Philly Theatre Week , presented by Theatre Philadelphia, is a 10-day celeration of the artists, organizations, and audiences that have made Greater Philadelphia one of the most vibrant theatre regions in the nation. With over 75 events taking place, there's bound to be something to spark your interest. While many are, of… continue reading Philly Theatre Week and a Look at Philadelphia Theatre History

By written by Karin S.    February 9, 2018   

• Exhibitions
• Archives
• Theatre
• History
• Special Collections

As Head Designer of Horace Trumbauer’s architecture firm, Julian Abele designed the Free Library and the Philadelphia Art Museum and set the tone for the entire parkway. He designed buildings and palatial estates throughout the Philadelphia region as well as in New York City, Boston, and Newport, R.I.  But there was more to this… continue reading A History Minute: 11 Things You Didn't Know About Julian Abele, Architect of the Parkway

By written by Administrator    February 7, 2018    10  

• Parkway Central
• History
• Black History Month
• Black Histories of Philadelphia

Here at the Free Library, we often have parents ask us, "How can I help my child learn to read?" Of course, we know that sharing books with children helps to develop a love of reading, but beyond that, there are lots of things you can do to support your child's language and literacy development. We are happy to announce that the… continue reading Ready4K and Vroom: Early Learning Tips for Young Children

By written by Sarah S.    February 2, 2018    2  

• How To
• Reading
• Pre K
• Early Literacy
• Literacy
• Read by 4th

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. , Parkway Central Library welcomes back the United Way and the Campaign for Working Families for our second annual Free Tax Prep & Resource Fair . Community organizations will be available to connect tax filers to local, state, and national resources that help individuals and families to… continue reading Free Tax Preparation and Resource Fair

By written by Adam F.    February 1, 2018    2  

• Tax Information

Saturday, February 3, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990). Overture to Candide (1957) Gustav Mahler (1860–1911). “Ich atmet einen Lindenduft,” from Rückert-Lieder (1901) Mahler . Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (1902) Ned Rorem (b. 1923). Symphony No. 3 (1958) Bernstein . Presto barbaro,… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: Bernstein’s 100th

By written by Fleisher Collection    January 31, 2018    1  

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

Black History Month begins this week, and we have a packed February full of programming for all ages here at the Free Library.  Neighborhood libraries across the city are hosting everything from craft workshops and quizzos to performances, film screenings, and discussions highlighting the struggles, successes, and contributions of African… continue reading Black History Month at the Free Library

By written by Julie B.    January 30, 2018    1  

• Black History Month

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that streaming movies from Kanopy , as well as digital audiobooks from Hoopla and RBDigital , now appear in the Free Library catalog . Audiobook junkies are surely weeping tears of joy right now, but the rest of us can be excused for asking what all the fuss is about.  The fuss,… continue reading All About Audiobooks (and eBooks, Streaming Video, and More): Now Searchable Directly Through Our Online Catalog!

By written by Jamie W.    January 29, 2018    1  

• Ebooks
• Film
• Digital Media
• Audiobooks

Excited for the release of the movie adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time this spring? I know I am! Can’t wait for Black Panther ? Yes! Obviously you should read the books first, but did you know that a ton of other Young Adult books are headed to screens both big and small in 2018?  Definitely get a leg up on your friends and be able to… continue reading Coming Soon from the Pages of a Book to a Screen Near You: YA Movies and Television Shows

By written by Rachel F.    January 26, 2018   

• Film
• YA Literature
• Pop Culture

The Free Library Passport Acceptance Facility, normally located at Northeast Regional Library, is popping up at Tacony Library . The Northeast Regional Library will be closed through January 28, 2018 due to a building emergency; the Tacony Passport Office will be open January 19 through at least January 28, 2018. The Tacony Library Passport… continue reading Free Library Passport Acceptance Facility at Tacony Library!

