Can you believe the holidays are already upon us? Although it's the *most* wonderful time of the year in many ways, from office parties to time away from work to celebrating with loved ones and making memories, this time of year can also bring stress as you ponder your ever-growing shopping list. Eeep! But here at the Free Library, we have a few ideas for the book lover in your life, or maybe that hard-to-shop-for person who seemingly has everything!
Looking for something unique? Dedicate a bookplate in the name of your loved one! For just $50, a bookplate inscribed with your loved one’s name will be placed inside a new book in the Free Library’s collection. This year’s holiday bookplate features an image depicting crowds promenading on the sidewalk and horse-drawn sleighs speeding up and down North Broad Street just north of Philadelphia City Hall. Taken from Earl Shinn’s A Century After: Picturesque Glimpses of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania (1875), this print is one of numerous historical images of Philadelphia in the Free Library’s Print and Picture Collection, and is a great way to support the mission of the Free Library while crossing off a gift on your list for that special someone.
Another unique idea for a library lover is a reproduction of a Free Library WPA poster! Thanks to a partnership with Ennis Carter and Posters for the People, two of our winter holiday-themed posters (you can learn more about them in a recent blog post!) are now available for reproduction. Winter in Fairmount Park is a silkscreen by an unidentified artist showing bare trees in a snow-covered landscape. Merry Christmas, another silkscreen by an unidentified artist, shows an angel and candles in front of the silhouette of a tree. The reproductions are available as 12" x 18" digital prints or 16" x 20" giclée prints, with profits from the sale being shared between the Free Library and Posters for the People, an online archive of nearly 600 WPA posters. How cool is that?
Finally, if your friend or family member is a voracious reader but *GASP* doesn’t yet have a Free Library card, give the gift that keeps on giving by helping them sign up for a library card this holiday season. From physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks to online databases and more unique items for lending like cake pans, birding backpacks, and musical instruments, you can’t go wrong!
Happy holiday shopping!
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