The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Free Library of Philadelphia are old friends. For over 100 years, they have lived across from each other on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, educating and entertaining Philadelphians. In celebration of the relationship between the Free Library and the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Academy has… continue reading From Sloths to Sleuths: The Academy of Natural Sciences Free Pass Program!

By written by Joe S.    June 24, 2024   

• Community Events
• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Science
• Nature

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 environment and open access to all, delivering world-class exhibitions, eclectic displays, engaging programs, and free daily tours at 11 a.m. — no… continue reading The Rare Book Department's 75th Anniversary Event Series

By written by Joe S.    December 20, 2023   

• Events at the Library
• Free Library Staff
• Parkway Central
• Rare Book Department
• Interview

Books have long occupied a central place in the visual culture of the Islamic world. This seminar, held during Temple University’s Fall 2021 semester, traced the key developments in the “arts of the two pens”—namely, calligraphy and manuscript painting—from the 13th to 19th centuries, while also considering… continue reading The Art of the Book in the Islamic World: Four Studies by Temple Graduate Students

By written by Joe S.    December 5, 2022   

• Religion
• Muslim World

In the Path of Islam is a community-driven project amplifying the diverse voices of Philadelphia’s indigenous Muslim community, born and raised in the city, while engaging all Philadelphians who feel a connection with Islam. The project is inspired by the books and paintings made in Muslim lands that are housed at the Free Library of… continue reading In the Path of Islam: An Exhibition and Experience

By written by Joe S.    February 18, 2022    11  

• Exhibitions
• Muslim World

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 March. Students will practice the sounds and letters of the Arabic language and will be introduced to basic grammar, common vocabulary, and… continue reading Free Virtual Arabic Language Programs Return in February and March!

By written by Joe S.    January 25, 2022    3  

• Exhibitions
• Languages
• Rare Book Department
• Special Collections
• Muslim World

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 ten words for "love". It’s the fifth most spoken language in the world, so it’s great to know when traveling.   Arabic… continue reading Let's Speak Arabic!

By written by Joe S.    October 5, 2021    7  

• Languages
• Rare Book Department
• Religion
• Special Collections
• Virtual Programs
• Muslim World

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 celebrate? What can’t you do during Ramadan? And, can you kiss during Ramadan?   My coworker Shahadah Abdul Rashid and I thought… continue reading Happy Ramadan: Manuscripts of the Muslim World and Beyond!

By written by Joe S.    April 6, 2021   

• Childrens Programs
• CLIR Grant
• Family Programs
• Rare Book Department
• Manuscripts
• Special Collections
• Virtual Programs
• Muslim World

Vanguard and the Free Library of Philadelphia will present a lively panel discussion in celebration of Women's History Month on Monday, March 22, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Sharon Hill, Ph.D., Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Alpha Equity – Global & Income within Vanguard’s Quantitative Equity Group, will moderate this panel… continue reading Women and Investing: A Panel Discussion in Celebration of Women’s History Month

By written by Joe S.    March 16, 2021    1  

• Business Science and Industry
• Financial Literacy
• Business Resource and Innovation Center
• Business
• Women's History Month
• Science and Wellness

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. I’ve always been more of a talker rather than a listener. Little did I know that editing hour-long podcasts would teach me the value of… continue reading Story Search from Special Collections: An Interview by Hannah Cho

By written by Joe S.    January 6, 2021   

• Exhibitions
• Art
• CLIR Grant
• Podcasts
• Rare Book Department
• History
• Community
• Special Collections
• Literature
• History of Philadelphia

On Thursday, April 8, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the unprecedented closure of  K-12 schools for the remainder of the year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 . In lieu of brick and mortar classes, the Philadelphia School District will offer students online classes and a Digital Learning Plan . In order to make this… continue reading Going the Distance: Remote Learning and Online Resources for Educators

By written by Joe S.    April 24, 2020   

• Databases
• Digital Collections
• Digital Literacy
• Special Collections
• Digital Learning
• Teachers
• Students

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 Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 p.m., celebrating the works of Charles Dickens . Participants will explore manuscripts, original illustrations,… 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   

