This year the Free Library of Philadelphia is participating in Welcoming Week: Connecting Neighbors, Serving Communities, taking place September 15 through 24, with a variety of cultural events embracing the civic dialog among the multicultural communities in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. Many of the programs offered this year invite the public to explore and discover the richness of our city's inter-generational neighborhoods, in addition to providing a harmonious environment for inclusivity, cultural awareness, and meaningful conversation.

Acción Colombia, a nonprofit cultural organization, is partnering with Parkway Central Library to present: Yellow Butterflies in Autumn: Celebrating 50 Years of the Publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. This "tertulia" (a social gathering with literary or artistic overtones) will look into the memorable and challenging writing years of Gabo from various perspectives: anecdotal, journalistic, scenic, musical, and his experience in Mexico.

Simultaneously, the Mexican Consulate, in Philadelphia, in conjunction with Charles Santore Library, will be presenting a Literary Evening of Mexican Authors | Noche Literaria de Autores Mexicanos in which writers such as Carlos Fuentes and Octavio Paz will be analyzed for their contributions to art and culture. In addition, this Consulate will also sponsor the "Éste es Mi México" Drawing Workshop / Taller de dibujo "Éste es mi México" program at Fumo Family Library, inviting children ages six to fourteen to explore "The Monarch Butterfly and its Lifecycle in North America."

Also during Welcoming Week, an Immigration and Resources Fair will be held at the South Philadelphia Library and Community Health and Literacy Center, providing information and resources about employment, housing, health, and English classes. So far, fourteen nonprofit organizations are supporting this community effort and many more are joining in. If you need information about this event, the flyer information is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

Additional programs such as Share Your, or Your Family's Immigration Story, Waging War on Immigration and Science, Follow Me Through the Gates, and Heritage Story Potluck are just some of the events that will be featured during Welcoming Week this year.

Opening a positive civic dialog, in our communities, will encourage members to engage and respect diverse points of view; the goal is to design a commonplace that invites everyone to exchange ideas and participate, actively, in the development and growth of our communities.