Did you know that December is Read A New Book Month ? It’s perfect timing, really, as the temperature drops and we reaaaaaaaaally don’t want to think about leaving the couch if we don’t have to. This month, find something that’s new (or new to you!) with the help of trusty Free Library staff recommendations below! Got a… continue reading Celebrate Read A New Book Month with The Free Library!
By written by Kate C. December 13, 2017
Forty years after it left theaters, 1977’s Star Wars ranks as the second top-grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation). Its impact on pop culture is immeasurable—from a pretty consistent stream of weird knockoff films , toys , memes , and even official spinoff movies (that I may or may not own on DVD), Star Wars has… continue reading Star Wars: The Return of Carrie Fisher
By written by J. Matthew C. December 12, 2017 1
Our reopening season comes to a close with one final community celebration that is not to be missed. After a year and a half of undergoing extensive renovation and expansion, Lovett Memorial Library will reopen its doors on Saturday, December 16. This neighborhood hub, located at 6945 Germantown Avenue, has been reimagined as part… continue reading Lovett Memorial Library Grand Reopening Celebration!
By written by Shahadah A. December 11, 2017 3
Author Erin Entrada Kelly recently sat down with us in the Children's Literature Research Collection and spoke about illustration, cultural struggles, and how her childhood shaped her view as an author. As a result of our conversation, we're even more excited for Kelly's upcoming book, You Go First , which will be… continue reading Q&A with Children's Author Erin Entrada Kelly
By written by Chris B. December 7, 2017 1
Like the enormous condo building that is being erected on your block right now, the word "gentrification" has loomed large recently. Its definition is tough to pin down and experts have even disagreed on what exactly it is. And yet, we have an idea of what gentrification looks like. We’ve seen it in areas like Brewerytown, Point… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Gentrification in Philadelphia
By written by Kalela W. December 6, 2017 1
Read by 4th is proud to announce we have been selected as a recipient of a 2018–2019 Barra Award ! Our campaign joins 43 exceptional nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region that will receive $50,000 in grant funding over two years. Since 2013, the Barra Foundation has awarded more than $6 million to area nonprofits.… continue reading Read by 4th Program Recipient of Barra Award!
By written by Terah S. December 5, 2017 1
Saturday, December 2, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Volkmar Andreae (1879–1962). Kleine Suite (1917) Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959). Uirapurú (1917) Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953). Symphony No. 1 "Classical" (1917) We celebrated anniversaries throughout 2017 on Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection : the… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: 1917 in Review: Andreae, Villa-Lobos, Prokofiev
By written by Fleisher Collection December 1, 2017
A frequent visitor to the Free Library of Philadelphia is Geisel-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli . Greg recently sat down with us in the Children's Literature Research Collection to discuss his career, his love of elephants, and his two new titles, The 12 Days of Christmas and The Quest for Z . Greg also invited us and you to his… continue reading Q&A with Children's Author and Illustrator Greg Pizzoli
By written by Chris B. December 1, 2017
Nature printing is a term that encompasses several different printmaking processes for making direct reproductions of natural objects. The simplest and most direct of these is something most people will recognize: a plant, ideally one that has been flattened, is inked and then an impression of it is made on paper. Known examples go back to the… continue reading Art of the Nature Printed Book
By written by Alina J. November 30, 2017
The thing I like most about One Book, One Philadelphia is the chance to read outside of my experiences—to see the world through the eyes of someone living a very different lifestyle that I have. For example, I wasn't a turn-of-the-century orphan shipped off on a train of orphans to be adopted by farm families in western states,… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Diverse Coming of Age Stories
By written by Rachel F. November 29, 2017
When we hear the words "Picture book," we often think of young children, storytimes, and simple stories. This isn't the case, however. Even though children may be off to school, there are still lots of picture books—both fictional and nonfictional—that may be of interest to them and their caregivers. To find the best… continue reading Picture Book Month: Books for School-Age Readers
By written by Chris B. November 28, 2017
It’s a fest! Tacony’s annual Winterfest, of course, and this year also a library-fest! After a year and a half of undergoing extensive renovation and expansion, Tacony Library will reopen its doors on Saturday, December 2—coinciding with the neighborhood’s Winterfest celebration. This neighborhood hub,… continue reading Tacony Library Grand Reopening Celebration!
By written by Shahadah A. November 27, 2017 9
In October, several of our neighborhood libraries hosted School Registration Workshops for parents with students entering either Kindergarten or High School. These workshops were provided to the library system by Great Philly Schools . The Great Philly Schools mission states: We believe every child in Philadelphia should have access to a great… continue reading Kindergarten and High School Registration Workshops
By written by Elizabeth K. November 22, 2017
Gladys Jamison couldn’t know this, but she was a girl coming of age in an exodus. Thirteen years old when her father moved her and her siblings to Brooklyn, she’d lost her mother five years before, in 1932. She was still reeling from her death. The daughter of farmers, Gladys grew up in Bowman, South Carolina, the nexus of a failed… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Brooklyn, Black Girlhood, and the Great Migration
By written by Administrator November 22, 2017 3
Two Free Library of Philadelphia programs have teamed up to create new ways to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity! Get HYPE Philly! and the Literacy Enrichment After-School Program ( LEAP ), offer fun, positive, and tasty ideas to all neighborhood and regional libraries through our HYPE LEAP lessons. As a fundamental part… continue reading LEAP into HYPE!
By written by Khyra L. November 21, 2017
Picture books are fun reads, but they're also fantastic tools that support emergent literacy skills. We have to keep in mind though that simply having books in the home is not enough. To encourage new readers to develop their literacy skills, caregivers also must interact with the books. Interactions include reading together, but there… continue reading Picture Book Month: Books for Pre-K Readers
By written by Chris B. November 21, 2017
This Monday, November 20, plug back into the fourth season of our Mysterious Travelers concert series, where musicians visit the Parkway Central Library's Subject Departments with a mission to meet a librarian and make music from titles in the Department’s collections. This free,unique series kicks off its third show at 7:00 p.m.… continue reading Mysterious Travelers 4 | Up Next!: Ben Singer | Recapping Chad Taylor
By written by Perry G. November 17, 2017
Amy Ignatow , author of The Popularity Papers and The Mighty Odds series recently spoke to 400 students at the Free Library of Philadelphia about her career as an author/illustrator. While visiting the library, Amy sat down with us in the Children's Literature Research Collection and spoke about the field of Children's… continue reading Q&A with Children's Author and Illustrator Amy Ignatow
By written by Chris B. November 17, 2017
So many great audiobooks, so little time. In fact, all three of our audiobook platforms are more popular than ever, So here's a few of our favorites to help you along. Visit our Digital Media Portal for more ebooks, digital audiobooks, streaming music, movies, and more! Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Available on our… continue reading Digital Audiobook Favorites for 2017 (so far)
By written by Jamie W. November 16, 2017 2
Note: This broadcast took place on Saturday, November 4, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847). Symphony No. 5, Reformation Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). Cantata 80, Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott Anniversaries bump into each other on this month's Discoveries . It's been 500 years… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: Mendelssohn and Bach and Reformation
By written by Fleisher Collection November 15, 2017
