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

The Free Library is committed to connecting with all the residents of Philadelphia. With our Prison & Reentry Services program, we are reaching out to men and women experiencing incarceration and those returning to their communities after release. We believe the Free Library plays an important role in the lives of these citizens. From… continue reading Incarcerated & Returning Citizens: Sharing Stories and Building Supports

By written by Micaela G.    August 8, 2019    3  

• Exhibitions
• Film Screenings
• Prison Services

Storm Rhodes is a Library Assistant at the David Cohen Ogontz Library , and a member of Cohort 1 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries training. In this post, she shares what she has learned. The most influential things I have learned from being a part of Cohort 1 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings were mapping my… continue reading Expanding Legal Literacy in Neighborhood Libraries

By written by Community-Centered Libraries    February 6, 2019    1  

• Free Library Staff
• Literacy
• Prison Services
• Community
• Neighborhood Libraries
• IMLS
• Law

Welcome to " Ask the Job Readiness Lab ," a series of blog posts in which we address the questions of job seekers and share our answers with a broader audience. Here our partner, the National Workforce Opportunity Newtork, LLC , provides guidance to returning citizens and other “justice involved” individuals who are… continue reading Ask the Job Readiness Lab: "I have a criminal record – how do I go about a job search?"

By written by Annette M.    January 12, 2018    1  

• Prison Services
• Job Readiness Lab

Are you looking for a job? Do you have a criminal record? If you answered "yes" to both these questions, then please join us for the Reentry Resource Fair , which will take place this Friday, October 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Southwest CDC , 6328 Paschall Avenue, in Southwest Philadelphia. This event will feature: A general… continue reading Reentry Job Resources Fair

By written by Administrator    October 25, 2017   

• Job Fairs
• Prison Services
• Job Readiness Lab
• Job Seekers

We are thrilled that  Stories Alive , a partnership between the Free Library Prison Services program and the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, has been successfully up and running for more than a year. The program helps build and maintain relationships between incarcerated parents and their children through reading. Participating… continue reading Free Library Prison Services Success

By written by Micaela G.    March 27, 2017   

• Childrens Programs
• Family Programs
• Literacy
• Prison Services

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

In December, the Free Library announced an impactful pilot program and partnership with the Philadelphia Prison System (PPS). We are pleased to report that our focused effort to reach out to inmates, returning citizens, and their families has thus far been met with great success! The Free Library first piloted a program in 2013 to provide… continue reading Stories Alive Connects Incarcerated Parents and Their Families Through Reading

By written by Titus M.    June 15, 2016    1  

• Childrens Programs
• Reading
• Literacy
• Storytime
• Social Justice
• Prison Services