Databases

Use our subscription databases to find citations and full text articles. To get started, just click on the database that you would like to search. If you're outside the library, you may need to enter your library card number and PIN in order to access the database.

• Digital Media
• Digital Learning
• Free Library Catalog

Awarded “Best Library Digital Resources” by Philadelphia Magazine

• Evening Public Ledger

  Find full text access to back issues of this popular daily paper from 9/14/1914 and 12/31/1922 online here. Visit the Newspaper Department at Parkway Central for microfilm access to additional years (9/14/1914 - 1/5/1942).

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Genealogy
  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults

• Free Library of Philadelphia's Digital Library Collections

  Historical images in digital format.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Digital Collections
  • Philadelphia History
  • Photography
  • Adults
  • Teens

• Input

  Input was a local Philadelphia panel discussion program, airing Sunday mornings from 1968 through early 1971

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Movies and Television
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens
  • Digital Media

• Philadelphia Daily News

  Philadelphia Daily News in full text from 1/4/1978 – Present (includes sporadic gaps in coverage)

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens

• Philadelphia Evening Telegraph

  Find full text issues of this afternoon daily published between 7/1/1864 and 6/30/1871 online here. These and additional years from 6/30/1871 to 6/28/1918 are available on microfilm at Parkway Central Library. Many coverage gaps.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens
  • History

• Philadelphia Inquirer

  JULY ISSUES SPORATICALLY AVAILABLE: SEE THE PRESSREADER DATABASE FOR FULL ACCESS. Philadelphia Inquirer in full text from 1/1/1981 – Present (includes sporadic gaps in coverage)

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens

• Philadelphia Inquirer Digital Archive 1860-2001

  Search and browse the full text of the Philadelphia Inquirer as published 1860-2001.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Genealogy
  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens

• Philadelphia Inquirer Historical Archive (formerly Civil War Archive)

  Full text of the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1829-1922. *Chrome browser not supported.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Genealogy
  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens
  • History

• Philadelphia Press Index

  Electronic version of a paper index to the Philadelphia Press, one of Philadelphia's oldest newspapers.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens

• Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001)

  Full access to the oldest continuously published daily Black newspaper in the United States.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • African American
  • Newspapers Magazines and Journals
  • Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens
  • History

• Sanborn Maps, 1867–1970 (Formerly Sanborn Maps Geo Edition)

  Explore America’s building history through over 660,000 black-and-white, large-scale maps, which chart the growth of more than 12,000 towns and cities. Read this blog post to learn more.

  Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.

  • Philadelphia History
  • Adults
  • Teens
  • Maps

denotes POWER Library resource

This project is made possible in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and through Library Access Funds administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Department of Education, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, Governor.