Construction Underway at Former South Philly Branch of Free Library
Philly.curbed.com
After vibration monitors were installed in neighboring houses, the site of the former South Philadelphia branch of the Free Library at Broad and Morris is now clear and construction is underway on a community base that roll up "a health center, library, recreation center and a CHOP urgent care center all under one roof."

A Taste of Opera: Wilde and Whitman in Song
Philly Fun Guide
Celebrate the lives of Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman through poetry and song. Join us for a very special A Taste of Opera, in collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia. Hear excerpts from Oscar alongside rare musical settings of works by Wilde and Whitman from the Free Library music collection.

Why Philly's Free Library of tomorrow will look more like a coworking hub
Philadelphia Weekly
After years of belt-tightening at the hands of financially starved state and city governments, the Free Library of Philadelphia finally received a bit of blessed relief this September, when the William Penn Foundation bestowed $25 million on the library to carry out a major modernization and renovation plan. The Free Library’s president, Siobhan Reardon, recently sat down with PW to chat about what that actually means for the library and for the people of Philadelphia.

Grand finale teaches one more lesson: Remember the budget
Philadelphia Inquirer
Pasta with tomato sauce and turkey sausage was the next best choice for our final class in the kitchen at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Not just Obama: South Philly 5-year-olds complete Hour of Code class
Technically Philly
Last Wednesday, Garland and colleague Jonathan Kaye hosted Hour of Code for 5-7-year-olds at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Charles Santore Branch in South Philly.

Philly School District expects more high school applications with new online process
Newsworks/WHYY
In an effort to address that discrepancy, the district partnered with Great Philly Schools and the Free Library of Philadelphia to host an event earlier this week to offer assistance for families with last-minute questions.
About 50 people got help from volunteers at eight library branches across the city. 

Philadelphia's first Messiah concert: The doors closed promptly at 11:00 a.m.
WRTI
Philadelphia’s role in the formation of our government is characteristic of a time when the city and its leading residents were forging firsts of all kinds. As Handel’s Messiah is performed this holiday season, WRTI’s Meridee Duddleston wondered when and where those first citizens might have heard the great Baroque work. Linda Wood is assistant head librarian in the music department at the Free Library of Philadelphia.  She compiled several reference materials relating to the first performance and other early performances of Handel’s Messiah.