By written by Victoria G.    January 19, 2018    1  

• Free Library Announcements

Ah Haiti, our neighbor to the south that shares an island with the Dominican Republic. Surviving earthquakes, dictators, revolutions, and producing an amazingly creative diaspora (which as you know, means Haitian-born people who immigrate to other countries.) Several young adult books in recent years have focused on life in Haiti after the… continue reading Haitian Families and Culture Featured in YA Fiction

By written by Rachel F.    January 12, 2018    1  

• Recommendations
• YA Literature

The Free Library's Rare Book Department prides itself on making historical and beatiful artifacts available to the general public. An award of $500,000 from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), which is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation , will make some of its collection more accessible to… continue reading Rare Book Department Awarded Digitization Grant for Muslim-World Artifacts

By written by Julie B.    January 11, 2018    4  

• CLIR Grant
• Rare Book Department

I recently spoke with a familair face at Parkway Central Library —Sean Early, the Digital Resource Specialist in the Workplace , a service that supports job seekers within the Business Resource & Innovation Center (BRIC) at the Free Library of Philadelphia. He tells me why he loves his job and why you should make an appointment… continue reading Cool Job! Chatting with Workplace's Digital Resource Specialist

By written by Gillian R.    January 11, 2018   

• Careers
• Databases
• How To
• Parkway Central
• Workplace
• Business Resource and Innovation Center
• Adult Learning
• Job Seekers

The Free Library's Center for Public Life is thrilled to announce the 2018–2019 Philadelphia Poet Laureate— Raquel Salas Rivera , a Puerto Rican poet and translator who writes in both English and Spanish. Raquel will kick off their tenure—joined by current Youth Poet Laureate Husnaa Hashim, a senior at Mastery… continue reading The Free Library Announces Philadelphia's Next Poet Laureate

By written by Julie B.    January 8, 2018    1  

• Poetry

Saturday, January 6, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940). Janitzio (1933) Revueltas . Redes , Suite from the film (1935), arr. Erich Kleiber Revueltas . La noche de los Mayas , Suite from the film (1939) In the cold of the new year, Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection finds warmth in the music of the… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: Silvestre Revueltas

By written by Fleisher Collection    January 3, 2018   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

Every year I read a lot of books. Out of the 339 that I read in 2017, I've picked out the 36 that I liked the best . 2017 was a hard year, and I found myself looking for books that were happy and not particularly difficult or challenging. I was looking for escapism and for me escapism involves a sense of optimism. That's not to say that… continue reading Dena's Favorite Books of 2017

By written by Dena    January 2, 2018   

• LGBTQ
• Romance
• Teens
• Recommendations
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Sci Fi
• Fiction
• Nonfiction

December and January are busy times of the year for most families. While parents are extra busy preparing for family parties and other social obligations, children are off from school for an extended period of time. With this in mind, parents are probably looking for stress free ways to entertain children during a time when they… continue reading Winter Break Activities: Media and Children

By written by Elizabeth K.    December 22, 2017   

• Childrens Programs
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Media
• Digital Learning

Want to learn how to download some of the over 120,000 ebooks available from our catalog to your new Kindle or Nook? Looking to discover all the hidden features of your new iPad, e-reader, smartphone, or tablet? Can’t figure out how to turn the darn thing on? Don’t fret: The Free Library of Philadelphia’s gadget gurus can help… continue reading "How Does This Thing Work?" Let the Free Library Help with Our Extended E-Gadget Helpdesk Holiday Hours!

By written by Lori M.    December 21, 2017    1  

• Digital Collections
• Ebooks
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Media
• Audiobooks

Beginning December 15, 2017, the Free Library will host an all ages online Winter Reading Challenge. The program encourages participants to continue reading all winter long, and also provides ideas for other fun activities. How do I sign-up? Visit https://freelibrary.beanstack.org on or after December 15 to sign-up. If you already have a… continue reading Announcing the Free Library’s All Ages Online Winter Reading Challenge!

By written by Barbara T.    December 14, 2017    6  

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Reading
• Teens
• Pre K
• Early Literacy
• Literacy
• Online Learning
• Digital Learning

So it’s almost time for another installment of the Star Wars franchise, an event which many of us are treating as a holiday. It’s been a roller coaster ride for fans these last two decades since The Phantom Menace . I don’t know about you guys but I’m still wary of getting my hopes up each time a new film comes out. Can… continue reading Pro-Porg and Proud: A Discussion on Star Wars Creatures Cute and Small

By written by Rachel F.    December 14, 2017   

• Film
• Sci Fi
• Pop Culture

Author, illustrator, and Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Don Tate recently visited the Children's Literature Research Collection to research an upcoming title. During his visit, Don sat down with us to answer a few questions about his career and his writing process. Don also spoke to an illustrator's critique group for the Society of… continue reading Q&A with Children's Author and Illustrator Don Tate

By written by Chris B.    December 14, 2017   

• Childrens Books
• Children's Literature Research Collection