Explore: Digital Collections

Tagged Digital Collections

Japanese Ukiyo-E Prints in the Print and Picture Collection

I’ve been working in the Print and Picture Collection at Parkway Central Library for about a year now and I’ve still barely scratched the surface of learning about all of the art housed here. One of the first projects I was…

Fly, Eagles, Fly! 5 Ways to Celebrate the Big Game with the Free Library

Are you ready for some football?! We are! We can't wait to watch our Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. While you wait out the last couple…

The HistoryMakers: Enjoy African American History On-Demand

Using your library card, you can now enjoy Black history in the oral tradition via The HistoryMakers Digital Archive : the largest video archive of African American history spanning from the 1700s to the present day. This special…

Bicycling Resources for National Bike Month

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…

For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited

by Laura S. and Caitlin G. It’s been ninety years since the crisis of the Great Depression inspired the New Deal’s government investment and aid. But it’s not just history. The country is again facing a choice: What do…

Tips on Discovering Books and Resources for the Whole Family Through Our Explore Topics

Welcome to our second blog post on how to use the Free Library’s website to find books for your family. In the first part of this series, we learned how about how to “narrow search” options while browsing in our…

Philadelphia History from Home: Digital Access to Primary Sources

You may have heard the recent news that Free Library cardholders now have access to ProQuest’s Historical Black Newspapers , featuring coverage of The Philadelphia Tribune (the oldest continuously-published Black daily!) from…

Edible Alphabet Recipe of the Week: Korean Noodle Salad (Japchae)

Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center . The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free…

Edible Alphabet Recipe of the Week: Thai Citrus Salad

Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center. The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free…

Explore Your Neighborhood Virtually with Digital Collections

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…

Edible Alphabet Recipe of the Week: Chana Masala

Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center. The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free…

Diving into Digital Collections

For more than 25 years, libraries have been digitizing their collections, and the Free Library has digital collections in abundance—providing the opportunity to browse through roughly 50,000 images or to take a deep dive into the…

#SpecialCollectionsAtHome

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…

Going the Distance: Remote Learning and Online Resources for Educators

On Thursday, April 8, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the unprecedented closure of K-12 schools for the remainder of the year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 . In lieu of brick and mortar classes, the…

Happy Chinese Language Day!

Every April 20, the United Nations recognizes the contribution of Chinese literature, poetry, and language in world culture by celebrating Chinese Language Day . Philadelphia is home to some of the largest Chinese and…

Middle Schoolers + Epically Long Series = Match!

While everyone is stuck at home, boredom may already be setting in. One way to alleviate boredom is to read or reread a book series (the more volumes, the better!). If you don't have a full series at home, check out the Free…

Step Aside Netflix, BookFlix Rules!

While many will be embracing their Netflix accounts for the foreseeable future, this is a great time to check out its intellectual counterpart for kids from Scholastic called BookFlix ! Bookflix is a digital resource available through…

The Free Library's New Center for Digitization | Sharing Treasures Through Technology

" If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday" Pearl S. Buck Putting the contents of libraries and museums on the web makes wonderful, hidden art accessible. The Free Library of Philadelphia has…

Go Back to School with the Free Library!

The calendar still says August, and the weather forecast still says summer, but the new school year is just around the corner— School District of Philadelphia will ring the bell to begin classes on Tuesday, September 3! …

Philadelphia - The Cycling City | Part 1: Paving the Way

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…

"Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art" Exhibition

Storytelling has shaped cultures and captivated imaginations throughout history. Whether teaching moral lessons or celebrating epic heroes, each tale reflects our values, fears, and dreams. Stories reflect the context—past or…

"Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art" Exhibition

Exhibition Tour: Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art

Join us Saturday, January 11 at 11 AM for a tour of the latest exhibition from the Free Library's Special Collections Division: Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Ar t . Meet on the Second Floor of Parkway Central…

Exhibition Tour: Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art

Join us Saturday, December 21 at 11 AM for a tour of the latest exhibition from the Free Library's Special Collections Division: Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Ar t . Meet on the Second Floor of Parkway…