Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building opens Monday, March 6 on the Third Floor of Parkway Central Library and has been extended to run through August 31, 2023. Whether real or imaginary, maps guide travelers, define characteristics of a region, and illustrate values and perspectives. How did the location of Marvel’s… continue reading Mapping Imagination: The Art of World-Building
By written by Administrator March 6, 2023 6
There’s treasure in your neighborhood if you know where to look! Southwest Philadelphia families are invited to hunt down treasure troves of books to kick-off Summer of Wonder in June. Saturday, June 4th, starting at 10am until all books are gone, Kingsessing Library and A Book A Day are hosting our second ever Summer of Wonder Treasure… continue reading Start Summer of Wonder with a Treasure Hunt
By written by Rachel R. May 25, 2022
Happy National Bike Month ! Founded in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bicycle Month is full of activities and initiatives to inspire people to take to the road on bikes rather than cars. If you’re heading back into the office, working from home, or looking to introduce a little more exercise into your schedule,… continue reading Bicycling Resources for National Bike Month
By written by Megan M. May 5, 2022
The New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political experiment to pull the United States out of the Great Depression, created programs for relief for the unemployed and economic recovery and reform. Evidence of some of these programs can still be found across Philadelphia. Make your own WPA poster at the library October 13 or… continue reading Explore the New Deal’s Legacy Across Philadelphia
By written by Laura S. October 5, 2021
Sanborn fire insurance maps are available once again through ProQuest’s updated and newly-released database, Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 (formerly known as Sanborn Maps Geo Edition 1867-1970). This database gives you access to black-and-white, large-scale maps of over 12,000 cities and towns across the U.S. Fire insurance maps were created to… continue reading New Release of the ProQuest Sanborn Maps Database
By written by Megan M. January 21, 2021 4
As COVID-19 cases surge in our city, Philadelphia health officials have announced a new Safer at Home plan, which aims to limit the spread of this virus through this difficult period. Vaccines for COVID-19 are currently under development but not yet available, and safety precautions for avoiding the spread of this virus remain vital. Staying at… continue reading Using the City's Online Maps to Find Free Food Distribution and COVID-19 Testing Sites
By written by Michael R. November 19, 2020
With current stay-at-home orders and social distancing precautions in place, I find myself more eager to spend time outside and walk (or jog if I’m feeling really motivated) around the neighborhood. This has sparked a growing curiosity about the history of the area—both its past and present. Using our Digital Collections ,… continue reading Explore Your Neighborhood Virtually with Digital Collections
By written by Megan M. May 18, 2020
The Free Library of Philadelphia is home to a myriad of Special Collections . Since mid-March, we have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that those of us who work with the Special Collections, are unable to work directly with the materials we care for. As curator of the Map Collection, this has given me a bit of… continue reading #SpecialCollectionsAtHome
By written by Megan M. April 27, 2020
At 54 neighborhood libraries and the Rosenbach , Free Library volunteers embody the institution's vision of "an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning" every day. While the library is now a more virtual experience during our current pause, let's take a look at how a segment of Free Library volunteers are… continue reading Free Library Tour Guides Use Map Collection to Celebrate This Year's Volunteer Appreciation Day!
By written by Andrew W. April 20, 2020
Do you remember that scene at the beginning of Tangled where Rapunzel completes a day's worth of tasks before breakfast? Yeah, that's a lot less funny now. But if the school assignments are done and your Netflix queue is getting dangerously short, it's time to take a break from your normal routine, pull out all the… continue reading #ColorOurCollections: Creating Art with the Free Library's Digital Archive
By written by Chris B. April 8, 2020 4
In a recent CNN article titled, "Why touching art is so tempting — and exciting," Fiona Candlin, a professor of museology at Birkbeck College in London and author of Art, Museums, and Touch , argues that touching is fundamental to the way we learn and connect with artifacts from within special collections.… continue reading Learning Through Touch: Connecting with Objects in Our Special Collections
By written by Joe S. May 28, 2019
Philadelphia has been a major center of international commerce for over 300 years. Even today, with major port complexes serving major metropolitan centers throughout the country, Philadelphia and its international seaport maintains a preeminent position in several areas of trade. Read on for 14 Surprising Facts (you may or may not know) about… continue reading A History Minute | 14 Surprising Facts about the Port of Philadelphia
By written by Sally F. March 28, 2019 2
Can you name five women artists off the top of your head? (Not counting Frida Kahlo or Georgia O’Keeffe.) Try. Surprised if you can’t? Don’t be. It happens. But let us help you achieve this goal... In March of 2016, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. launched a social media campaign in… continue reading #5WomenArtists from Our Special Collections
By written by Karen K. March 8, 2019
Long ago, Philadelphians had the opportunity to escape the congestion of the city by ferrying to two islands in the middle of the Delaware River, across from what is now Penn’s Landing. These islands were known as Smith’s and Windmill Islands, and have a complicated history that resulted in their eventual destruction in the 1890s.… continue reading An Island Retreat Off the Shores of Philadelphia
By written by Megan M. January 22, 2019
The current exhibition in the Rare Book Department ’s Dietrich Gallery, entitled Philadelphia - The Changing City , offers a look at centuries’ worth of local transformations illustrated with materials mostly sourced from the library’s Map and Print and Picture Collections. One of the maps on display is a "Local Cycling… continue reading Philadelphia - The Cycling City | Part 1: Paving the Way
By written by Alina J. January 18, 2019
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
![L.A.W. Local Cycling Map, 1897, Map [recto]](https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/changingcity-cycling.jpg)
Come and learn about Philadelphia's exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a free guided tour of the Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Tours begin at 3:00 PM… continue reading Free Tours of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
By written by Joe S. November 5, 2018
October 10 marks the opening of an exhibition that analyzes Philadelphia's growth across more than three centuries, presenting more than 80 rare and revelatory prints, photographs, documents, and maps from the Free Library's Special Collections and Research Departments . Philadelphia:The Changing City will be on view in the… continue reading Philadelphia: The Changing City - An Exhibition from Special Collections
By written by Janine P. October 9, 2018
The Map Collection , a Special Collection at the Parkway Central Library , houses numerous resources for all types of research. The Map Collection has pictorial maps to inspire artists and art lovers, topographic and geologic maps for the earth scientists, and historical maps for those interested in the past. However,… continue reading Navigate Your Research with Resources from the Map Collection
By written by Megan M. July 26, 2018
The Free Library’s map collection comprises thousands of maps focused on the development and history of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. One particular map, the Plan of the City of Philadelphia and Environs, 1809, surveyed by John Hills in the summer of 1801, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7 , depicts an unusual circular map that is large in size… continue reading A Rare Glimpse of Philadelphia in the Early 1800s
By written by Megan M. May 19, 2017 3
