognizes U.S. libraries and librarians who create lasting innovative… continue reading Lillian Marrero Library Wins ALA's Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation!

By written by Administrator    July 6, 2020    5  

• ALA
• Awards
• Free Library Staff
• Neighborhood Libraries

The Summer of Wonder marches into week six, and we're here to help you keep your spirits up! Struggling to explain social distancing to a child in your life? Check out this hula-hooping video from Free Library Early Learning . Looking for a sweet green urban retreat? Why not harvest mulberries with the Field Teen Center ? Or try a brand new… continue reading Summer of Wonder - Week 6: Mindfulness Meditation, Coding for Kids, Recycled Arts and Crafts, Virtual Storytimes, and Musical History!

By written by Emily S.    July 3, 2020    2  

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Teens
• Summer Reading
• Summer
• Adult Learning
• Virtual Programs

In this time of self-reflection and evaluation of our own and our society's biases and attitudes around race, our suggestions include new titles in which race is a central theme, as well as a primer on voting and why it matters. We think you'll find them thought-provoking and enlightening.   Young Children (Up to 2nd Grade)… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in July!

By written by Paul A.    July 3, 2020    2  

• Teens
• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Fiction
• Nonfiction
• New Titles

Some authors / illustrators have a special talent for creating stories perfect for storytime, for audience participation, and plenty of belly laughs. Today we will talk about one of them: Jan Thomas and her deceptively simple but masterfully written and illustrated books for toddlers and the preschool crowd. It all started when Jan attended a… continue reading Picture ebook Highlights | Author and Illustrator Jan Thomas

By written by Monica C.    July 2, 2020   

• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Early Literacy
• Picture Book Highlights

You have a story to tell. Now more than ever, in these uncertain times, people long to be heard, they are speaking up and speaking out. Author Jason Reynolds' award-recognized and highly-praised Look Both Ways (available in ebook and audiobook formats) takes a look at 10 young people, in 10 chapters, all of whom go to the same school and… continue reading Look Both Ways and Tell Your Story

By written by Jeff B.    July 2, 2020   

• Reviews
• Teens
• Recommendations
• Black Authors

Although this year’s Immigrant Heritage Month didn’t look the way we initially thought it would, we were still excited and very honored to celebrate and reflect alongside our partners at the City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs !   A few of the highlights were a digital author series… continue reading A Look Back at Immigrant Heritage Month 2020

By written by Kate C.    July 1, 2020    1  

• Free Library Staff
• Immigrant Heritage

Summer is looking a little different this year without in-person programming at the Free Library. As someone who lives for summer arts and crafts programs, I’m sure I’m not the only one itching for some quality craft time with the kids. If you are looking for fun, engaging crafts to make with your kids but don’t have a lot of… continue reading Creating on a Budget with Recycled Crafts

By written by Echo P.    July 1, 2020   

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Summer
• Crafts and Hobbies

Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center . The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free Library locations remain closed to the public in the interest of public health and safety, we will be sharing… continue reading Edible Alphabet Recipe of the Week: Chinese Scallion Pancakes

By written by Lindsay S.    June 30, 2020   

• Culinary Literacy
• Recipes
• Cooking
• History of Philadelphia
• Edible Alphabet
• Immigrant Heritage

Right now, it seems like everyone is reading books about race. The New York Times  bestsellers list is currently made up almost entirely of books about race and racism, with the "big three" taking the top spots: How to Be an Antiracist , So You Want to Talk About Race , and White Fragility . At the Free Library, we’re… continue reading There's More to #BlackLivesMatter Than Booklists

By written by Jamie B.    June 30, 2020    5  

• Recommendations
• Black Lives Matter

Pride Month is set to wrap up this week, and we’ve had so much fun celebrating with virtual events, book lists, and history lessons all throughout June (see what we’ve been up to here on the  blog !). But we’ve got one more celebration planned, and we hope you’ll participate!  The Parkway Central Library… continue reading Close Out Pride Month with a Dress-Up Day!

