Happy International Literacy Day! Literacy is, of course, very near and dear to our hearts here at the Free Library, and a core tenet of our mission to serve Philadelphians. And while everyone knows libraries are literacy hubs, what you might not realize are the varying types of literacy we aim to promote all year round!

Not sure what we're talking about? Here are a few examples:

Culinary Literacy
Opened in June of 2014, the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center (CLC), located on the fourth floor of the Parkway Central Library on Vine Street, aims to revolutionize the way Philadelphians think about food and nutrition. The CLC offers a range of classes and programs with an emphasis on learning math via measuring, reading via recipes, and science via the cooking process. The classes also teach consumer skills that help parents make recipes that fit the needs of their family.
 

Health Literacy
The Free Library has a variety of programs and resources dedicated to promoting health in the community. The South Philadelphia Library located at 1700 S. Broad Street is a part of the brand new Community Health and Literacy Center, comprised of the Free Library, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the City of Philadelphia’s Health Center 2, and the DiSilvestro Recreation Center. The Free Library also offers yoga classes, disease prevention programs, meditation workshops, flu shot clinics, Medicare information sessions, and many more health-minded events at neighborhood library locations across the city.
 

Digital Literacy
The Free Library wants all Philadelphians to be able to keep up with the ever-changing times! From a digital- and technology-literacy perspective, we offer classes in subjects like email basics, PowerPoint and Excel software, and social media, while also offering a weekly E-Gadget Help Desk, where patrons can learn how to better utilize that new iPad, e-reader, smartphone, or tablet.
 

Media Literacy
We live in a world where information is always available at our fingertips. The Free Library has resources to help the public navigate this ever-changing, ever-growing, overwhelming media landscape, and can also point you in the right direction if you're looking for more.

For additional interesting facts about some of the more non-traditional literacy efforts taking place at the Free Library, showcasing what we do outside library walls and apart from simply lending books (although, we love that, too!), follow our #BeyondTheShelves hashtag on social media!