Join your neighbors at the Parkway Central Library on Wednesday, November 30 at 6 p.m.  for the FREE Philadelphia premiere screening of the new short hybrid documentary film, “ The Command Center to Bring Women Home ”, with a special Q&A discussion with the filmmaker and co-writers. The film brings to life a… continue reading Join Us for the Premiere Screening of “The Command Center to Bring Women Home”

By written by Juanita V.    November 23, 2022   

• Art
• Events at the Library
• Parkway Central
• Social Justice
• Prison Services

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Empathy Versus Misinformation: Transgender Youth series of panels. There has been a lot of interest in transgender youth in the media, and yet so few easy ways to access reliable answers to questions community members might have about this vulnerable part of Philadelphia’s communities.… continue reading Empathy Versus Misinformation Wrap-Up

By written by Shelley R.    September 7, 2022   

• Family Programs
• Hot Topics
• LGBTQ
• Teens
• Social Media
• Science
• Social Justice

Are you between the ages of 14 and 19? Do you have a passion and commitment for social justice? Are you looking for an opportunity where you can learn, serve your community, and develop/demonstrate your leadership skills? Would you like to earn $400? The Philadelphia City Institute Library is currently accepting applications for its summer Teen… continue reading Free Library Seeking Teen Social Justice Fellows!

By written by Erin H.    June 28, 2022   

• Teens
• Social Justice

If you have been to the Lovett Memorial Library recently, you have likely seen the Black Lives Matter book walk prominently displayed in its park. The idea came from Lisa Browne of Colorful Stories . Following the racial justice movements last summer, Browne wrote a short story that developed into her idea to create a book walk that children… continue reading Lovett Library's Book Walk Continues the Conversation on Race

By written by Dana G.    June 23, 2021    2  

• Childrens Programs
• Storytime
• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter
• Neighborhood Libraries
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Planning and hosting the Free Library's Social Justice Symposium for young people has become an important tradition at the Philadelphia City Institute Library . We held the first Symposium in 2016 and have scheduled one annually since then. Each year, we continue to be inspired by the young people who present and participate. This year,… continue reading The Social Justice Symposium Turns Five!

By written by Erin H.    December 21, 2020    1  

• Teens
• Social Justice

Though I’ve lived in so-called Philadelphia for several years, it was only last year that I learned that Lenapehoking is the name of this place so many of us call home. In learning how to acknowledge the ancestral homeland of the Lenape, the deepest understanding I gained was that a land acknowledgment isn’t just a plaque or gesture… continue reading Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly

By written by Brittanie S.    October 9, 2020   

• One Book, One Philadelphia
• Social Justice

Updated Friday, July 10, 2020 4:59 p.m. "The Social Justice Symposium Teen Planning Committee supports the Concerned Black Workers of the Free Library of Philadelphia ! CBWFLP Response to DEI/Board of Trustees' letter We are Philadelphia high school and college students who have been working for several weeks to plan the Free… continue reading Race in the United States: Social Justice Virtual Workshops for Teens

By written by Megan J.    July 7, 2020   

• Art
• Teens
• History
• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter
• Politics
• Community
• Racism
• Law
• Students
• Virtual Programs
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

On Thursday, February 20 , David W. Young will appear at Parkway Central Library to discuss his book, Battles of Germantown: Effective Public History in America .  Many Philadelphia residents are familiar with the annual reenactment of the historic 1777 Battle of Germantown—a loss for the Continental Army under the command of George… continue reading What is "Public History", Anyway?

By written by Nina C.    February 19, 2020   

• Events at the Library
• History
• Social Justice
• Black History Month
• Community
• Architecture
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Edible Alphabet is a free English language learning program offered to adults by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center . The mission of the program is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking and library projects. Students learn vocabulary and grammar, as well as practice listening, speaking, reading, and… continue reading Food Insecurity, English Language Learning, and Community Conversations in North Philadelphia

By written by Lindsay S.    January 3, 2020   

• Literacy
• Culinary Literacy
• 21st Century Libraries
• Social Justice
• New Americans
• Community
• Adult Learning
• English Language Learners

Independence Day isn’t the only famous birthday this week: on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacan, which is now part of Mexico City, the revolutionary spirit Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was born in a blue house.  If you wanted to mark the day, it’s pretty easy to find fridge magnets and flower crowns, tote bags, greeting… continue reading Happy Birthday, Frida!

