As the pandemic enters its second year, online platforms and virtual learning continue to serve a critical role in our children’s education. Are you the caregiver of a currently enrolled student in the School District of Philadelphia? Do you need an easy way to keep informed about your child’s academics? Want to stay up to date with… continue reading Stay Connected with the School District of Philadelphia Parent and Family Portal

By written by Jennifer E.    February 25, 2021   

• Tech
• School
• Community
• Students

by Labonno Islam (Digital Engagement & Communications Specialist) and Juliet Fink Yates (Digital Inclusion Fellow), City of Philadelphia Office of Innovation and Technology In June of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down traditional spaces like the KEYSPOTs and libraries that were the go-to spaces for many Philadelphians to… continue reading Need Internet Access and Technology Support? Call a Digital Navigator Today!

By written by Administrator    February 25, 2021    2  

• Workplace
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Learning
• Adult Learning

If you’re unfamiliar with poetry, or it’s just been a while since you really sat down and read a poem, we can walk through one together! Here’s a look at some of the tools used by Jericho Brown in his collection The Tradition , this year's One Book, One Philadelphia selection.  Let’s start with Brown’s… continue reading So You’re Reading a Poem…

By written by Nell M.    February 24, 2021    1  

• One Book, One Philadelphia
• Poetry

One of the joys of my profession is not knowing who will spark my curiosity to continue learning about something or someone. To celebrate Black History Month this year, I let my curiosity guide me to inventors and scientists either born in or who made Philadelphia their home. My search led me to learn a little about Dr. Rebecca Cole . Rebecca… continue reading Dr. Rebecca Cole: Pioneering Philadelphia Doctor and African American Health Advocate

By written by J'Vanne W.    February 24, 2021   

• Science
• Black History Month
• History of Philadelphia

Bessie Coleman is known for being the first black women to get a pilot’s license. But have you ever wondered who the first Black man was to get his pilot’s license? Meet Emory Conrad Malick , a biracial man, born on December 29, 1881, in Seven Points, Pennsylvania. Emory worked as a skilled carpenter and master tile layer in the… continue reading Emory C. Malick: Trailblazing African American Pilot

By written by Sandy M.    February 23, 2021   

• Black History Month
• History of Philadelphia

This is the seventh in a series of posts  highlighting major figures in Philadelphia jazz history. Every one of the bolded album titles below can be streamed free with your library card via Alexander Street’s Jazz Music Library  database. In celebration of Black History Month, this post covers not one Philly Jazz Legend, but… continue reading Philly Jazz Legends: The Heath Brothers

By written by Ben R.    February 23, 2021    1  

• Music
• Black History Month
• History of Philadelphia

To commemorate and celebrate the scope of Black History Month, you can jump into our Author Events podcast archive , which dates back almost 25 years! There you’ll find an astonishing wealth of Black voices, perspectives, and topics. To start you on your way, we’ve curated a list of eight diverse authors who’ve written on… continue reading Black Authors and Voices: Podcasts from the Author Events Archive

By written by Author Events    February 22, 2021    1  

• Podcasts
• Author Events
• Black History Month
• Black Authors

Looking for YA titles that celebrate Black lives? Dig into these recommended #OwnVoices reads! Whether you’re into short stories, fantastical worlds, hard-hitting realistic fiction, or coming-of-age love stories, we’ve got you covered. All of the following recommendations are available in book, ebook, audiobook formats from our… continue reading Recommended YA Reads for Black History Month

By written by Emily S.    February 22, 2021   

• Teens
• Recommendations
• Black History Month
• Black Authors

2021 marks 45 years since The Muppet Show debuted on television and today Disney+ is bringing back all 120 episodes streaming on-demand! As Kermit the Frog would say—arms flailing— "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" The Muppets were created by Jim Henson in 1955, and appeared in various forms on television starting in the mid-1950s… continue reading Digital Media Spotlight | The Muppets

By written by Peter SM    February 19, 2021    1  

• Television
• Digital Media
• Pop Culture

Today is National Caregivers’ Day, and we’d like to take a moment to honor the essential role that caregivers play in our communities. Whether it is for loved ones or how you earn your living, giving care is work. Caregivers provide care for the young and elderly, the sick and others needing care, and perform other varieties of… continue reading Self-Care for Caregivers | National Caregivers' Day

By written by Emily S.    February 19, 2021    1  

• Family Programs
• Self Care
• Healthy Communities

by Evan Guerra, LEAP Maker Mentor  Earthdate August 2020...  I crash landed on this planet. I’m in bad need of repairs. My name is Cheerio B. McBoxface. I am a robot, and I am here to bring jokes and affirmations to a pandemic. I’ve heard that there is a robotics club at McPherson Square Library . I wonder if I can go… continue reading Meet Cheerio B. McBoxface, the Free Library's First Interactive Robot!