By written by Kate C.    June 29, 2020   

• Community
• Free Library of Pride

For nearly three decades, America’s birthplace (Philly, of course!) has celebrated Independence Day with Wawa Welcome America – a free, multi-day festival encompassing multicultural and multigenerational programming, highlighting our city’s diverse voices. Of course, this year’s event has had to pivot to a… continue reading Celebrate Wawa Welcome America Virtually with the Free Library!

By written by Kate C.    June 29, 2020   

• Holidays
• Special Collections
• History of Philadelphia

Celebrate Pride Month by attending your very own film fest of curated LGBTQIA+ cinema, streaming through our Digital Media portal ! Kanopy There are hundreds of LGBTQAI+ featured films and videos currently streaming , with categories like Modern Love , Journey Out of the Closet , Fight for Equality , Quintessential Queer Filmmakers , Notes on… continue reading Digital Media Spotlight: Pride Month Streaming Film Fest!

By written by Peter SM    June 26, 2020   

• LGBTQ
• Film
• Digital Media
• Free Library of Pride

Celebrate Pride Month , Independence Day, and your own creativity as the Summer of Wonder continues this week! Beat the summer heat and learn to keep cool without AC ! For a special treat, make DIY ice cream with LEAP ! Join us Daily Challenges on Facebook for Week 5 of Wonder, June 29 – July 5! Monday: Imagination Station Get into the… continue reading Summer of Wonder - Week 5: Pride Dress Up Day, Adventure Journals, Independence Day, and DIY Ice Cream!

By written by Emily S.    June 26, 2020   

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Teens
• Summer Reading
• Summer
• Adult Learning
• Virtual Programs

Families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. These wonderful ebooks can help you celebrate the richness and diversity of families today:   Baby’s First Words written by Stella Blackstone ; illustrated by Christiane Engel Spend the day with a busy baby and her two dads, and learn the words for things you do and see along the way!… continue reading Celebrating Families During Pride Month

By written by Monica C.    June 25, 2020   

• Ebooks
• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Free Library of Pride

The Business Resource and Innovation Center’s (BRIC) free business resources are accessible anywhere! That means you can conduct business research at your leisure from the comfort of your home. So grab your cat, a hot beverage, and your business plan template . It’s time to get your research on! Whether you’re currently… continue reading At Home with BRIC: Conducting Market Research

By written by Gillian R.    June 25, 2020   

• Databases
• Business Resource and Innovation Center
• Business
• Library Resources
• Virtual Programs

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." — George Washington Carver George Washington Carver lived an extraordinary life. Born a slave on a… continue reading George Washington Carver: Inventor, Environmentalist, Mentor, and Role Model

By written by Sharyl O.    June 24, 2020    2  

• African American
• History
• Patent and Trademark
• Black Lives Matter

Really want to get the most out of your veggies? Then don’t let them go to waste! Check out these six tips from the Culinary Literacy Center for keeping your produce fresher longer.   6. Frozen is just as good as fresh! Did you know that the nutrient content in frozen or canned produce can be equal to and sometimes even greater than… continue reading 6 Tips for Keeping Your Produce Fresher and Longer

By written by Naquawna L.    June 24, 2020    1  

• How To
• Culinary Literacy

If you recall being in middle school, or are currently in middle school, you know it is a tough time. Am I wearing the right clothes? Do I have the right friends? Do I like the right stuff? Middle school is a time of change: your look, your brain, your feelings. Around this time is also when a lot of children start to feel more… continue reading Middle-Grade Pride Book Recommendations!

By written by Mary W.    June 23, 2020   

• Teens
• Recommendations
• Free Library of Pride

Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center . The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free Library locations remain closed to the public in the interest of public health and safety, we will be sharing… continue reading Edible Alphabet Recipe of the Week: Black Bean Empanadas

By written by Lindsay S.    June 23, 2020   

• Languages
• Recipes
• Cooking
• Digital Learning
• English Language Learners
• Languages and Learning

That’s all anybody can do right now. Live. Hold out. Survive. I don’t know whether good times are coming back again. But I know that won’t matter if we don’t survive these times. ― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler’s breathtaking body of work deals broadly with racism, as well as with other… continue reading In Appreciation of Octavia Butler

By written by Joel N.    June 22, 2020    5  

• African American
• Literature