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

It’s April, everyone, and you know what that means – it’s National Poetry Month ! Each year, the Academy of American Poets "highlights the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets" by celebrating with a host of readings, events, and activities. Check out their fun, thoughtful ways to participate… continue reading Celebrate National Poetry Month

By written by Autumn M.    April 3, 2018   

• Poetry
• Author Events
• Rosenbach

Just in time for Easter, perhaps the largest collection of "Easter Eggs" to ever be assembled on film debuts in theaters today— Ready Player One . The film is adapted from Ernest Cline's 2011 novel , a nod to all things '80s nostalgia and a cornucopia of media references across the genres of movies, music, television,… continue reading The Pop Culture Apocalypse of Ready Player One

By written by Peter SM    March 29, 2018    1  

• Tech
• Film
• Sci Fi
• Adaptations

Did you know the Free Library has trained mental health professionals on site at Parkway Central Library to help patrons who are in need of social services and other referrals? Because of all the great work being done, and in honor of National Social Work Month in March, we took a few moments to catch up with Michael Rabb, one of our onsite… continue reading Spotlight on Michael Rabb for National Social Work Month

By written by Autumn M.    March 15, 2018    6  

• Healthcare
• Community
• Social Services

2018 marks the 38th time little golden statues have been awarded to films of a certain competence... and no, I'm not talking about the Oscars—I'm referring to the Razzies ! The awards, which consist of gold spray-painted raspberries atop reels of film and boast a cost of $4.97 each, are given out to the best of the worst in… continue reading Best of the Worst in Film: The 2018 Razzie Awards

By written by Peter SM    March 9, 2018    1  

• Awards
• Film
• Pop Culture

At long last, Hoopla , our popular source for streaming television and movies (as well as graphic novels , ebooks , music , and audiobooks ) is now available to use on Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV! View the following video tutorials below to add Hoopla to your digital media player of choice. For written instructions, visit… continue reading Now Showing: Hoopla on the Big(er) Screen!

By written by Jamie W.    March 6, 2018    2  

• Television
• Film
• Digital Media

Every Monday at the Falls of Schuylkill Library around 4:15 p.m., our Children’s Department welcomes two special visitors. Wally and Orchid, while there to hear some stories and make new friends, are not your regular storytime attendees—they are both trained therapy dogs! They visit the library to help our school-age readers become… continue reading Therapy Dogs Encourage Reading at Neighborhood Libraries!

By written by Meredith M.    March 5, 2018    6  

• Childrens Programs
• Reading
• Neighborhood Libraries
• PAWS Read to a Dog

Another year, another Academy Awards. This Sunday, March 4 marks the 90th(!) Oscars ceremony, sure to have plenty of pomp , pageantry , and now more than ever, politics . Some will tune in for the glamour , some for the gossip . Some will throw parties , while others may try to win it all and make a quick buck in an office pool. Oh yeah, and… continue reading Oscars 2018: From Book to Screen and Back Again

By written by Peter SM    March 2, 2018   

• Awards
• Film
• Adaptations

Through May, the Teen Center is partnering with the Philly Slam League  to host its 8th season at Parkway Central Library . The program will draw hundreds of teens and their supporters from week to week to host a friendly and supportive poetry competition. Teen poets from 22 area high schools will perform under the guidance of teacher… continue reading Teen Central hosts the Philly Slam League for Poetry!

By written by Kris L.    March 2, 2018   

• Teens
• Poetry