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
Our Five Senses , a new exhibition in Parkway Central Library 's Dietrich Gallery opened earlier this year, and we had the honor of sitting down with some of the authors and illustrators who appear in the show. This month, we discuss the biography Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille with its author, Jennifer Bryant . … continue reading Our Five Senses - A Conversation with Author Jen Bryant
By written by Chris B. August 19, 2019
by Suzanna U. and Amy T. The third Saturday in August marks National Honey Bee Day , and the Free Library knows a thing or two about honey bees! Did you know we have quite a few of our own bees buzzing around town? You better BEE-lieve it! Let us set the stage… The Parkway Central Library is abuzz with activity. A record player in the… continue reading National Honey Bee Day at the Free Library!
By written by Suzanna U. August 16, 2019 1
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
The Free Library is committed to connecting with all the residents of Philadelphia. With our Prison & Reentry Services program, we are reaching out to men and women experiencing incarceration and those returning to their communities after release. We believe the Free Library plays an important role in the lives of these citizens. From… continue reading Incarcerated & Returning Citizens: Sharing Stories and Building Supports
By written by Micaela G. August 8, 2019 3
Summer at Widener Library has included a whirlwind of educational and entertaining programs, ranging from subjects like science to art and nearly everything in between! Thanks to our friend Miss Goda, who drew upon her impressive horticultural knowledge and expertise, we started a Garden Club with our young patrons. Despite high temperatures… continue reading Wonder at Widener Library
By written by Sunita B. August 8, 2019
It’s no secret that the Free Library of Philadelphia loves summer! Summer is a time for playing, exploring, and relaxing. Summer gives us time to learn new things and do what we love. There’s freedom to try something exciting, meet new friends, and enjoy all that our world has to offer. Teen artists can create and collaborate… continue reading There’s Still Plenty of Summer Fun, Creativity, and Learning at the Library Throughout August for Children and Teens!
By written by Shari K. August 5, 2019
August is here and Philadelphia City Institute Library will be featuring free summer jazz concerts ! We are pleased to continue this tradition for the fifth year in a row with performances by Hidden Treasure Jazz Group , the James Corum Trio , the Brian Hayman Trio , and the Dayen Hall Quartet . Our jazz concerts are well attended by people of… continue reading Check Out Free Summer Jazz Concerts at Philadephia City Institute Library Throughout August!
By written by Margaret T. August 5, 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
In part 2 of interviews conducted around the Trans Writers, Kids, and Books event (you can find our interview with Kyle Lukoff from before the event in an earlier blog post), this time we speak with Lambda and Stonewall Award-winning author Kacen Callender ( Hurricane Child , This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story , and the forthcoming King and the… continue reading Conversations About Queer and Trans Literature with Author Kacen Callender
By written by Naomi S. July 31, 2019
When you hear the dance music playing at the library, you know summer has begun in Olney! For the past four summers, the North 5th Street Revitalization Project and Greater Olney Library have co-sponsored Bop and Cha Cha classes. Stephanie Michel, Director of North 5th Street Revitalization Project, says, "As a co-sponsor of this… continue reading Do the Bop and Cha-Cha at Olney Library!
By written by Joy K. July 29, 2019 3
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
History is endlessly fascinating to me; twentieth-century history in particular is full of triumphs and dark chapters. Sometimes it takes some distance to get perspective on events of the day and to notice patterns in history. Recent years have seen the publication of many award-winning, engaging, and accessible examinations… continue reading It's All Just a Little Bit of History Repeating Itself Again
By written by Rachel F. July 23, 2019
(note: play these songs in the background while reading this blog post : ) In honor of this week’s very special Lunar Landing anniversary , I’ve been thinking a lot about how our gorgeous, mysterious, predictable, and still mesmerizing moon has figured so large in our imaginative arts, but especially in science fiction stories and… continue reading Imagining the Moon
By written by Joel N. July 19, 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
The mystery of romantic love has puzzled people for centuries. In 1862, Lewis Douglass wrote his future wife, Amelia Loguen, as follows: "Men and women talk of love, can anyone describe it? Can anyone give the reason why one person loves another to the exclusion of everyone else….I know many ladies, who are amiable, kind, talented… continue reading The Mystery of Romantic Love in the Modern Age
By written by Richard L. July 1, 2019
This is not a drill friends: Stranger Things is coming back! I repeat, Stranger Things is coming back just in time for the Independence Day weekend! In the meantime while we all wait, let me suggest some titles to quench your thirst for all things weird and weirder. The Woods written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Michael Dialynas… continue reading Young Adult Books Stranger than Stranger Things
By written by Rachel F. June 28, 2019
