In 1970, bisexual activist Brenda Howard organized the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March, marking the one-year anniversary of New York City’s Stonewall Uprising . The Uprising referred to a six-day clash between young gay, lesbian, and transgender New Yorkers and the New York Police Department, following NYPD’s raid of… continue reading The History of Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ Advocacy of Barbara Gittings

By written by Sara P.    June 1, 2018    1  

• Free Library of Pride

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, a national month that uses storytelling to highlight immigrant communities. This year, the Free Library of Philadelphia is partnering with the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to feature a month of programming and events centered on standing together with Philly’s immigrants and how our stories… continue reading Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month!

By written by Nate E.    June 1, 2018   

• Community Events
• New Americans

The Print and Picture Collection recently added a group of photos to the Historical Images of Philadelphia Digital Collection  featuring intrepid reporter Vivian Shirley climbing three Philadelphia landmarks between 1929 and 1930: the Drake Hotel , Tacony-Palmyra Bridge , and Federal Reserve Bank . The photos live in a folder labeled… continue reading Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Reporter Vivian Shirley Climbs Philadelphia Landmarks!

By written by Laura S.    May 31, 2018    2  

• History
• Print and Picture Collection
• Photography
• Newspapers

Saturday, June 2, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Charles Cadman (1881–1946). Dark Dancers of the Mardi Gras (1933) Carl Busch (1864–1943). Minnehaha’s Vision (1914) Cadman . Thunderbird Suite (1918) Gena Branscombe (1881–1977), arr. William Happich (1884–1959).  A Memory (1922) Cecil Burleigh… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: American Romantics and Other Cultures

By written by Fleisher Collection    May 30, 2018   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

The Workplace , a service of the Business Resource & Innovation Center , is excited to announce our latest FREE resource: monthly resume review ! Our newest staff member, Janet, has 20 years of management experience with a background in education and public service, as well as being responsible for interviewing and hiring employees. Janet… continue reading Refresh Your Resume This Spring!

By written by Gillian R.    May 30, 2018   

• Careers
• Workplace
• Business Resource and Innovation Center
• Job Seekers

The weather is getting warmer, school is coming to a close soon, and the Summer of Wonder at the Free Library is almost here! Enjoy free activities and programming all summer long that support reading, learning, exploration, and fun. This program is designed for children and teens from birth to 12th grade, as well as adults, and there are… continue reading Summer of Wonder: Explore! Discover! Read!

By written by Ann P.    May 29, 2018    1  

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Summer Reading
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Another summer season is about to start and with it a swath of celluloid distractions from the impending heat and humidity outside, projecting eye-popping entertainment some 40 feet high amid air-conditioned comfort (and hopefully accompanied by some sugary and / or salty snacks to munch on as well). There are an ever-growing abundance of… continue reading Summer Movies 2018: A Respite from Reality

By written by Peter SM    May 25, 2018    2  

• Film
• Summer
• Pop Culture
• Adaptations

Science in the Summer is returning to the Free Library of Philadelphia and we are excited about this year’s curriculum—The Science of Space. By bringing the Science of Space to elementary school children, we’re showing them at an early age that, through knowledge, education and hard work, these worlds are attainable—all… continue reading Science in the Summer Is Back!

By written by Elizabeth K.    May 17, 2018   

• Childrens Programs
• Science
• Summer

What are your kids planning to do this summer? If they want to learn to make pasta, pizza, and other yumtastic dishes from scratch, they should apply to attend Summer Thyme Cooks at the Culinary Literacy Center – a fresh approach to learning about cooking, collaboration, and cost. Summer Thyme Cooks is a FREE, four-part summer cooking… continue reading Get Your Kids in the Kitchen This Summer at the Free Library!

