The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce that beginning today we will offer free access to Lynda.com with your library card ! Lynda.com is an online training and learning tool for business, software, technology, and creative skills. Offering over 10,000 training and development courses taught by industry experts,… continue reading Lynda.com: A New Online Learning Experience from the Free Library

By written by Jamie W.    September 5, 2017    47  

• Databases
• Online Learning
• Digital Learning

Do you ever have dreams or memories that are just flashes of a scene that you vaguely remember but don’t know how or why? When that happens to me, I can usually trace it back to a book or movie that I consumed as a kid. I used to have a recurring dream about a man urging his son to cross a rickety bridge in an old car. There was also a… continue reading #ThrowbackThursday: Re-reading Escape to Witch Mountain

By written by Dena    August 31, 2017   

• Childrens Books
• Rereads
• Adaptations

As the opening date for  Frankenstein & Dracula  approaches, we've been revisiting some of the strange ( and occasionally salacious ) stories from the lives of the Romantic authors whose dark and imaginative stories inspired two of history's greatest monsters. A favorite among our staff is the grim tale of Percy… continue reading Mary Shelley's Indestructible Heart

By written by Sara D.    August 30, 2017    1  

• Rosenbach
• Literary History
• Author Birthdays

Saturday, September 2, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Niels Gade (1817–1890) . Holbergiana (1884) Gade . Symphony No. 1 (1842) Part of the joy of producing Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection is in the finding of connections. We've seen, for instance, how the German–English Frederick Delius became a real composer in 1884… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: The Connections of Niels Gade

By written by Fleisher Collection    August 30, 2017   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

The South Philadelphia Library has added a new collection: the Health Lending Library . The first items in this new collection are electronic blood pressure monitors and food scales. These items will now be available for checkout in addition to the robust health collection on our shelves at South Philly Library. Check out our list to see some… continue reading Health Lending Library Now Available in South Philadelphia

By written by Katie D.    August 28, 2017    2  

• Healthcare
• Health
• Neighborhood Libraries

2 + 2 = 4 The Earth is round. Frankenstein is the name of the doctor, not the monster. These are all indisputable facts. Unfortunately, we are currently living in some bizarro, post-truth world where certain people try to dispute and argue about facts like the one's listed above. And if there is any term more misconstrued and misunderstood… continue reading Library Resources to Help Spot Fake News

By written by Peter SM    August 25, 2017   

• Databases
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Media
• Newspapers
• Library Resources

by Emma Seeley The Free Library of Philadelphia recently opened a new office, the Center for Public Life (CPL), to coordinate cultural and civic programs for adults across the library system. At the head of this new initiative is Andrew Nurkin. With a B.A. in English and History, an M.F.A in Poetry, a master’s degree in Divinity, and a… continue reading A Conversation with Andrew Nurkin, Head of Our New Center for Public Life (CPL)

By written by Administrator    August 24, 2017    3  

• Free Library Staff

A little over a week ago, on the same day that a hate-fueled gathering was taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, a group of teenagers was gathering at a small library in Philadelphia to talk about combating hate. The Philadelphia City Institute hosted the Free Library's second annual Social Justice Symposium for Teens on Saturday,… continue reading Second Annual Social Justice Symposium Wrap Up

By written by Erin H.    August 23, 2017    1  

• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter

August 26 is Women’s Equality Day , a celebration of the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution—which as we all know gave women the right to vote. However, because implementation was left up to the states—and many states made voting difficult through poll taxes, tests, or plain old… continue reading Women’s Equality Day

By written by Rachel F.    August 22, 2017   

• Recommendations
• Equality

Children will be returning to school in a few weeks. For middle schoolers, this means new teachers (and possibly new schools), new backpacks, and new school supplies. It also opens up the possibility of new questions for caregivers. This is a time in children’s lives where they are becoming more cognisant of the world around them through… continue reading Talking about Racism with Middle Schoolers

By written by Chris B.    August 18, 2017   

• Black Lives Matter
• Racism

I first read My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George in grade school (sometime in the '80s) and was immediately in love with the idea of running away to the woods to fend for myself. I attempted to teach myself to whittle using a teeny Swiss Army knife and have a scar on my finger to this day. I romanticized camping and had two of… continue reading #ThrowbackThursday: In Which I Relive My Childhood by Thinking I Can Whittle

