I have a confession to make—I am that friend who always wants to get a trivia team together on a Tuesday night. I’m also that kid who read Trivial Pursuit cards for fun to see if I could guess the answers. And I ask Santa for those one-a-day calendars of random facts every year. I love learning about something new, especially in… continue reading Celebrating the Trivia Nerd in All of Us
By written by Christine M. January 4, 2019 3
“Tell me and I forget.Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” - Xun Kuang, philosopher Imagine trying to learn to knit. Would you learn best by reading a book about knitting? Hearing a friend talk about knitting? Watching an expert knitter? Or, learning the basic steps and actually trying to knit? According to… continue reading Skills for Community-Centered Libraries: Learning through Experience
By written by Community-Centered Libraries December 6, 2018 1
In this fast-paced world of ours, it’s easy to forget to take a minute or two to slow down. Hopefully, this Thanksgiving will allow us all a chance to sit back and reflect on what’s important in our lives – from the people we love to our jobs to our great city and everything in between. Today, our trusty Free Library staff… continue reading What We’re Thankful For This Year
By written by Kate C. November 21, 2018
Maybe when they say November 17 is Take a Hike Day , they mean you’re supposed to tell someone on your nerves to go take a hike?! Hmmm. *shrug emoji* In any case, we figured it was a good time to remind you that the Free Library has plenty of resources if you’re looking to get out for a hike while you still have time to enjoy these… continue reading Celebrate Take a Hike Day with the Free Library!
By written by Kate C. November 16, 2018
Our first cohort of staff members participating in the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries training recently learned about and explored team roles and dynamics. Staff reflected on their own strengths and what attributes they bring to a team. Are they great at keeping everything running smoothly? Do they enjoy providing in-depth… continue reading Skills Training for Community-Centered Libraries: Building Your Library Team
By written by Community-Centered Libraries November 6, 2018 1
In this city of neighborhoods, exciting new programs focused on cultural, artistic, and civic engagement for adults are happening in communities all across Philadelphia and now being implemented by the Free Library’s new Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement (DCCE) . Many of us know that our 54 neighborhood libraries have consistently… continue reading Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement Brings Adult Programs to Neighborhood Libraries
By written by Kate C. October 26, 2018
Now more than ever , students and teachers at our schools need the information and skills that librarians and libraries can provide. This year, the Free Library is working to spread the word about the information, ideas, and resources that we already have to support our city’s students and educators, and to think through new and… continue reading Better Together: The Free Library Partners with Schools
By written by Jess P. October 26, 2018
The Free Library was founded with the goal of helping Philadelphians achieve personal enlightenment, and has continuously evolved to reach this goal in an ever-changing city and world. To further this bedrock goal, we have created the Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement , a new office that aims to enrich the public life of Philadelphia… continue reading Introducing the Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement!
By written by Kate C. October 22, 2018 1
In July, the Free Library launched its new strategic plan for the next three years. This plan is a refresh of our prior five-year plan and keeps the same mission: Advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity and vision: Building an enlightened community devoted to life-long learning The mission and vision are supported by three… continue reading Check Out Our New Strategic Plan!
By written by Autumn M. October 18, 2018 5
In the summer of 2017, Kristen Albee, a local mom who regularly attends Pre-K Storytime with her daughter at the Queen Memorial Library in Point Breeze, fostered a connection between the library and a local church. This introduction led to the creation of a unique and exciting new storytime series. Storytime in the Garden , now in its second… continue reading South Philly Storytime Partnership Blooms – Literally!
By written by Liz G. October 15, 2018
The World Traveling Trunk Project was officially launched in June 2018 during Immigrant Heritage Month , when “Every voice is unique, Every story is powerful.” Since then, librarians across the Free Library have participated in this multicultural pilot program promoting diversity and embracing inclusion throughout this… continue reading Blueprint for Collective Unity: The World Traveling Trunk Project
By written by Mary Marques October 12, 2018
The Skills for Community-Centered Libraries initiative – a series of trainings meant to build community engagement capacities among staff – launched on October 2, so it’s a good time for The Free Library of Philadelphia’s community organizing team to share what exactly we mean by community engagement. A common definition… continue reading Defining Community Engagement and Outreach
By written by Community-Centered Libraries October 11, 2018
September is Self-Improvement Month , and if you’ve been thinking about taking steps to become your best self, now is the time. Let the Free Library – and your library card , of course – help you meet your goals! Learn a new skill One of the Free Library’s most popular digital resources is Lynda.com . Available to anyone… continue reading Let the Free Library Help You Grow During Self-Improvement Month!
By written by Kate C. September 26, 2018
In addition to Library Card Sign-Up Month (woo-hoo!), September is National Literacy Month . As you would expect, literacy is very near and dear to our hearts here at the Free Library, and a core tenet of our mission to serve Philadelphians. Programs like LEAP , Read by 4th , and Words at Play work toward this mission each and every day. And… continue reading Happy National Literacy Month!
By written by Kate C. September 18, 2018
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month , and while we all know that a library card grants you instant access to a treasure trove of books, DVDs, and audiobooks from our catalog , we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the more unconventional but equally wonderful items you can borrow! These items can be checked out… continue reading Library Card Signup Month | You Can Get WHAT at the Free Library?
By written by Kate C. September 10, 2018 3
In a previous post, we shared some stories about how meetings between libraries and other community organizations can lead to what the American Library Association calls the “domino effect of positive results.” One potential outcome of conversations between library staff and community residents and stakeholders is ideas for new… continue reading Conversations Between Libraries and Communities Spark Program Ideas
By written by Community-Centered Libraries September 7, 2018
The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Cluster Leaders – staff who supervise 5 to 8 neighborhood libraries grouped together geographically – recently discussed what the American Library Association calls the "domino effect of positive results" that occurs when library staff build stronger relationships with local… continue reading Connecting with Local Organizations Builds Library Community Engagement
By written by Community-Centered Libraries August 7, 2018 2
The summer is heating up, and as we all try our best to deal with the rising temperatures, don’t forget that the Free Library of Philadelphia is a great place to cool off! From books and magazines to free wireless internet and so much more, your neighborhood library is a welcome respite this time of year! (Don’t forget, our summer… continue reading Celebrate Those Dog Days of Summer with the Free Library!
By written by Kate C. July 27, 2018 2
Can you BEE-lieve it? The Richmond Library is now the proud owner of an observatory honey bee hive ! It’s true that the Free Library is home to many unique and wonderful programs and initiatives – many of which you’d probably not expect to find within the walls of your neighborhood library – but perhaps none is more… continue reading The Buzz at Richmond Library
By written by Amy T. July 11, 2018 3
“We are the leaders we have been waiting for.” Grace Lee Boggs, Philosopher and Activist The Free Library of Philadelphia is full of leaders, and so are the neighborhoods in which we are located. To foster collaboration with community members and organizations, we are building staff capacity in two ways: In October, thanks to… continue reading The Leaders We Have Been Waiting For
By written by Community-Centered Libraries July 6, 2018
