The 2018 One Book, One Philadelphia selection was announced this morning! We are very excited to share that for its 16th season, One Book will become immersed in Jacqueline Woodson’s beautiful novel Another Brooklyn . This New York Times  bestseller and finalist for the 2016 National Book Award highlights the promise and perils… continue reading Announcing the 2018 One Book, One Philadelphia Selection

By written by Julie B.    October 19, 2017   

• One Book, One Philadelphia

On the occasion of the Barnes Foundation ’s forthcoming Solo Series Concert: Cowell, Cage, Crumb: Pioneers of the Avant-Garde Piano , on November 8, 2017, Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia is embarking on a series of blog posts to explore Cowell, Cage, and Crumb’s relationships to… continue reading Cowell, Cage, and Crumb: The Three C’s You Have to Know

By written by Fleisher Collection    October 17, 2017   

• Fleisher Collection
• Music

The Philadelphia Colored Directory , a handbook of religious, social, political, professional, business activities of the Negroes of Philadelphia, was compiled by R. (Richard) R. (Robert) Wright, Jr.; assisted by Ernest Smith. This archival resource, recentlly scanned and added to our Digital Collections (viewable online or as a downloadable… continue reading The Philadelphia Colored Directory of 1910 Recently Scanned and Available for Download in Our Digital Collections

By written by Renee G.    October 6, 2017    5  

• Digital Collections
• Genealogy
• African American
• History

We've spent the past week here on the blog celebrating Banned Books and the f READ om to read whatever you want—banned, challenged, or not. If there's one thing possibly more controversial and/or overblown than the very notion of "banned books", it would be films adapted from banned books ! Whether they are… continue reading From Banned to the Big Screen: Banned Book Adaptations

By written by Peter SM    September 29, 2017   

• Banned Books
• Television
• Film
• Pop Culture
• Adaptations

Banned books—more like the best books , am I right? Some of the most frequently challenged books (at least according to the American Library Association’s list of  Frequently Challenged Books ) happen to be Young Adult books. And Young Adult books, as we all know, happen to contain their fair share of sex or drugs… continue reading Young Adult (Best!) Banned Books

By written by Rachel F.    September 26, 2017   

• Banned Books
• Recommendations
• YA Literature

It has been more than 150 years since Octavius Catto may have slipped on a sack overcoat that hung by his front door, pushed a well-worn felt pocket hat over his parted hair, stepped out into the fall chill, and walked a few blocks down South Street to work, as horse-drawn traffic rattled past him. Born in 1839 in Charleston, South Carolina to… continue reading Following Octavius V. Catto’s Footsteps

By written by Shahadah A.    September 25, 2017    13  

• African American
• History
• Black Histories of Philadelphia

On Sept. 26, 2017, the fence will come down and a new statue will be unveiled: the first new City Hall statue since 1923 and the first of an African American on any city-owned public property. It’s a lot of fuss over a man most Philadelphians have never heard of, and it’s about time. When we speak of the Civil Rights Movement,… continue reading A History Minute: Octavius V. Catto - Philadelphia's Forgotten Freedom Fighter

By written by Administrator    September 22, 2017   

• African American
• History
• Racism
• History of Philadelphia
• Black Histories of Philadelphia

Over three previous concert seasons at the Parkway Central Library , veteran and up-and-coming Philly musicians have explored some questions. What has the Great Migration meant to music in Philadelphia? What happens if librarians commission composers to write music inspired by resources culled from Parkway Central’s subject departments?… continue reading Mysterious Travelers Tunes Up for Its Fourth Season of Free Jazz Shows with the Philadelphia Jazz Project!

By written by Perry G.    September 13, 2017   

• Exhibitions
• Archives
• Music

In the autumn of 2016, we were tasked with a fascinating challenge: create a bold and welcoming exhibition that would discuss the history of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. On the surface, this isn’t that difficult. As curators in the Special Collections division, we’ve created exhibitions in the past—that’s one of the… continue reading Corridor of Culture: 100 Years of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

By written by Laura S.    September 8, 2017   

• Exhibitions
• Parkway Central
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• History
• Print and Picture Collection
• Special Collections

We didn’t think we could love poetry any more than we already do here at the Free Library … but we were wrong. The City of Philadelphia Poet Laureate program —which has flourished in the five years since it was established by the City’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy —has now moved under the… continue reading The Free Library Welcomes the Philadelphia Poet Laureate Program