• Rare Book Department
• Special Collections
• Literature
• History of Philadelphia

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. They represented people, places, and events, prior, during, and following the American Revolution. They included portraits honoring those who fought… continue reading Spotlight on Special Collections: Five Unstudied Prints from the American Revolutionary War

By written by Joe S.    November 7, 2019   

• Rare Book Department
• American Presidency
• Special Collections

Archives shield us from a world saturated with fake news and misinformation. But what are archives? How are they different from libraries? Where are they? How do they work? How are they used? Are they free to use? Can anyone use them? These questions and many more will be answered in this year's  Design in the Archives , to… continue reading Design in the Archives: A Free Evening of Fun and Learning for All Ages!

By written by Joe S.    October 21, 2019   

• Archives
• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Rare Book Department
• Special Collections
• Architecture

The Free Library of Philadelphia at Parkway Central Library has eight special collections  for visitors of all ages to enjoy, either in person through engaging exhibitions and outreach programs , or remotely via  digital access . Every month, artifacts and collections will be highlighted in this blog post series, but since… continue reading A Spotlight on Special Collections: The Artwork of Pennsylvania Germans-Fraktur

By written by Joe S.    October 3, 2019   

• Exhibitions
• Databases
• Rare Book Department
• Pennsylvania German Collection
• Manuscripts
• Special Collections

Take a free tour of Our 5 Senses , a fully-interactive exhibition that connects the science of the senses with the mind and the literary experience. Tours begin at 3:00 p.m.and finish at 3:45 p.m. Visitors may view the exhibition on their own from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Saturday. Tours are free but registration is… continue reading Take a Free Family Tour of Our Five Senses, a Fully-Interactive Exhibition

By written by Joe S.    May 30, 2019    3  

• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Rare Book Department
• Childrens Books
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Special Collections

In a recent CNN article  titled, "Why touching art is so tempting — and exciting," Fiona Candlin, a professor of museology at Birkbeck College in London and author of Art, Museums, and Touch , argues that touching is fundamental to the way we learn and connect with artifacts from within special collections.… continue reading Learning Through Touch: Connecting with Objects in Our Special Collections

By written by Joe S.    May 28, 2019   

• Exhibitions
• Fleisher Collection
• Maps
• Music
• Rare Book Department
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Print and Picture Collection
• Free Library of Pride
• Special Collections

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens! The celebrated author was born February 7, 1812 in Landport near the city of Portsmouth, England. Dickens professional writing career began in the early 1830s and continued for nearly four decades until his death in 1870. He was internationally successful, and twice visited the United States on… continue reading Happy Birthday to You, Charles Dickens!

By written by Joe S.    February 7, 2019   

• Exhibitions
• Charles Dickens
• Special Collections
• Author Birthdays

The late and great Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell once sang, "Ain’t nothing like the real thing baby." These words hold true for how to best experience our material culture. People who have visited the Rare Book Department will often describe the exhilaration they feel when seeing the writing of authors in the library’s… continue reading Take History in the Palm of Your Hand with this New Series from the Free Library's Special Collections

By written by Joe S.    January 7, 2019    1  

• Exhibitions
• Events at the Library
• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Rare Book Department
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Literacy
• History
• Rosenbach
• Black History Month
• Special Collections
• Literary History

One of the most popular items in the Rare Book Department that resonates with visitors the world over is not what you would expect. It is not a rare manuscript or a printed book from one of our spectacular literary or historical collections , but a dead bird stuffed over 175 years ago. It was once the legendary pet raven of Charles Dickens… continue reading Grip, Philadelphia's Pet Raven

By written by Joe S.    December 3, 2018    7  

• Exhibitions
• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Health
• Special Collections

Come and learn about Philadelphia's exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a free guided tour of the  Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department  at the Free Library of Philadelphia.   Tours begin at 3:00 PM… continue reading Free Tours of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

By written by Joe S.    November 5, 2018   

• Exhibitions
• Art
• Digital Collections
• Maps
• Parkway Central
• History
• Special Collections
• Architecture