By written by Administrator    February 18, 2021    3  

• Childrens Programs
• LEAP
• Virtual Programs

Throughout February, in celebration of Black History Month , Picture Book Highlights will focus on books written and / or illustrated by African American authors and illustrators. Let’s talk about hair! All these books feature African American children who love their natural hair! From hairstyles to haircuts, these books celebrate the… continue reading Picture Book Highlights | Black History Month: Hair

By written by Monica C.    February 18, 2021   

• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Black History Month
• Picture Book Highlights

Protect Your Ideas As a business owner, you probably already have or most definitely will come up with great ideas. Afterall, great ideas are what businesses are born from and what sustains them. Great ideas also present the ultimate business challenge that is unavoidable: copycats. In business, you will always have competitors, and it is… continue reading Business Librarian and Business Owner: Protect Your Ideas

By written by Sharontina H.    February 17, 2021   

• Business Resource and Innovation Center
• Business

Updated Tuesday, April 27, 2021 3:15 p.m. The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021 . It's that time of year again—Tax Season. But don't fret, the Free Library… continue reading It’s Tax Season: Here’s What You Need to Know

By written by Marija G.    February 17, 2021   

• Government Information
• Government Publications
• Tax Information
• Financial Literacy
• Library Resources

What do Guion Bluford , Angela Davis , Hank Aaron , Maya Angelou , Katherine G. Johnson , Eartha Kitt , Sonny Rollins , Gordon Parks , Ntozake Shange , and E. Lynn Harris all have in common? They are phenomenal Black people who have influenced the course of history and whose stories are preserved as part of The HistoryMakers . Free Library… continue reading Introducing the HistoryMakers Digital Archive!

By written by Jamie B.    February 16, 2021   

• Databases
• History
• Digital Media
• Black History Month
• Black Lives Matter

by Breshay Woods  (Culinary Literacy Center Intern) Does all this Philadelphia snow have you ready for a virtual vacation to New Orleans? The Culinary Literacy Center  is here to help, with Mardi Gras-inspired recipes and library resources to lift your spirits! Mardi Gras is a Carnival celebration that draws in many people from… continue reading Recipes and Resources for a Virtual Mardi Gras Celebration

By written by Lindsay S.    February 16, 2021   

• Holidays
• Culinary Literacy
• Cooking

In mid-December, the Free Library welcomed Dr. Guy Sims as the institution’s first full-time Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer . Prior to this appointment, Guy was the Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Bluefield College during his seven years at the school, where he most recently served as Dean of… continue reading Meet Your Library Staff: Guy Sims, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

By written by Alix G.    February 12, 2021    9  

• Free Library Staff
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Celebrate Lunar New Year 2021 and the Year of the Ox ! In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal. Because of its role in agriculture, positive characteristics, such as being hardworking and honest, are attributed to it. As for zodiac sign characteristics, oxen are honest and earnest. They are low key and never look for praise or to be the… continue reading Celebrate the Year of the Ox!

By written by Peter SM    February 12, 2021   

• Chinese American
• Holidays
• History

by Mariam Williams, Project Director, Chronicling Resistance One of my greatest joys in this project is witnessing how the Fellows draw connections among their respective areas of research and activism. I get to see and hear lightbulbs going off in the fellows’ heads every week during small-group research check-ins. There, Malkia… continue reading Thinking in Community

By written by Administrator    February 11, 2021   

• Art
• Online Exhibitions
• Community
• Chronicling Resistance

Throughout February, in celebration of Black History Month, Picture Book Highlights will focus on books written and / or illustrated by African American authors and illustrators. Today we will explore books about grandparents! Grandparents are warm, generous, wise, and playful. Enjoy these books about the special bond between grandchildren and… continue reading Picture Book Highlights | Black History Month: Grandparents

By written by Monica C.    February 11, 2021   

• Childrens Books
• Recommendations
• Black History Month
• Picture Book Highlights