By written by Julie B.    September 7, 2017    2  

• Art
• Poetry

The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce that beginning today we will offer free access to Lynda.com with your library card ! Lynda.com is an online training and learning tool for business, software, technology, and creative skills. Offering over 10,000 training and development courses taught by industry experts,… continue reading Lynda.com: A New Online Learning Experience from the Free Library

By written by Jamie W.    September 5, 2017    47  

• Databases
• Online Learning
• Digital Learning

As the opening date for  Frankenstein & Dracula  approaches, we've been revisiting some of the strange ( and occasionally salacious ) stories from the lives of the Romantic authors whose dark and imaginative stories inspired two of history's greatest monsters. A favorite among our staff is the grim tale of Percy… continue reading Mary Shelley's Indestructible Heart

By written by Sara D.    August 30, 2017    1  

• Rosenbach
• Literary History
• Author Birthdays

The South Philadelphia Library has added a new collection: the Health Lending Library . The first items in this new collection are electronic blood pressure monitors and food scales. These items will now be available for checkout in addition to the robust health collection on our shelves at South Philly Library. Check out our list to see some… continue reading Health Lending Library Now Available in South Philadelphia

By written by Katie D.    August 28, 2017    2  

• Healthcare
• Health
• Neighborhood Libraries

2 + 2 = 4 The Earth is round. Frankenstein is the name of the doctor, not the monster. These are all indisputable facts. Unfortunately, we are currently living in some bizarro, post-truth world where certain people try to dispute and argue about facts like the one's listed above. And if there is any term more misconstrued and misunderstood… continue reading Library Resources to Help Spot Fake News

By written by Peter SM    August 25, 2017   

• Databases
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Media
• Newspapers
• Library Resources

by Emma Seeley The Free Library of Philadelphia recently opened a new office, the Center for Public Life (CPL), to coordinate cultural and civic programs for adults across the library system. At the head of this new initiative is Andrew Nurkin. With a B.A. in English and History, an M.F.A in Poetry, a master’s degree in Divinity, and a… continue reading A Conversation with Andrew Nurkin, Head of Our New Center for Public Life (CPL)

By written by Administrator    August 24, 2017    3  

• Free Library Staff

A little over a week ago, on the same day that a hate-fueled gathering was taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, a group of teenagers was gathering at a small library in Philadelphia to talk about combating hate. The Philadelphia City Institute hosted the Free Library's second annual Social Justice Symposium for Teens on Saturday,… continue reading Second Annual Social Justice Symposium Wrap Up

By written by Erin H.    August 23, 2017    1  

• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter

As adults, it’s our job to help the children in our lives make sense of the world around them. After the events in Charlottesville this past weekend, and events around the country in recent months, there seems to be more need than ever to begin the conversation about responding to hate. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a welcoming and… continue reading Resources for Responding to Hate

By written by Rachel F.    August 17, 2017   

• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter
• Racism
• Equality
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

by Annette Mattei Did you know that close to 30 percent of adults who visit the Free Library come here to look for jobs? Moreover, That’s according to a Pew survey conducted in 2012 , 40 percent of adults who use our library computers are doing so for career or employment purposes. Starting with our online resources , the Free Library has… continue reading Job Readiness Labs: Supporting Job Seekers in Southwest Philadelphia

By written by Administrator    August 11, 2017    3  

• Careers
• Job Fairs
• Job Readiness Lab
• Job Seekers

Almost 100 years before Ellis Island, Philadelphia established The Lazaretto Station. It became the point of entry for all ships and passengers arriving during the quarantine season of June through October. The Lazaretto is the oldest surviving quarantine hospital in the western hemisphere.   Maritime quarantine stations were first… continue reading A History Minute: What is The Lazaretto?

By written by Administrator    August 7, 2017    5  

• History

Zinio, our digital magazine service, is now RBdigital Magazines . The great selection of currnet newsstand magazines including the New Yorker , the Economist , Bon Appetit , National Geographic , OK , Star , and many more, hasn't changed. It's still easy to use, still has no late fees, and is always free with your library card . If… continue reading Changes Coming for Zinio, Digital Magazines, and Digital Audiobooks

By written by Jamie W.    August 4, 2017    1  

• Digital Media