Tagged Rare Book Department
Free Virtual Arabic Language Programs Return in February and March!
In the Path of Islam, in collaboration with Al-Bustan Seed of Culture, are excited to announce the return of the well-received, virtual, free Arabic conversation classes this February and March. Students will practice the sounds…
Grip: A Poem, Book, and Raven
Updated Wednesday, December 15, 2021 4:20 p.m. One of the most popular attractions of the Free Library's Rare Book Department is Grip the Raven, the late lamented pet of author Charles Dickens. A few years ago, we shared Grip's…
Let's Speak Arabic!
Manuscripts of the Muslim World and Al-Bustan Seeds of Cultural are offering free, virtual Arabic Conversational Classes! There are many reasons to learn conversational Arabic... There are over ten words for "love". It’s…
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Uncovering the Real James Bond in the Rare Book Department
From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the intrepid agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service—James Bond, designated Agent 007—has epitomized masculine cool. Everyone knows how he likes his vodka martinis. Everyone knows…
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…
Who Said It: Shakespeare, Milton, or Shake Milton?
The Rare Book Department has some true treasures within its collections, but perhaps one of its most special collections is the First Folio of William Shakespeare . What is the “First Folio”? It contains the collected works…
Happy Ramadan: Manuscripts of the Muslim World and Beyond!
What are the most popular Googled questions about Ramadan? Here's what we found: When does Ramadan begin and end in 2021? What is allowed and not allowed during Ramadan? What does Ramadan celebrate? What can’t you do…
Women's History Month | Spotlight on Mary Ann Evans aka George Eliot
“And, of course, men know best about everything, except what women know better.” - George Eliot In honor of Women’s History Month, we are excited to spotlight a woman who followed her own rules. English novelist, poet,…
Story Search from Special Collections: An Interview by Hannah Cho
Hannah Cho is a University of Pennsylvania Work-Study student from Davis, CA. During the Fall semester, she studied, recorded, and edited the Story Search podcasts remotely from South Korea. I’ve always been more of a talker…
"Medieval Life" Comes to Parkway Central
What do books and objects from 800 years ago have to do with our present-day concerns? An exhibition taking shape online and in the Rare Book Department 's William B. Dietrich Gallery uses objects from the distant past to…
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…
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…
The Rights and Wrongs of Social Distancing
by Karin S. and Chris B. Social Distancing can be a challenge! It seems like the rules of what you should and shouldn't do are always changing. To help you learn* about the right and wrong ways to do it, a team of Special…
#ColorOurCollections: Creating Art with the Free Library's Digital Archive
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…
Spotlight on Special Collections: When Dickens Met Poe
This blog post is in honor of Charles Dickens' birthday. The prolific Victorian author of "epic stories" like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield , was born on Portsea Island off England's south-central…
Hands-On History Wraps Up 2019 With Charles Dickens... and Introduces a New Line-Up For 2020
What do Charles Dickens, cuneiform tablets, and James Bond have in common? The answer is Hands-on History at the Free Library, which wraps up its inaugural year with a holiday program on Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 p.m.,…
Spotlight on Special Collections: Five Unstudied Prints from the American Revolutionary War
Prints were popular in American colonial homes. Among the decorative luxuries available, they were the most affordable. They would be hung in hallways, entrance halls, stairwells, and kitchens. They represented people, places, and…
Design in the Archives: A Free Evening of Fun and Learning for All Ages!
Archives shield us from a world saturated with fake news and misinformation. But what are archives? How are they different from libraries? Where are they? How do they work? How are they used? Are they free to use? Can anyone…
A Spotlight on Special Collections: The Artwork of Pennsylvania Germans-Fraktur
The Free Library of Philadelphia at Parkway Central Library has eight special collections for visitors of all ages to enjoy, either in person through engaging exhibitions and outreach programs , or remotely via …