By written by Jamie B.    May 17, 2018    7  

• Childrens Programs
• Teens
• Culinary Literacy
• Summer

TheFree Library is teeming with opportunities for little ones to get cozy with letters, words, and books from the earliest ages. Our storytimes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers incorporate not only reading, but singing, dancing, counting, and playing. Our Read by 4th campaign has helped install "book nooks" in barbershops,… continue reading Vanguard Donates $3 Million to Boost Literacy for Our Littlest Learners

By written by Julie B.    May 14, 2018   

• Early Literacy
• Read by 4th
• Neighborhood Libraries

Sing, read, play, write, and talk with the World Traveling Trunks —cultural-themed toolboxes that celebrate cultures around the globe while enriching our local communities throughout Philadelphia. Building cultural awareness and embracing diversity in a cross-cultural environment will help children to develop cross-cultural social skills… continue reading Fly with Your Imagination: The World Traveling Trunks Connect Families, Cultures and Stories

By written by Mary Marques    May 7, 2018    8  

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• New Americans

The Aspen Institute’s influential report, Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries , predicts that in the coming years, the most successful public libraries will be the ones with services that prioritize and support local community goals. "What libraries need is to be more intentional in the ways that they deploy… continue reading New Training on Community-Centered Libraries Starts in October

By written by Community-Centered Libraries    May 2, 2018    2  

• Free Library Staff
• Neighborhood Libraries
• IMLS

The 4th annual Free Library of Comic Con will descend upon the Parkway Central Library on May 12, 2018! There’s so much going on at this year’s event that we don’t even know if we can fit all of our excitement into one blog post, but we'll try... When you arrive at Free Library of Comic Con, you’ll first encounter… continue reading The Return of the Free Library of Comic Con!

By written by Kris L.    May 1, 2018    2  

• Art
• Events at the Library
• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Teens
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Comic Con

Take a deep dive into the Free Library’s resources on African American artists at The Libraries Are Appreciated , an exhibition from the Parkway Central’s Art Department . Borrowing its name from the 1943 painting by Jacob Lawrence that honors the library’s active role in providing free education for all, this exhibition… continue reading Black Artists from the Stacks: The Libraries Are Appreciated

By written by Jamie B.    April 24, 2018   

• Exhibitions
• Art
• Databases
• African American
• Catalog

Two of our most popular digital resources are getting a new home on your mobile device. RBDigital Audiobooks and RBDigital Magazines ( formerly Zinio )  are now both available through the RBDigital App.  This change will bring the best and latest digital audiobooks as well as current newsstand magazines together in one… continue reading Check Out the New App for Digital Audiobooks and Magazines

By written by Jamie W.    April 20, 2018    9  

• Databases
• Digital Media
• Audiobooks

In Philadelphia, April means the Philadelphia Science Festival ! The week-long festival, hosted by the Franklin Institute, includes hundreds of free and low-cost programs across the city for children, families, and adults. The Free Library is excited to host several science-based children's programs in 11 of our neighborhood libraries… continue reading #GetNerdyPHL at the Philadelphia Science Festival!

By written by Valerie S.    April 20, 2018   

• Events at the Library
• Childrens Programs
• Community Events
• Family Programs
• Science
• LEAP
• STEM

Today, April 13, is the first of two Friday the 13ths occurring in 2018. The next one arrives exactly 13 weeks later on July 13! The only logical thing to do on such a superstitious occassion is to stay (safely) inside away from black cats, open ladders, spilled salt, cracked sidewalks, broken mirrors, and other horrific hazards and stream some… continue reading 13 Screamingly Scary Movies to Stream This Friday the 13th!

By written by Peter SM    April 13, 2018   

• Recommendations
• Film
• Digital Media

You love Black Panther, I love Black Panther—we all love Black Panther! Have you already read through all of our Black Panther comics and graphic novels available in our catalog? Feeling ready to branch out and explore what else is out there in African and African-American Superheroes? We got you covered! Malika: Warrior Queen Set in… continue reading African and African-American Superheroes That Aren’t the Black Panther

By written by Rachel F.    April 11, 2018   

• Recommendations
• YA Literature
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Comic Con

We are very pleased to announce complimentary online access to the New York Times is now available with your library card ! Free Library card holders will now have free access to NYTimes.com and all NYT mobile apps, as well as the paper's international editions.   With the New York Times , you will find a variety of… continue reading Extra! Extra! New York Times Online Now Free With Your Library Card!

By written by Jamie W.    April 10, 2018    30  

• Databases
• Digital Media
• Newspapers

Saturday, April 7, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Stephen Foster (1826–1864). Old Folks at Home (1851), arr. 1897 by Carl Busch (1862–1943) George Chadwick (1854–1931). Suite Symphonique Foster . My Old Kentucky Home (1853), arr. 1907, Busch   The history of a musical era is as difficult to capture as the history of a… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: American Romantics—Chadwick, Foster, and Busch

By written by Fleisher Collection    April 4, 2018   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music