Posts by Communications Office (169)

Blog Articles

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and novelist Doug Marlette, who died yesterday in a car accident at the age of 57. He was scheduled to… continue reading In Memory of Doug Marlette

By written by Communications Office    July 11, 2007   

Michael Eric Dyson may have announced his imminent departure from Philadelphia last week--he has accepted a position at Georgetown University --but he will be here tonight at the Central Library's… continue reading Jay-Z Sings the Praises of Michael Eric Dyson

By written by Communications Office    July 10, 2007   

Brian Doyle published a piece in yesterday's issue of the Oregonian on the sorts of materials people keep in their cars "in case of reading emergencies and unforeseen opportunities." Doyle asked… continue reading Emergency Roadside Reading Materials

By written by Communications Office    July 9, 2007    2

Super-librarian Nancy Pearl recently contributed this piece to National Public Radio's Morning Edition , recommending nine summer reads with "great opening lines to hook young readers." (The… continue reading Judge These Books By Their First Lines

By written by Communications Office    July 5, 2007   

The Central Library has been keeping attendance records since its doors first opened in 1927, and the 2007 fiscal year--July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007--marks the first on record since 1938 that… continue reading Over One Million Visits to the Central Library!

By written by Communications Office    July 3, 2007   

The American Library Association may not be known for its red carpet premieres, but that didn't stop filmmaker Ann Seidl from bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the first night of the… continue reading The Hollywood Librarian, Hit Film of the ALA’s 128th Annual Conference

By written by Communications Office    July 2, 2007   

Held this morning in the Main Lobby of the Central Library, the National Education Association 's Dr. Seuss-themed Read-In was a huge success, featuring a surprise appearance by the Cat in the Hat . continue reading Celebrity Appearance Incites Pandemonium at the Central Library

By written by Communications Office    June 29, 2007   

The National Education Association is holding its 145 th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this year, and thousands of NEA members will be enjoying our city in the coming days. This year marks the 10… continue reading Read Across Philadelphia

By written by Communications Office    June 27, 2007   

Douglas Wolk--author, blogger , and journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times , Publishers Weekly , and Rolling Stone, among many other publications--has a new book coming out next… continue reading Have You Considered the Class Implications of Comic Book Lingo?

By written by Communications Office    June 26, 2007   

Libby Rosof of roberta fallon and libby rosof's artblog interviewed Karen Lightner, head of the Print and Pictures Department at the Free Library, for a piece entitled "Treasure trove at the Free… continue reading FLP in the News | June Miscellany

By written by Communications Office    June 25, 2007   

Alison Bechdel is best known for her long-running, syndicated comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For , which she first began working on in the early 1980s. Her bestselling memoir in graphic novel… continue reading Take Five with . . . Alison Bechdel

By written by Communications Office    June 22, 2007    1

Roughly 95% of public libraries in the United States use the Dewey Decimal System to organize their collections, and it remains the gold standard in library classification systems, but some… continue reading Dewey Decimated in Arizona

By written by Communications Office    June 20, 2007    1

If you haven't already heard, Phillies infielder Jimmy Rollins recently volunteered his voice as an official spokesperson for the Campaign for a New Central Library on the Parkway. This past… continue reading Jimmy Rollins Goes to Bat for the Free Library, State Senator Presents $2 Million

By written by Communications Office    June 19, 2007   

On the strength of a manuscript of her first novel, The Icarus Girl , author Helen Oyeyemi signed a two-book deal with British publisher Bloomsbury at the age of 19. Having recently graduated from… continue reading Take Five with . . . Helen Oyeyemi

By written by Communications Office    June 18, 2007   

A panel of judges in the Federal Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit heard arguments last week from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Miami-Dade County school board over a seemingly… continue reading 5 to 7-Year-Olds Need All the Facts on Cuba?

By written by Communications Office    June 14, 2007   

The Harry Potter Knight Bus Tour stopped by the Central Library this morning, and it drew quite a crowd. Fans lined up early for the opportunity to climb on board the traveling bus and make a… continue reading Harry Potter Bus Stops by Central for a Spell

By written by Communications Office    June 13, 2007   

The Free Library's 2007 mystery-themed Summer Reading season-- Get a Clue @ Your Library --kicked off in Central's Main Lobby this morning. Students from Philadelphia's Bache-Martine and Waring… continue reading Summer Reading Kicks Off at Central, Phillie Phanatic Is 300 Pounds of Enthusiasm for Literacy

By written by Communications Office    June 12, 2007   

Author Julia Glass will be appearing at the Central Library’s Skyline Room on Thursday , June 14 at 7:00 p.m. (This event is free ; no tickets required.) Glass won the National Book Award in… continue reading Take Five with . . . Julia Glass

By written by Communications Office    June 11, 2007    12

The Free Library added another new Explore topic this week, just in time for Philadelphia's Pride Parade and Festival this Sunday , June 10 . The Library's GLBT Explore pages offer organized… continue reading Explore FLP GLBT Resources on the WWW

By written by Communications Office    June 8, 2007   

Been meaning to get around to reading the classics, but never seem to find the time? Problem solved . Now you can read the Aeneid in 152 easy installments through an RSS feed on your aggregator .… continue reading Read the Aeneid on Your Aggregator

By written by Communications Office    June 5, 2007