Howdy, folks! I am one of the many Free Library of Philadelphia Library cards that Philadelphians use in their neighborhood libraries throughout the city. Because I am a part of the Free Library of Philadelphia, that is, the F-L-P, you can call me Flippy for short.

You might remember me from last year. I’m back again! To celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month this September, I’m here to remind you how powerful your small yet mighty Library card is.

Do you have your Free Library card? If not, I want to encourage you to get your Library card today! Anyone who lives, works, pays taxes, or attends school in the city of Philadelphia is eligible. Not sure whether you signed up for a Library card or perhaps you signed up many years ago, visit the Free Library’s website for more info.

Through me, you are able to access so many incredible resources like thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials from the catalog, along with gaining access to our collections of digital media, online databases, free public computers, wireless internet, and so much more!

This is only the beginning. Want to learn more about all the awesome things you can do with your Library card? Let me share with you some of the things I managed to do in just one week …

My schedule is inspired by some of the many events happening at the Free Library from Sunday, September 18 through Saturday, September 24. To learn more about events happening near you, visit the Free Library’s online events calendar.

As we celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month, be sure to stay connected with the Library through our social media, and learn of more fun ways to engage with the Free Library.

Sunday

On Sunday, I wanted to take some time to read and rest. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I browsed the Free Library’s booklists for adults and children. I ended up reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, which I checked out from the Free Library catalog.

I also made sure to complete my homework and was able to use Homework Help Online which offers live, online tutoring for K–12 students, college students, and adults.

Monday

Monday morning, I attended the virtual Arabic/English Language and Cultural Exchange program. Learning new languages is an exciting process. I personally love it because I can better understand and appreciate people, cultures, cuisine, and stories from various different backgrounds and experiences. 

I plan to continue my language learning through the Library’s Mango Languages database. I’ve begun exploring Overdrive’s World Languages eReading Room, and I am also going to be visiting the Free Library’s Languages and Learning Center very soon!

Tuesday

Tuesday morning was a great time for some stories, songs, and silliness with Ms. Dana during a storytime in Lovett Park. After enjoying a story outside with lots of other children and their caregivers, I was inspired to log onto TumbleBooks where I had access to an online selection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love.

Wednesday

To move toward finding my career, I visited Bustleton Library and met with a community workforce connector during the PA CareerLink® Job Search Assistance event. The community workforce connector gave me one-on-one assistance and offered individualized support with résumé development, career counseling, and professional development workshops.

After working with the community workforce connector, I visited LinkedIn Learning to learn more about entrepreneurship and professional development. There are so many informative courses and videos on the platform!

The Free Library also offers an incredible range of job seeker resources. If you're also searching for career training opportunities in Philadelphia, make sure to check out the Free Library's Career Training Database.

Thursday

On Thursday, I visited Chronicling Resistance: The Exhibition. Opening September 22 and running through December 31, 2022 at Parkway Central Library and South Philadelphia Library, Chronicling Resistance: The Exhibition and its companion programs reveal what eight local activists, cultural organizers, and artists unearthed when they dug deeply into the same Philadelphia archives that have historically excluded their voices and perspectives.

Inspired by the Activist-Curator Fellows, I browsed the Library’s digital collections to learn more about the archival items that are a part of the Free Library’s collections. I even had the chance to continue my own research with the help of the Free Library’s online databases.

Friday

This season of Author Events has the most in-person conversations since 2019! I attended the Author Event with Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile to discuss their book Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice in conversation with Tracey Matisak.

Reinvigorated to find more books to read, I searched through the Free Library’s booklists and found books available to check out from my neighborhood library.

Saturday

I find my relaxation time on the weekend to be so healing and restorative. I was grateful to have learned how to make a calming lavender sachet at Nicetown-Tioga Library. In the spirit of rest and self-care, I spent most of Saturday afternoon reading the books I had picked up yesterday and spending time with my friends.

Wow, what a week it has been! Make sure to get your Free Library card today and begin using the Library's amazing resources.