Rare Book Department
| Sunday, 8/24 | Closed |
| Monday, 8/25 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, 8/26 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, 8/27 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, 8/28 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, 8/29 |
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. * |
| Saturday, 8/30 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
- * Friday has hour changes – preparation for the Labor Day holiday
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Upcoming Closures
- Mon., Sep. 1 : Closed Labor Day
- Mon., Oct. 13 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
- Tue., Nov. 11 : Closed Veterans Day
- Thu., Nov. 27 : Closed Thanksgiving Day
Upcoming Events
First Wednesdays with the Rare Book Department - Mushrooms
Wed, September 3, 2025
5:00 P.M.
Join the Rare Book Department for extended evening hours on the first Wednesday of every month. The Department will be open until 7 p.m. and staff will be offering tours, pop-up programs, and sneak-peaks. Our September theme? Mushrooms! Can’t make it? Don’t forget about our free…
The Apple of Our Eye: Beatrix Potter
Fri, September 12, 2025
1:00 P.M.
***Please note, registration is required!*** In 2024, the Free Library of Philadelphia welcomed a new piece of art by author, illustrator, and conservationist Beatrix Potter . This untitled work depicts a pair of rabbits gathering apples in an orchard. To celebrate this new addition to…
Or Not to Be: Exhibition Open House and Curator-Led Tour
Wed, September 17, 2025
5:00 P.M.
The Free Library’s exhibition, Or Not to Be: Representations of Death in Special Collections , is inspired by Shakespeare’s famed “To be, or not to be” soliloquy in Hamlet, and looks at death from a wide variety of cultural perspectives.…
First Wednesdays with the Rare Book Department - The Raven
Wed, October 1, 2025
5:00 P.M.
Join the Rare Book Department for extended evening hours on the first Wednesday of every month. The Department will be open until 7 p.m. and staff will be offering tours, pop-up programs, and sneak-peaks. October is here and that can only mean one thing...it is Raven season. Tonight, we…
The Rare Book Department stewards a world-class collection covering 6,000 years of human history, from cuneiform tablets to contemporary works. The Department offers free tours, rotating exhibitions, and a reading room available for use by scholars and the public alike.
Our 11:00am Daily Tour is our longest running program! Since our official founding in 1949, we have been offering a free daily tour of the Department every morning at 11. Meet us on the Third Floor of Parkway Central to learn more about the history of the Rare Book Department, and see some of our unique holdings up close!
The Reading Room is availble by appointment for scholars and the public. Email us at eRefRBD@freelibrary.org to make an appointment.
We also host groups and classes for tours and collection reviews. Get in touch if you are intersted in bringing a group or class to the Department.
Helpful Links:
Rare Books in the Online Catalog
Special Collections Finding Aids
Medieval Manuscripts on BiblioPhilly
Manuscripts of the Muslim World
Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries