[ Editor's note: We librarians offer literally thousands of programs every year. It's a special thrill to get formal feedback from our audiences. We can't publish every review we get, but we're overjoyed to have gotten…
Three upcoming new books, coming out in three consecutive months, will focus on the subject of the workings of the human brain. Helen Thomson, a freelance science journalist, tells the stories of nine extraordinary people from…
"Hate-watching"—watching something you dislike for the oddly enjoyable/satisfying/fun experience of hating on it—has become a staple of our media times. I am typically a literary purist, holding a book as the one…
Did you know that December is Read A New Book Month ? That’s right, the perfect excuse to dig into something you haven’t read before, especially as the temperatures continue to drop and the idea of leaving the house and the…
I love a graphic novel—and even better I love a graphic novel memoir . There is something so much more intimate about reading the words AND pictures when someone shares her story. Or maybe I’m just a slower reader when it…
August is hot and steamy in Philadelphia... a perfect time to take a vacation to somewhere sunny, beachy, or just far away. Need some books to keep the kids busy? Here you go! Everything Goes On Land by Philadelphia’s own Brian…
Post written by Mary W. Most of us have read, or at least heard of, Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman and Laura Cornell, which was recently reissued this year. In addition to this book, there many others that deal…
Need another place to find book reviews for great new children’s books? Well, good news! The Free Library of Philadelphia has an exciting new feature in The Notebook , the newspaper for Philadelphia’s Public Schools. The…
The Free Library of Philadelphia has released the newest version of our mobile site ! The new mobile site (version 3.0) uses responsive web design and provides an optimal viewing experience on all browsers and most mobile devices,…
The Library of Congress , in celebration of National Book Festival has an exhibit featuring " Books That Shaped America ." They curated a list of 88 books which they feel are influential and shaped our nation. The list is…
As I’m sure many of my fellow readers do, too, I have an extensive and ever-rotating list of favorite authors. I look forward to reading their new works and enjoy exploring their back lists of novels and stories. Frequently,…
We pride ourselves on being the Free Library of Opportunity, providing the resources, services, and programs that help our users find success in whatever task they’re tackling. For job seekers, that means providing free Wi-Fi to…
If you’re a movie lover, then you might be familiar with the video distribution company The Criterion Collection . This company is known for re-releasing classic and foreign films, as well as films made by celebrated directors.…
The Street Lit Book Award Medal Committee comprises of a group of volunteer librarians and library workers from across the U.S. who work with Street Lit and its readers in public and school libraries. The Committee collected, discussed,…
What are the kids up to these days? Reading a diverse array of books and graphic novels and watching some clever TV shows and films, as it turns out! Here are our most popular titles for children in a variety of…
Last Monday, we revealed the most circulated books, DVD films, and DVD television shows for adults at the Free Library in 2010. This week, we're revealing the most circulated digital titles of 2010--both ebooks…
We are often asked which titles are the most frequently checked out here at the Free Library. To answer this question, our hardworking Materials Management staff has compiled several lists of the top 10 circulated book and…
The National Film Registry Board under the Library of Congress selected 25 films they deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" for the 2010 year. I was happy to see a couple of my favorites made the…
As I pre-ordered my tickets to the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I , I realized it’s been a while since I’ve re-read the series . I was first introduced to the series in June of 2007 when…
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and in my very biased way; I believe it’s the best city in the world. So whenever I watch a film and notice parts of Philadelphia I get excited. It always feels good to see my hometown…