The Free Library offers a plentiful amount of resources that are easily accessible for citizens of Philadelphia. As a result, the Library enriches individual’s worldly knowledge, increases… continue reading

By Brittney M.   July 21, 2015   

Last month, South Philadelphia’s Federal Winds quintet gave a special pop-up performance in the Grand Lobby of Parkway Central.  The group, consisting of some of Philadelphia's most… continue reading

By Perry G.   June 12, 2015   

Philadelphia’s guitarists are dropping by the Reference Desk more frequently than usual to request our B.B. King songbooks. School students are visiting the Music Department asking… continue reading

By Perry G.   May 27, 2015   

Last month, the Music Department featured the music of Qin Qian - Philadelphia author, educator and erhu player. She treated the public to a special pop-up performance featuring her students and… continue reading

By Perry G.   April 28, 2015   

The Sheet Music Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Music Department includes over 350,000 individual songs and wordless piano solos. This collection includes single tunes… continue reading

By Adam F.   April 14, 2015   

Hoopla is the Free Library's online source for streaming movies, television, music, and audiobooks. It's all available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it's all free when you create… continue reading

By Jamie W.   April 14, 2015   

Up Next! Three Bassists + One Drummer On Monday April 13 at 7:00 p.m., the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Producers’ Guild, and the Philadelphia Jazz Project will present the final… continue reading

By Adam F.   March 23, 2015    2

Today Hoopla unveiled a slick new interface that puts you in touch with the streaming movies, television, music, and audiobooks you love even faster. The new interface, which the company calls,… continue reading

By Jamie W.   March 6, 2015    2

Up Next! Karen Smith On Monday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m., audiences at the Montgomery Auditorium at the Parkway Central Library will have an opportunity to welcome percussionist Karen Smith and her… continue reading

By Adam F.   February 23, 2015    1

[ Editorial Note: This is the fifth of a six part series intended to demonstrate for teachers and students the use of special Free Library of Philadelphia resources for conducting research into… continue reading

By Adam F.   December 5, 2014    3

On Monday Dec 8 at 7:00 p.m ., audiences will welcome the return of Wayne Smith, Jr. to Montgomery Auditorium at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Parkway Central Branch. We last heard from… continue reading

By Adam F.   November 20, 2014   

On October 29th, Saxophonist Mike Cemprola led a jazz quartet on an intimate, often humorous, and forward looking set of his original compositions framed within a few contrasting takes on a pair… continue reading

By Adam F.   November 10, 2014   

On Sunday, October 26, the Grand Lobby of the Parkway Central Library transformed into a musical time machine.  Local duo Soprano Meets Contrabass (opera Soprano Ana María Díaz… continue reading

By Perry G.   November 7, 2014   

Howllo Boils and Ghouls, Welcome back to the Free Library of Frightadelphia's bloodcurdling blog on this most haunted of holidays, Halloween ! If you survived last year's playlist , then… continue reading

By Peter SM   October 31, 2014   

Last month's’ inaugural concert of the Mysterious Travelers Series held approximately 200 listeners in rapt attention in the plush and sonorous Montgomery Auditorium of the Free Library… continue reading

By Adam F.   October 9, 2014   

The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Music Department is a free and open conservatory-quality music library supporting several generations’ worth of local musicians and fans. We can show… continue reading

By Adam F.   September 5, 2014   

August 15th marks the 75th anniversary of the Hollywood premiere of The Wizard of Oz at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. To say that the story, both the original L. Frank Baum novel and… continue reading

By Peter SM   August 15, 2014   

*** Update - 11/1/2017 - Our Hoopla policies have changed. So that we can bring you more content on more platforms, we have changed the number of checkouts per person to 4 titles a… continue reading

By Jamie W.   July 28, 2014    41

[all photos courtesy Philadelphia Jazz Project and Alexis Simmons of Gypsi Life Photography ] On Monday July 21st, eleven stunning performers treated an audience of nearly 200 jazz fans to a… continue reading

By Adam F.   July 25, 2014    1

You might think, in keeping with a certain stereotype, that librarians are so old-school that the only music we listen to comes from the Library’s vinyl collection . And though there may be… continue reading

By Perry G.   July 3, 2014