The unofficial start of the summer season begins again this Memorial Day weekend and there will certainly be plenty of activities available for your attention, including all the new blockbusters and cineplexes ready to bombard your senses. As seems to be the norm nowadays, there will be a plethora of sequels, reboots, and adaptations. As of… continue reading Summer Movies 2019: Cool Celluloid for a Sweltering Summer

By written by Peter SM    May 24, 2019   

• Film
• Summer
• Pop Culture
• Adaptations

I celebrate myself — When lilacs last — I contain multitudes — O Captain! my Captain! What other U.S. poet’s work can be recognized by so few words—and by so many people—as that of the self-proclaimed "American bard"?  Two hundred years after the birth of Walt Whitman , his verse still rings,… continue reading We Celebrate Him: Walt Whitman at 200

By written by Clare F.    May 22, 2019   

• Music
• Rosenbach
• Author Birthdays
• Literature

The Free Library of Philadelphia's Summer of Wonder program is almost here! Read and explore all summer long with our free activities and programs that support reading, learning, exploration, and fun. This program is designed for children and teens from birth to 12th grade, as well as adults, and there are multiple ways to get involved.… continue reading Read and Explore with the Free Library this Summer!

By written by Elizabeth K.    May 21, 2019    1  

• Summer Reading

In preparation for the opening of Our Five Senses , a new exhibition running now through November 2 in Parkway Central Library's Dietrich Gallery , we've had the honor of sitting down with some of the authors and illustrators who appear in the show. It seems fitting to start the converstaion with Aliki Brandenberg , the inspiration… continue reading Our Five Senses | A Conversation with Author and Illustrator Aliki

By written by Chris B.    May 14, 2019   

• Exhibitions
• Rare Book Department
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Online Exhibitions
• Special Collections

Summer is right around the corner and the Culinary Literacy Center is looking forward to another season of Summer Thyme Cooks! This year we are offering a week-long library and cooking program for youth entering grades 5-12 , presented by the Nourishing Literacy Kitchen Team. Summer Thyme students will participate in one full week of… continue reading Summer Thyme Cooks!

By written by Shayna M.    May 8, 2019    1  

• Culinary Literacy

This Saturday marks that most intergalactic of wordplay holidays... May the 4th Be With You ! Did you know that " Star Wars Fiction " is a subject heading in our online catalog ? It’s hundreds of pages of items in our collections, which I for one think is AMAZING! We have everything from easy readers and picture books for… continue reading May the 4th Be With You | Star Wars Fiction

By written by Rachel F.    May 3, 2019   

• Recommendations
• YA Literature

This year, Free Library Comic Con celebrates its 5th anniversary with our annual event at the Parkway Central Library on May 11, 2019! When you arrive, you’ll first encounter our Vendor Hall which will be chock full of an array of local businesses, colleges and universities, and other organizations. Artist Alley is where you can find all… continue reading The 5th Annual Free Library Comic Con!

By written by Kris L.    May 2, 2019    2  

• Events at the Library
• Parkway Central
• Teens
• Childrens Books
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Comic Con
• Conferences

Here's some exciting news to close out National Poetry Month : Philadelphia Poet Laureate Raquel Salas Rivera has been selected by the Academy of American Poets as one of 13 recipients of a new fellowship award ! Rivera, who was appointed to their two-year term as Poet Laureate in 2018, is one of 13 poets in nine states receiving the… continue reading Raquel Salas Rivera Receives Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship

By written by Kate C.    April 30, 2019   

• Awards
• Poetry

On May 13, the Free Library's Special Collections Division will present Our Five Senses , the first family friendly, fully-interactive exhibition at the Free Library. The exhibition connects the science of the senses with the mind and the literary experience. Unique materials in the exhibition cross three centuries of human discovery. … continue reading Our Five Senses | A New Family Friendly, Fully-Interactive Exhibition

By written by Chris B.    April 29, 2019    5  

• Exhibitions
• Childrens Programs
• Rare Book Department
• Childrens Books
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Special Collections

If you’ve spent time visiting any of the Free Library’s 54 neighborhood library locations or reading this blog , you know that we’ve got something for everyone. With over 25,000 events and programs offered each year across our system, access to hundreds of databases , and something to read or watch no matter what you’re… continue reading #MyFreeLibrary: What Is YOUR Free Library Story?

