Darkness comes earlier this month with the end of Daylight Saving Time, a good excuse to sit down with a good book or movie. For something different, try one of these new titles that will appear in neighborhood libraries and our online catalog in November. Young Children (Up to 2nd Grade) Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver… continue reading New Titles Coming to the Free Library in November!

By written by Paul A.    November 7, 2017   

• Recommendations
• New Titles

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th throughout the state of Pennsylvania. During this general election, Philadelphians will elect both a new District Attorney and City Controller, as well as: Nine new judges on Philadelphia County’s Court of Common Pleas Two new judges on the Philadelphia Municipal Court Election officials: One Judge of… continue reading November 7th is Election Day

By written by Christina P.    November 6, 2017   

• Elections
• A History Minute
• Politics

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are too high. There are different types of diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body process glucose into… continue reading November is National Diabetes Month

By written by Katie D.    November 3, 2017   

• Health

Come join us in the Rare Book Department for our newest exhibition, where you will discover a world of books big, small, round, long, clay, flat, wearable, and more! As you make your way through Big and Small, Books for All , you will discover that looks can be deceiving. You may not be able to tell what is inside a book—or if it is even… continue reading Big and Small, Books for All: An Exhibition Open Now in the Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

By written by Grace D.    November 2, 2017   

• Exhibitions
• Archives
• Artists Books
• Parkway Central
• Rare Book Department

This month, we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month , and the unique contributions to children’s books made by Native/First Nations authors and illustrators. When you were little, do you remember the happiness you felt while smelling fresh bread? When seeing the face of someone you love? When dancing or playing a drum? All these… continue reading November 2017 Early Literacy Calendar

By written by Sarah S.    November 1, 2017   

• Childrens Programs
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

The Free Library is very pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new service to our cardholders. The popular on-demand video streaming service Kanopy is now available at no cost with your library card ! Free Library of Philadelphia card holders can access Kanopy and sign up to start streaming films on demand instantly. You will find a link to… continue reading Watch Streaming Movies with our Newest Digital Media Resource: Kanopy!

By written by Jamie W.    November 1, 2017    55  

• Databases
• Film
• Digital Media

In Another Brooklyn , Jacqueline Woodson explores the complex coming-of-age story of the teenage August, while seamlessly weaving in the history of the late 1960s and 1970s. She shows how events impacted the growth of individuals living in this time—like her fictional characters—but also how they touched the evolving landscapes of… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Another Brooklyn – Historical Backdrop

By written by Lo I.    November 1, 2017   

• One Book, One Philadelphia
• History

Howllo Boils and Ghouls!, Welcome back to the Free Library of Frightadelphia's bloodcurdling blog during this most haunted of holiday seasons, Halloween! Did you hear that unsettling sound? Perhaps it was just the wind... or perhaps it was something skull-king around the library stacks late at night... Don't let that stop you from… continue reading Something's Skull-king Around the Free Library this Halloween...

By written by Peter SM    October 30, 2017    1  

• Recommendations
• Film
• Spotify
• Digital Media
• Halloween

As the world's largest circulating collection of orchestral performance sets (a part for each musician and a score for the conductor), the Fleisher Collection has come to occupy a unique position in American music history. From its inception in 1909 as the personal library of America’s first training orchestra to the present day, the… continue reading Cowell, Cage, and Crumb: How the Fleisher Collection Creates Music History

By written by Fleisher Collection    October 30, 2017   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

My co-worker, Aurora, coordinates Get HYPE Philly! for the Free Library. We’ve worked great together since I started in January, so I jumped right at the chance to work with her on the annual Teen Battle Chef competition. I just graduated from the culinary program at Swenson Arts and Technology High School. I am the kitchen manager for… continue reading Get HYPE Philly! Victorious in Annual Teen Battle Chef!

