Posts in “rare-book-department” (118)
Blog Articles
2024 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Since its inception in 1949, Rare Books has prided itself on providing a warm and welcoming… continue reading The Rare Book Department's 75th Anniversary Event Series
By written by Joe S. December 20, 2023
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the proud custodian of an astounding literary artifact in our Rare Book Department : a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio that belonged to English… continue reading “Making Shakespeare: The First Folio” - Featuring a Cherished Free Library Artifact
By written by Bridget G. November 21, 2023 1
In the Path of Islam, in collaboration with Al-Bustan Seed of Culture, are excited to announce the return of the well-received, virtual, free Arabic conversation classes this February and… continue reading Free Virtual Arabic Language Programs Return in February and March!
By written by Joe S. January 25, 2022 3
Updated Wednesday, December 15, 2021 4:20 p.m. One of the most popular attractions of the Free Library's Rare Book Department is Grip the Raven, the late lamented pet of author Charles… continue reading Grip: A Poem, Book, and Raven
By written by Chris B. December 3, 2021
Manuscripts of the Muslim World and Al-Bustan Seeds of Cultural are offering free, virtual Arabic Conversational Classes! There are many reasons to learn conversational Arabic... There are over… continue reading Let's Speak Arabic!
By written by Joe S. October 5, 2021 7
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From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the intrepid agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service—James Bond, designated Agent 007—has epitomized masculine cool. Everyone knows how he… continue reading Uncovering the Real James Bond in the Rare Book Department
By written by Mharlyn M. September 20, 2021 3
by Laura S. and Caitlin G. It’s been ninety years since the crisis of the Great Depression inspired the New Deal’s government investment and aid. But it’s not just history. The… continue reading For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited
By written by Administrator August 31, 2021 4
The Rare Book Department has some true treasures within its collections, but perhaps one of its most special collections is the First Folio of William Shakespeare . What is the “First… continue reading Who Said It: Shakespeare, Milton, or Shake Milton?
By written by Peter SM April 28, 2021
What are the most popular Googled questions about Ramadan? Here's what we found: When does Ramadan begin and end in 2021? What is allowed and not allowed during Ramadan? What does Ramadan… continue reading Happy Ramadan: Manuscripts of the Muslim World and Beyond!
By written by Joe S. April 6, 2021
“And, of course, men know best about everything, except what women know better.” - George Eliot In honor of Women’s History Month, we are excited to spotlight a woman who… continue reading Women's History Month | Spotlight on Mary Ann Evans aka George Eliot
By written by Karen K. March 19, 2021 9
Hannah Cho is a University of Pennsylvania Work-Study student from Davis, CA. During the Fall semester, she studied, recorded, and edited the Story Search podcasts remotely from South Korea.… continue reading Story Search from Special Collections: An Interview by Hannah Cho
By written by Joe S. January 6, 2021
What do books and objects from 800 years ago have to do with our present-day concerns? An exhibition taking shape online and in the Rare Book Department 's William B. Dietrich Gallery… continue reading "Medieval Life" Comes to Parkway Central
By written by Janine P. September 2, 2020
You may have heard the recent news that Free Library cardholders now have access to ProQuest’s Historical Black Newspapers , featuring coverage of The Philadelphia Tribune (the oldest… continue reading Philadelphia History from Home: Digital Access to Primary Sources
By written by Caitlin G. August 25, 2020
For more than 25 years, libraries have been digitizing their collections, and the Free Library has digital collections in abundance—providing the opportunity to browse through roughly 50,000… continue reading Diving into Digital Collections
By written by Janine P. May 1, 2020
The Free Library of Philadelphia is home to a myriad of Special Collections . Since mid-March, we have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that those of us who work with the… continue reading #SpecialCollectionsAtHome
By written by Megan M. April 27, 2020
by Karin S. and Chris B. Social Distancing can be a challenge! It seems like the rules of what you should and shouldn't do are always changing. To help you learn* about the right and… continue reading The Rights and Wrongs of Social Distancing
By written by Administrator April 24, 2020 2
Do you remember that scene at the beginning of Tangled where Rapunzel completes a day's worth of tasks before breakfast? Yeah, that's a lot less funny now. But if the school… continue reading #ColorOurCollections: Creating Art with the Free Library's Digital Archive
By written by Chris B. April 8, 2020 4
This blog post is in honor of Charles Dickens' birthday. The prolific Victorian author of "epic stories" like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield , was born on Portsea… continue reading Spotlight on Special Collections: When Dickens Met Poe
By written by Mharlyn M. February 7, 2020
What do Charles Dickens, cuneiform tablets, and James Bond have in common? The answer is Hands-on History at the Free Library, which wraps up its inaugural year with a holiday program on… continue reading Hands-On History Wraps Up 2019 With Charles Dickens... and Introduces a New Line-Up For 2020
By written by Joe S. December 12, 2019
Prints were popular in American colonial homes. Among the decorative luxuries available, they were the most affordable. They would be hung in hallways, entrance halls, stairwells, and kitchens.… continue reading Spotlight on Special Collections: Five Unstudied Prints from the American Revolutionary War
By written by Joe S. November 7, 2019