I’ll let constellations form and fall off this tongue Mold planets out of clay with clay with these hands, Create a whole universe behind these eyes I’ll spread myself across the sky in thick, bright strokes, and leave a trail of light behind me, Don’t you know I’m a shooting star? – Mia Concepcion, 2019-2020… continue reading Meet the 2019-2020 Youth Poet Laureate!
By written by Andrew N. September 4, 2019 3
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and we just wanted to remind you that securing your very own Free Library of Philadelphia library card is both easy and valuable! You can sign up online or in person at any one of our 54 neighborhood library locations around the city. Anyone who lives, works, pays taxes, or attends school in the city of… continue reading September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!
By written by Kate C. September 3, 2019 2
The calendar still says August, and the weather forecast still says summer, but the new school year is just around the corner— School District of Philadelphia will ring the bell to begin classes on Tuesday, September 3! After a summer full of reading and fun, the Free Library is ready to help Philadelphia students and their families… continue reading Go Back to School with the Free Library!
By written by Jess P. August 30, 2019 1
¿Conoces a un adulto hispanohablante que necesita ayuda para aprender a leer y escribir? Estamos aceptando estudiantes adultos en la biblioteca de Kensington para un curso gratuito de alfabetización en español en línea: Leamos . Leamos es un curso de alfabetización en línea e interpersonal que… continue reading Leamos en la Biblioteca: ¡Clases de Alfabetización! Leamos @ The Library: Spanish Literacy Class!
By written by Lindsay S. August 27, 2019
Naquawna Letman is a Library Assistant at Parkway Central Library and a participant in Cohort 3 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings. Exploring Music and Food through the Senses is a program that introduces participants to various cultures and traditions, creates bridges between neighborhood libraries and their customers,… continue reading Music Department and Culinary Literacy Center Collaborate on Programming
By written by Community-Centered Libraries August 26, 2019 1
If you’re getting your news mostly from social media, your information diet is probably a little lacking. You might even be consuming fake news , which the New York Times defines as "a published news report that can be easily proved false," 1 in the recently published book Fake New: Read All About It . Fake news doesn’t… continue reading Are You Reading Fake News?
By written by Jamie B. August 20, 2019 3
Meredith McGovern is a Librarian at Falls of Schuylkill Library and a participant in Cohort 3 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings. As a children’s librarian, I work with our youngest patrons. Many of the families in our East Falls neighborhood love nature and the outdoors. With that in mind, I decided to run a… continue reading Gardening for Kids Programs Grow Community Connections
By written by Community-Centered Libraries August 12, 2019
August 1, 2019 marked the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville ’s birth. In honor of his bicentennial, we are proud to present American Voyager: Herman Melville at 200 , a new exhibition on display at The Rosenbach , October 3, 2019–April 5, 2020, that will explore the life, works, and legacy of this iconic but under-read… continue reading Happy 200th Birthday, Herman Melville!
By written by Rosa D. August 2, 2019
The Literacy Works! 2019 program is underway! Provided by the Free Library of Philadelphia and funded by WorkReady Philadelphia, Literacy Works! is a 6-week summer program employing nearly 100 teens, known as Teen Literacy Coaches, at 45 of the city’s 54 neighborhood libraries . These teens work alongside librarians to facilitate literacy… continue reading Literacy Works!, WorkReady Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Youth Network Create Teen Literacy Coaches in Neighborhood Libraries
By written by Jovan E. July 25, 2019 1
In the midst of a heat wave, Science in the Summer continues to spark young minds! For over thirty years, the program has demystified the sciences with free, hands-on learning for students entering 2nd-6th grades, all the while encouraging them to consider careers in the sciences. The 2019 theme, The Science of Me, allows kids to explore the… continue reading Delving into the Science of Me
By written by Emily S. July 24, 2019 1
I’ve always loved this expression – probably because it includes two of my favorite things: the summer season and dogs! As an idiom, the dog days are the hottest, most humid days of summer: days when all one wants to do is rest in the shade, dive in a pool, and drink plenty of iced water. It’s easy to associate those days with… continue reading More Dog Days of Summer!
By written by Monica C. July 18, 2019
We’re having a really exciting Author Event on the evening of Thursday, July 25 where the topics of discussion will be Trans Writers, Kids, and Books ! Lambda and Stonewall Award-winning author Kacen Callender ( Hurricane Child , This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story , and the forthcoming King and the Dragonflies and Felix Ever After ) and… continue reading Conversations About Queer and Trans Literature with Picture Book Author Kyle Lukoff
By written by Naomi S. July 16, 2019
The Free Library is delighted that WURD Radio (96.1FM | 900AM) is returning with LIVE broadcasts as part of their Summer of Freedom Tour. This marks the ninth year that WURD will broadcast from (15) neighborhood libraries, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted), on the days listed below. Join new Summer of Freedom hosts Dr. Aaron… continue reading WURD's Summer of Freedom Library Tour Returns!
By written by Jenn D. July 2, 2019
Another Summer of Wonder is here and The Rosenbach is again excited to offer free admission for families to the museum ! Once you step through the museum’s stately front doors, you’ll find a house filled with weird, wacky, and wonderful things that will delight and enchant the entire family. Pick up a copy of the Journey Around the… continue reading Summer of Wonder at The Rosenbach
By written by Emilie P. June 25, 2019
Today marks the last day of classes for School District of Philadelphia teachers and students and the beginning of summer break! Most thoughts and activities will turn to the outdoors, and when it's time to keep cool from that sweltering sun, you'll want to know where your nearest neighborhood pools and spraygrounds are located. This… continue reading School's Out for Summer! Keep Cool at a City Pool, Sprayground, and Your Neighborhood Library!
By written by Peter SM June 4, 2019 3
National Gardening Week starts on June 2 and I, for one, will celebrate by staring obsessively at the Grandpa Ott morning glories that I planted a few weeks ago. Grandpa Ott is a gorgeous deep-purple flower with a magenta pink center. It is accompanied by a fast-growing leafy vine that can climb trellises, pergolas, or in my case, a… continue reading Celebrate National Gardening Week with These Books and Gardening Tips!
By written by Kamilah C. May 31, 2019
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month , and the Free Library is celebrating with events, speakers, drag queen storytimes, exhibitions, movie screenings, and more, all across Philadelphia! You can find everything with the #FreeLibraryofPride tag on our events calendar . Here's just a sample of what we have planned throughout June: It has been 50 years… continue reading LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2019 Programs and Events
By written by Joel N. May 30, 2019 3
Parkway Central Library Senior Services will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Awards for excellence in African American children’s literature with a five-part discussion series called Conversations In Color . These conversations take place throughout the month of June and center around the influence that images… continue reading Conversations in Color: The Coretta Scott King Awards Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence
By written by Lisa-Jane E. May 29, 2019 2
The unofficial start of the summer season begins again this Memorial Day weekend and there will certainly be plenty of activities available for your attention, including all the new blockbusters and cineplexes ready to bombard your senses. As seems to be the norm nowadays, there will be a plethora of sequels, reboots, and adaptations. As of… continue reading Summer Movies 2019: Cool Celluloid for a Sweltering Summer
By written by Peter SM May 24, 2019
I celebrate myself — When lilacs last — I contain multitudes — O Captain! my Captain! What other U.S. poet’s work can be recognized by so few words—and by so many people—as that of the self-proclaimed "American bard"? Two hundred years after the birth of Walt Whitman , his verse still rings,… continue reading We Celebrate Him: Walt Whitman at 200
By written by Clare F. May 22, 2019