By written by Dominique A.    October 27, 2017    1  

• Parkway Central
• Teens
• Culinary Literacy
• Get HYPE Philly

It’s fitting that our Mysterious Travelers concert for this coming Monday deals with the department housing the Library's resources on the occult and the afterlife. So be in the Montgomery Auditorium at Parkway Central Library on October 30, one day before Halloween, for a program inspired by the weird and uncanny resources in the… continue reading Mysterious Travelers 4 | Up Next!: Chad Taylor | Recapping Dwight James

By written by Perry G.    October 27, 2017   

• Music

The past few years have seen tremendous growth in the popularity of  digital audiobooks . And why not? Audiobooks allow you to couple the imaginative, meditative aspects of reading with the relaxing, go-anywhere nature of recorded audio. While ebooks have  their adherents  and their detractors , audiobooks are… continue reading New Directions in Digital Audiobooks

By written by Jamie W.    October 27, 2017    14  

• Ebooks
• Digital Media

Author  Jen Bryant recently visited the Free Library of Philadelphia and spoke to nearly 400 students about her career as an author and the nuances of her writing process. While visiting the library, Jen sat down with us in the  Children's Literature Research Collection  and spoke about the field of Children's Literature.… continue reading Q&A with Children's Author Jen Bryant

By written by Chris B.    October 26, 2017   

• Childrens Books
• Children's Literature Research Collection

And we're back, for a new Picture Book Hightlighs , a series of posts where we put the spotlight on a new picture book that has been ordered for all agencies. Years ago, we wrote a blog post listing great picture books for those interested in adding a new dog to their families. This month, in honor of National Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month , we… continue reading Picture Book Highlights | Found Dogs

By written by Monica C.    October 26, 2017   

• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Early Literacy
• Picture Book Highlights

In the beginning Philadelphia was a river town. William’s Penn’s plan stretched from river to river, but the population clung to the shores of the Delaware and the docks and ships that provided much of its livelihood. Aside from a few farms and country estates, the land to the south and west remained a wilderness of fields and… continue reading A History Minute: Neighborhood Beginnings - Moyamensing (aka Evergreen, Schuylkill, Graduate Hospital, South of South)

By written by Sally F.    October 26, 2017   

• History
• A History Minute

Are you looking for a job? Do you have a criminal record? If you answered "yes" to both these questions, then please join us for the Reentry Resource Fair , which will take place this Friday, October 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Southwest CDC , 6328 Paschall Avenue, in Southwest Philadelphia. This event will feature: A general… continue reading Reentry Job Resources Fair

By written by Administrator    October 25, 2017   

• Job Fairs
• Prison Services
• Job Readiness Lab
• Job Seekers

Last week was a big week over here at the Free Library – we announced the 2018 One Book, One Philadelphia featured title , marking the start of the 16th season of One Book ! So as we sit back, read, and reflect on Jacqueline Woodson’s Another Brooklyn as a city over the next several months, you may be wondering: How does that title… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Choosing The Book

By written by Kate C.    October 25, 2017   

• Exhibitions
• One Book, One Philadelphia

Come one, come all: After a year and a half of undergoing extensive renovation and expansion, Logan Library will reopen its doors on Saturday, November 4! This neighborhood hub, located at 1333 Wagner Avenue, has been reimagined as part of the Free Library’s Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative , a transformational… continue reading Logan Library Grand Reopening Celebration!

By written by Julie B.    October 24, 2017    1  

• 21st Century Libraries
• Neighborhood Libraries

October 24 marks the birthday of the Roaring Twenties icon Gilda Gray. Born on October 24, 1901 as Marianna Michalska in Krakow, Poland, Gray didn’t get off to the easiest start in life. She was orphaned when her parents were tragically killed in the revolution. After getting adopted from the Polish orphanage, she moved along with her new… continue reading A Dance and a Headdress: All About Gilda Gray

By written by Grace D.    October 24, 2017    1  

• Theatre
• Collection Care
• Special Collections
• Dance

Each November as Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, food and travel tend to come to mind. If you are job searching in the hospitality industry, food and travel are always on your mind! Enter Workplace’s November spotlight, Culinary Agents ! Culinary Agents is a professional networking and job matching website designed for… continue reading Workplace Spotlight: Culinary Agents

By written by Gillian R.    October 23, 2017   

• Careers
• Workplace