By written by Brittanie S.    July 5, 2019    1  

• Artists Books
• LGBTQ
• Recommendations
• Social Justice
• Pop Culture
• Equality

by Timmy Lawrence and Geneva Williams, members of the Youth Planning Committee for the 2018 Social Justice Symposium for Teens. Today, more than ever, social issues have reached a pivotal point in our society. Although injustice may seem omnipresent, passionate teens such as ourselves have the power to change the injustices we see. From… continue reading Teens Explore Social Justice at the Free Library

By written by Administrator    July 5, 2018   

• Teens
• Poetry
• Social Justice

Now that the fog has lifted from St. Patrick’s Day, it occurs to us at the Free Library that the holiday is the moment where the fact of an Irish diaspora is felt most strongly in Philadelphia. However, as St. Patrick’s Day transforms into a quasi-official St Patrick’s Month in our city’s taprooms, the victims of British… continue reading Remember an Gorta Mór: the Great Famine

By written by Adam F.    March 26, 2018   

• Events at the Library
• Genealogy
• History
• Social Justice
• New Americans

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

As we gear up for the 3rd Annual Good Food for All Conference with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger on May 11 at the Parkway Central Library , the Culinary Literacy Center wants to know – what does hunger look like to you? Enduring images of anonymous people in line at the soup kitchen are certainly indelibly linked to… continue reading Good Food for All: What Does Hunger Look Like To You?

By written by Suzanna U.    May 2, 2017   

• Culinary Literacy
• Social Justice
• Health

Looking for something heartfelt and inspiring to read while supporting a worthy cause this Valentine's Day? Check out Love is Love , a 162-page graphic novel from IDW Publishing and DC Comics , honoring the victims, supporting the survivors, and celebrating the LGBTQ community affected by the senseless Pulse Nightclub tragedy in Orlando,… continue reading Love is Love

By written by Peter SM    February 14, 2017   

• LGBTQ
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• Digital Media
• Social Justice

Every parent's worst nightmare is something bad happening to their child. For Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, that nightmare became a reality when their 17-year-old son, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on the evening of February 26, 2012, following an altercation within a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Trying… continue reading Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin

By written by Author Events    January 30, 2017    8  

• Author Events
• Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter

Incarcerated mothers and fathers face many challenges to maintain bonds with their children in the face of difficult circumstances. Limited time in prison visiting rooms is not always enough. Using videoconferencing technology, the Free Library’s Stories Alive program offers an opportunity for a different kind of visit. Children come to a… continue reading One Year of Stories Alive: Looking Back and Planning Ahead

By written by Micaela G.    December 28, 2016    2  

• Childrens Programs
• Social Justice
• Prison Services

by Ned Scharff A little boy gazes into a Free Library video screen when suddenly a familiar face appears—that of the boy's father, an inmate in a Philadelphia prison. "Dad," the boy exclaims, "Where are you? I miss you!" Over the next extraordinary hour, father and son read books together, practice spelling, sing… continue reading Focus On: Free Library Prison Services

By written by Administrator    November 21, 2016    1  

• Family Programs
• Literacy
• Social Justice
• Prison Services

As the Free Library’s Prison Services program enters the second half of its first year running the Stories Alive program, we are very happy to report the program’s continued success! In partnership with the Philadelphia Prison System (PPS), the Free Library has been able to offer an increasingly popular opportunity for… continue reading Stories Alive: Family Story Hour for Incarcerated Parents and Their Children

By written by Micaela G.    September 28, 2016    3  

• Childrens Programs
• Storytime
• Social Justice
• Prison Services