Science and Wellness

Wednesday, March 17 – Message from Staff

The contents of Automobile Reference Collection have been transferred to the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Library & Research Center and the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum.

For reference assistance and inquiries about materials formerly held at the Free Library, call the AACA Library at (717) 534-2082, visit their website, or contact librarian Jennifer Wolfe at jwolfe@aaca.org. To contact the Simeone Foundation Library, use this online form.

1901 Vine Street, Room 202
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Open today 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Closed
Monday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Upcoming Closures

  • Fri., May. 24 : Closing at 1:00 PM preparation for the Memorial Day holiday
  • Mon., May. 27 : Closed Memorial Day
  • Wed., Jun. 19 : Closed Juneteenth
  • Thu., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
View all holiday closings

Upcoming Events

Financial Help and Credit Repair Chat

Mon, May 20, 2024 2:00 P.M.

Join Sherry Hoban, Executive Director of the Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project (CBAP), for one-on-one financial help. Topics range from debt management to accessing annual credit reports.…

Mindfulness Meditation Practice

Tue, May 21, 2024 4:30 P.M.

Join instructor Maceo Hood in a beginner-friendly meditation class to learn about mindfulness. The session will place special focus on love and kindness, and how we can achieve them through…

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Wed, May 22, 2024 2:00 P.M.

Sew What?! Is a clever and creative get together for crafters who do crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, felting, and more.  Want to share what you're making with other…

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Thu, May 23, 2024 5:00 P.M.

Sew What?! Is a clever and creative get together for crafters who do crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, felting, and more.  Want to share what you're making with other…

The collection in the Science & Wellness Department (S&W) covers a diverse group of subjects including medical, health, and parenting materials.

The mechanically minded searching for appropriate "how-to" guides can also find assistance in this department, as well as works on engineering, the sciences, computers, and technology.

S&W also offers a large cookbook collection dedicated to the late Julie Dannenbaum.

We are home to a Free Seed Library that distributes vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds to promote health and gardening.

You can also find material about personal finance, consumer information, and pets. Come say hi to our resident fish Cyan Whale-Ness in his Aquaponics home where you can learn about Eco-Systems.