By written by Jen W.    August 17, 2017   

• Recommendations
• Rereads

As adults, it’s our job to help the children in our lives make sense of the world around them. After the events in Charlottesville this past weekend, and events around the country in recent months, there seems to be more need than ever to begin the conversation about responding to hate. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a welcoming and… continue reading Resources for Responding to Hate

By written by Rachel F.    August 17, 2017   

• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter
• Racism
• Equality
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

During the academic year, many of Philadelphia’s public school students receive subsidized meals from their school. When summer break rolls around though, where can Philly’s kids get a nutritious daily meal? The answer, as surprising as it may be, is the library! This summer, three of Philadelphia’s 50+ neighborhood library… continue reading Summer Food Service Program and Neighborhood Libraries Help Keep Children Fed While School's Out

By written by Liz G.    August 16, 2017   

• Childrens Programs
• Culinary Literacy
• Community
• Neighborhood Libraries

Relatively few Americans have ever visited or know much about Russia, North Korea, and Turkey. Yet, each passing day seems to bring additional evidence that these nations are working to thwart U.S. foreign policy goals from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. Many of us would like to better understand how these relationships went sour and wonder… continue reading Looking Beyond the Headlines: What You Should Know About Russia, North Korea, and Turkey

By written by Richard L.    August 14, 2017    3  

• Central Senior Services
• History
• Politics
• Lecture Series

by Annette Mattei Did you know that close to 30 percent of adults who visit the Free Library come here to look for jobs? Moreover, That’s according to a Pew survey conducted in 2012 , 40 percent of adults who use our library computers are doing so for career or employment purposes. Starting with our online resources , the Free Library has… continue reading Job Readiness Labs: Supporting Job Seekers in Southwest Philadelphia

By written by Administrator    August 11, 2017    3  

• Careers
• Job Fairs
• Job Readiness Lab
• Job Seekers

I don’t remember how I first heard about Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden , but what I do remember is that I immediately set out to get a copy by any means necessary. I was a 16-year-old with a debit card and access to the amazing world of online shopping, where I selected my book and pressed order… and then I panicked. I staked… continue reading #ThrowbackThursday: Re-Reading Annie on My Mind

By written by Kris L.    August 10, 2017    1  

• LGBTQ
• Rereads

Almost 100 years before Ellis Island, Philadelphia established The Lazaretto Station. It became the point of entry for all ships and passengers arriving during the quarantine season of June through October. The Lazaretto is the oldest surviving quarantine hospital in the western hemisphere.   Maritime quarantine stations were first… continue reading A History Minute: What is The Lazaretto?

By written by Administrator    August 7, 2017    5  

• History

Zinio, our digital magazine service, is now RBdigital Magazines . The great selection of currnet newsstand magazines including the New Yorker , the Economist , Bon Appetit , National Geographic , OK , Star , and many more, hasn't changed. It's still easy to use, still has no late fees, and is always free with your library card . If… continue reading Changes Coming for Zinio, Digital Magazines, and Digital Audiobooks

By written by Jamie W.    August 4, 2017    1  

• Digital Media

Saturday, August 5, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. William Schuman (1910–1992). New England Triptych: Three Pieces for Orchestra after William Billings (1956) Schuman . Symphony No. 7 (1960) Jaromir Weinberger (1896–1967). Polka and Fugue from Schwanda the Bagpiper (1926) We heard Charles Ives by way of William Schuman last month… continue reading Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection: The Stealth Populism of William Schuman and Jaromir Weinberger

By written by Fleisher Collection    August 4, 2017   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

It’s August and the first day of school is approaching fast. You’ve finally unearthed your Summer Reading lists , determined to read the book(s) and complete the assignments. There are two categories: people who have the book and haven’t read it yet or those who don’t have the book at all. If you have the book, then use… continue reading So You Didn't Start Your Summer Reading Assignment Yet...

By written by Christina P.    August 2, 2017   

• Summer Reading
• Back To School