Social Science and History Department
The Social Science and History Department is open for in-person services, Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. You may telephone us at 215-686-5396 or email us at erefssh@freelibrary.org.
| 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
- Mon., May. 26 : Closed Memorial Day
- Thu., Jun. 19 : Closed Juneteenth
- Fri., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
- Mon., Sep. 1 : Closed Labor Day
Services
- Book Drop
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Printing Services
- Reference Services
- Wi-Fi
Facilities
- Computers for public use
- Electrical outlets available
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Scanner
- Self-service checkout
- Water fountain
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
Upcoming Events
Legal Advice Live! With the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association
Mon, April 28, 2025
12:00 P.M.
Residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties can get free legal assistance from members of the Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division on Monday, April 28 from 12-2 p.m. Residents can get advice on matters related to family law, housing and homeownership,…
Power Politics: An Oral History Series
Mon, April 28, 2025
6:30 P.M.
Room 108 Power Politics, an oral history series organized by Scribe Video Center , showcases the voices and strategies of organizers, activists, and leaders from Black, Puerto Rican, Asian American, and other marginalized communities. These interviews, conducted by high school and college…
Tracing Your Roots: A Case Study in African American Genealogy
Tue, April 29, 2025
6:00 P.M.
Join us for a presentation by Natline Thornton focused on preparing for your research, setting goals, using oral history, staying motivated, and finding resources to help you find your ancestors. Drawing on her own genealogical journey, Thornton will cover the search for an African American…
How to Be the Best Ally of LGBTQ+ Older Pennsylvanians
Fri, May 2, 2025
2:00 P.M.
Skyline Room, 4th floor Join us in the Skyline Room for a panel discussion: 'How to Be the Best Ally: Building Bridges, Building Community.’ The key qualities of an ally are the desire to learn and understand and to help LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc.)…
About
The Social Science and History Department (SSH) is the central collection for research in history, sociology, anthropology, government, law, criminology, and sports. Collection strengths include local Philadelphia history and genealogy, biography, travel, and spectator sports. Our Legal Reference Collection includes popular guides to civil law for the lay person.
Goverment Publications Department (GPD) reference services are offered within the Social Science and History Department.
Research File Collections
The Social Science and History Department maintains file collections pertaining to Philadelphia history, local biographies, Philadelphia neighborhoods, and Pennsylvania counties and government. These files include article clippings, books, pamphlets, maps, prints and other related ephemera. To access these files, please consult a librarian at the department reference desk.
Philadelphia Communities and Neighborhoods
Periodicals
The Social Science and History Department subscribes to a broad collection of academic journals and popular serials. Many are accessible on our department’s magazine racks. Back issues of our periodicals are also maintained. For more information, please consult the librarians at the reference desk.
Current Periodical Subscriptions
Databases
The Free Library offers access to a broad selection of databases that support research in the areas of history, anthropology, sociology, government, law, sports, as well as genealogy. The following have a particular focus on topics in these areas:
History
- American Broadsides and Ephemera - This is a collection of broadsides (1820-1900) and printed ephemera (1760-1900) from the American Antiquarians Society collections.
- Archive of Americana - The comprehensive historical collections that form the Archive of Americana contain books, pamphlets, newspapers, government documents and ephemera.
- Civil War Archive - Full text of the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1860 to 1865 is available here.
- Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans (1639-1800) - Based upon the renowned American Bibliography by Charles Evans, this is a definitive resource for every aspect of life in seventeenth and eighteenth century America. Covering every aspect of American life during the early decades of the United States, these primary source collections provide full-text access to American books, pamphlets and broadsides published from 1639 to 1800.
- Early American Imprints, Series II Shaw- Shoemaker (1801-1819) - This database covers every aspect of American life in the United States during the early nineteenth century, providing full access to the 36,000 American books, pamphlets, and broadsides published from 1801 to 1819.
- Sanborn Maps GEO Edition (1867-1970) - This database provides digital access to thousands of large scale maps of American towns and cities, searchable by address and GPS.
Government Resources
- American State Papers 1789-1838 - This is a source of primary material on many aspects of early American history.
- Archive-It - This is a web archiving service that collects and stores the websites of Philadelphia government agencies and selected cultural institutions. You can search or browse the collection to view these sites as they existed in months or years past.
- Declassified Documents Reference System - Declassified U.S. Government documents are available to view here.
- HeritageQuest Online - This is an expanding collection of research materials to help you trace your family lineage, including United States population census records.
- U.S. Citizenship Test Prep - Find information about the U.S. Citizenship test, as well as study materials and practice tests.
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1980) - Full-text reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are available here.
Newspapers
- America’s Obituaries and Death Notices - This database provides a collection of newspaper obituaries and death notices from around the country from 1860-present. Please note that yearly coverage varies depending upon the publication.
- Early American Newspapers Series I (1690-1876) - Cover-to-cover reproductions of hundreds of historic newspapers with fully text-searchable facsimile images are available here.
- Evening Public Ledger - Full text access to back issues of this popular daily paper from 9/14/1914 and 12/31/1922 is available here.
- Newsbank Selected America’s Historical Newspapers - Articles from over 300 nationwide newspapers covering topics from 1970-1991 can be viewed here.
- Pennsylvania Historical Newspapers - 174 full text historical Pennsylvania newspapers from 1790-1922 are viewable here.
- Philadelphia Evening Telegraph - Full text issues of this daily publication from 7/1/1864 to 6/30/1871 are available here.
- Philadelphia Inquirer Digital Archive 1860-2001 - Search and browse the full text of the Philadelphia Inquirer as published from 1860-2001.
Multidisciplinary Subject Databases
- JSTOR - This digital archive offers access to back issues of over 300 journals. Database is only available at all Free Library locations.
- Salem Press Reference - This is a searchable database of reference tiles developed by the Salem Press covering literature, history and science
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context - This database offers information and articles on a variety of controversial social issues.