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 appear at the Central Library later this month to discuss his recently published novel, Magic Time . In anticipation of his appearance, Mr. Marlette took a… 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 Montgomery Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. (This event is free ; no tickets required.) Grammy Award-winning rapper Jay-Z is credited with the introduction to… 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 around and compiled a truly interesting list of responses, including a "great poet" carrying a copy of Teddy Bear of Bumpkin Hollow and a man in Vermont… 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 article links to excerpts from each book.) M.T. Anderson's Feed , which Pearl recommends for teens and adults, opens with: "We went to the moon to have… 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 the Central Library has exceeded one million annual visits. (There were 1,018,025 visits altogether.) Louis Baker of Philadelphia's Mayfair… 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 organization’s recent annual conference. Debuting on Friday, June 22, 2007, before an enthusiastic audience of 5000 library professionals in… 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 th anniversary of the NEA’s Read Across America program, and in honor of this--and in partnership with the Free Library--the president and… 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 week entitled Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean . In an excerpt from the book recently posted on Salon , Wolk considers the… 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 Library" that posted on June 3. Chock-full of information about the Library's Print and Picture Collections as well as the photography exhibition… 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 form, Fun Home , was published last year to critical acclaim from both within and beyond the GLBT and comics aficionado communities. Ms. Bechdel will be… 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 libraries are beginning to take cues from bookstores--the big chains in particular. While it is not the first public library in the country to drop the… 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 Friday the Phillies hosted a press conference at Citizens Bank Park, and Rollins was on hand to share remarks and thank State Senator Vincent Fumo for… 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 Cambridge University, Oyeyemi is back with her second novel, The Opposite House , a work that "explores the thin wall between myth and reality… 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 innocuous children's book entitled Vamos a Cuba (and its English version A Visit to Cuba ). The ACLU's lawsuit challenges the Miami-Dade County school… 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 video about why they love the Harry Potter books. (Select videos will be shown on the Scholastic Harry Potter website.) The tour continues today at the… 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 Schools were treated to a performance by magician Ron Geoffries, as well as a dramatic reading by Kevin Dow of Maxwell's Magic Mix-Up . Dow,… 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 2002 for her debut novel, Three Junes . Her second novel, The Whole World Over , was published in May of last year. She took a few moments to chat… 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 listings of useful resources for and about the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered) community, as well as a spotlight on Barbara Gittings , the… 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 . Is this what the future looks like? Maybe. Comments: Sam in South Philly, Tue 6/5/2007 8:38 PM: That is such an excellent idea. I've subscribed to… continue reading Read the Aeneid on Your Aggregator
By written by Communications Office June 5, 2007