By written by Kate C.    April 5, 2019    3  

• Social Media
• Neighborhood Libraries
• National Library Week

The newest superhero to take flight on the silver screen calls Philadelphia his home and viewers will be able to spot the Art Museum, the William Penn statue, the LOVE sculpture, and various Philly-centric neighborhoods in scenes throughout the movie. There's even a climatic action sequence that takes place on and around the… continue reading Look! Up in the Philly Skyline! It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Shazam!?

By written by Peter SM    April 4, 2019   

• Film
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Pop Culture
• Adaptations

When Julian Abele completed his design for the Parkway Central Library in 1926, he likely could not have imagined how different libraries would look in the 21st century. The expansive hallways Abele created for card catalogs are now gallery spaces where library users can learn about essential American authors or view contemporary works of art .… continue reading The Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center: A Public Space Unlike Any Other in Philadelphia

By written by Andrew N.    April 4, 2019    2  

• Parkway Central

Guess what? The Field Teen Center at the Free Library officially opens to the public on April 12, 2019! The 4,000 square feet space is the first ever specifically designed for teens at the Parkway Central Library . In addition to old favorites such as public computers and Afterschool Programming , the Field Teen Center now has meeting rooms… continue reading The Field Teen Center is Ready for You!

By written by Kris L.    April 3, 2019    3  

• Parkway Central
• Teens

Since 2016, the Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) has been a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, inventors, and job seekers at the Free Library. We’ve helped thousands of people enhance their skills through public programs and individualized guidance in research and planning. BRIC staff is thrilled to grow our… continue reading The Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) has a New Home!

By written by Gillian R.    April 2, 2019    1  

• Parkway Central
• Business Resource and Innovation Center

Following years of planning and renovation, the Free Library is set to open reimagined spaces in the Parkway Central Library later this month! The massive undertaking began with moving more than 800,000 books and materials, before deconstructing six levels of historic stacks. Three bold, new public spaces were created: The Robert and Eileen… continue reading #ReimaginedFLP: Free Library to Open Reimagined Spaces in the Parkway Central Library!

By written by Kate C.    April 1, 2019    3  

• Parkway Central

Every year, the Free Library of Philadelphia hosts a Family Fest —a celebration just for children and their families in the historic Parkway Central Library . Open to the public, this very special fundraiser features activities for the whole family to enjoy. In celebration of the recent launch of our new Knee-Hi Society membership , this… continue reading Celebrate the Free Library at This Year’s Family Fest!

By written by Alexa L.    March 25, 2019   

• Events at the Library
• Childrens Programs
• Community Events
• Family Programs
• Parkway Central
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

This Saturday, March 23 marks the 25th anniversary of Hellboy and has been designated Hellboy Day across libraries, comic book shops, and bookstores around the world! What's a "Hellboy", you ask? Why he's just your extra-ordinary, lovable, big, red guy with a short-temper, a tail, (filed-down) horns, and the Right Hand of… continue reading Throw Those Horns In the Air in Celebration of Hellboy's 25th Anniversary!

By written by Peter SM    March 22, 2019   

• Film
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Pop Culture
• Adaptations

Joe Shemtov is a Special Collections Coordinator and Primary Source Specialist, and a participant in Cohort 1 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings.  In October. I had the pleasure to complete Skills for Community-Centered Libraries, a series of four half-day workshops centered on helping library staff develop and… continue reading Connecting Special Collections with the Cultural and Educational Needs of Philadelphia’s Islamic Populations: Starting the Dialogue

By written by Community-Centered Libraries    March 18, 2019    6  

• CLIR Grant
• Rare Book Department
• Community
• Special Collections
• IMLS
• Muslim World

¡Hola! My name is Mary and I will be your host on this extraordinary adventure. We will be flying for eight hours from the United States to one of the most historic countries in South America : Peru . With our imagination, we will be departing from the Philadelphia International Airport —of course, we will need to follow all… continue reading The World Traveling Trunk viaja a Sudamérica: ¡Bienvenido a Perú!

By written by Mary Marques    March 15, 2019   

• Family Programs
• Languages
• Storytime
• Neighborhood Libraries

Tuesday Chalmers is an Adult/Teen Librarian at McPherson Square Library , and a member of Cohort 1 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries training. In this post, she explains the project she worked on after attending the workshops.  I was part of a group of Free Library of Philadelphia staff who attended workshops to enhance our… continue reading McPherson Square Library Photography Exhibit Spotlights Neighborhood Strengths

By written by Community-Centered Libraries    March 7, 2019   

• Exhibitions
• Community Events
• Free Library Staff
• Teens
• Photography
• Community
• Neighborhood Libraries
• IMLS