Tagged Digital Media

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. As with many learning disabilities, there can be a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around what dyslexia is and how best to support learners who are struggling to read. Folks at the library…

New Achievement Unlocked: Video Game Circulation!

The Free Library is excited to announce the addition of video games to its vast catalog of borrowable materials! Why video games at the library, you ask? Well, stories aren't confined to books alone! Video games present immersive…

Our PressReader Database Now Includes The New York Times

Recognized with 132 Pulitzer Prizes and appreciated by over nine million subscribers globally, we are happy to announce that the Free Library's daily New York Time s subscription has been added to our PressReader database…

Celebrating Our New Electronic Resources of 2023

We were pleased to offer our community so many new Electronic Resources/Databases this year! Here are all of the new resources introduced since January 1, 2023:   Films to Stream : Kanopy → Over 4,000 movies for adults…

Online Resources for Learners of All Ages

Looking for learning resources to help you and your family prepare for kindergarten, conquer the back-to-school routine, or explore a new adult learning path? The Free Library has plenty to offer, and we’re excited to share…

Free Library of Philadelphia Database Updates

We are very proud of our electronic resources, also known as databases, and want to update you on some changes. As of August 1, 2023,  POWER Library Pennsylvania's Electronic Library will no longer subscribe to some databases,…

Everything You Need To Know About Free Library E-Books

Hey book lovers! Did you know you can read, read, read, with just a tap of your finger — and without ever having to go to the library? Try digital books, also known as e-books! You can read e-books on your computer, phone,…

More Kanopy Films Added

We are happy to announce that more than 1,000 new videos have been added to our Kanopy PLUS subscription. The library has purchased these two new film packs, recently introduced by Kanopy: British Cinema and TV Series : A…

Profiles in Literature

The Free Library of Philadelphia has some wonderful resources for people researching the history of children's literature in America. With just a library card , several databases are available to help you learn more about the…

Ancestry Library Edition

Visit one of our libraries to explore our newest database,  Ancestry Library Edition , which provides the most extensive collection of genealogical information currently available online. You can explore your family’s…

Introducing PressReader, Including The Economist Magazine

Would you like to read newspapers from around the world? Our newest electronic resource,  PressReader ,   brings a wide-ranging selection of current global publications. PressReader provides content from the U.S. and…

ComicsPlus is Here!

Like comics? You're going to love this! Our newest electronic resources from ComicsPlus   bring thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from a variety of library-friendly publishers for kids,…

New Databases from Access Videos on Demand

If you like documentaries, world cinema, or films for kids, we think you will love our latest electronic resource: Access Videos! These  three collections  have no monthly watch limits and include: The Access Videos on Demand:…

The Overdrive App is Being Replaced with Libby

What is Overdrive? Overdrive is the Free Library of Philadelphia’s portal to thousands of e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-magazines that you can read for free using your Free Library of Philadelphia library card. In April 2023, the…

All the Historic Black Newspapers Available Online With Your Library Card

What better way to learn about Black history than through the lens of Black news sources, as written and published by the African American journalists of yesterday? The Free Library is pleased to highlight a digital resource…

Kanopy is Back!

The Free Library is very pleased to announce the return of Kanopy, the popular on-demand video streaming service that The New York Times has called, "a garden of cinematic delights." Kanopy PLUS, including…

Explore Creative Careers with Field Teen Center!

Throughout the month of July, Field Teen Center recorded interviews with a voice actor, four game designers, and a comic book writer. If you’re interested in creative jobs or if you just want to learn more about how your favorite…

Newspapers: A Guide Into the Past

Many of us may get our news from online sources these days—social media feeds provide a constant source of information about everything from policy proposals, the weather, celebrity news, and more, as the events unfold in…

Take a Video Tour Through Parkway Central Library!

by Autumn M. and Alexis A. You might think of the Parkway Central Library as a great place to check out your favorite books and movies, but there’s so much more we have to offer and a lot of beautiful sights in the actual building…

Kanopy and Hoopla Access Ends June 30, 2021

Effective June 30, 2021, we will no longer be offering Kanopy and Hoopla services to our patrons. Instead, the Free Library will use the funding for those subscriptions to support our collections of physical materials in neighborhood…

Drop-in Help Desk with Drexel Digital Navigators

Stop in to get a helping hand from the Drexel Digital Navigators! Get computer and mobile device assistance, find low-cost Internet access, sign up for computer classes, and even learn how you can register to earn a free laptop computer!

TumbleBooks

TumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. Check out our home user guide

Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries

With an extraordinary array of more than 35,000 individual tracks of streaming music, spoken word, and natural and human-made sounds, users can listen to performances by American folk icons such as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger…

PressReader including the Economist Magazine

Access more than 6,300+ newspapers from the US and around the world in 60 languages from 120 countries in image view including the Guardian, Daily Mail, Der Tagesspiegel, Libération, China Daily, and La Razon. List to the articles in…

Popular Music Library

Popluar Music Library contains a wide range of popular music from around the world, including hundreds of thousands of tracks from major genres in pop music, including alternative, country, Christian, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk,…

Overdrive World Languages eReading Room

Download ebooks and audiobooks in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, French, and other languages. Get the Libby app to borrow on the go.

OverDrive Sala de Lectura Electrónica en Español

Descargue libros electrónicos y audiolibros en español para niños, adolescentes y adultos. (Download ebooks and audiobooks in Spanish for kids, teens, and adults.)

Overdrive Kid's eReading Room

Ebooks and audiobooks from Overdrive for young readers. Get the Libby app to borrow on the go.

Jazz Music Library

This resource will be the largest and most comprehensive collection of jazz available online. This release includes 4,933 albums and 59,860 tracks. It and is growing regularly.

HistoryMakers Digital Archive

Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)

Explore over 500 nonfiction, fully searchable reference titles. Access accurate information on science, literature, history, business, and more.

Freading

Downloadable ebooks for Free Library of Philadelphia library card holders.

Dennis Yi Tenen | Literary Theory for Robots: How Computers Learned to Write

Dennis Yi Tenen  is an associate professor of English at Columbia University, where he also serves as co-director of the Center for Comparative Media. Affiliated with Columbia’s Data Science Institute, he is a former fellow at the…

Kara Swisher | Burn Book: A Tech Love Story

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6abc Action News morning edition An award-winning journalist who has covered the business of the Internet since 1994, Kara Swisher is the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher and the…

Dannagal Goldthwaite Young | Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation

Co-sponsored by Committee of Seventy In conversation with Cherri Gregg, host/news anchor for WHYY radio Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United…

Sarah Cooper | Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination, and Humiliation

In conversation with comedian Chanel Ali Referred to by Amy Schumer as “the funniest, smartest person I know,” Sarah Cooper is best known for her hilarious lip-syncing videos of Donald Trump sound bites. The author of 100 Tricks to…

Deb Perelman | Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files: A Cookbook

Julie Dannenbaum Memorial Culinary Arts Lecture In conversation with Dena Heilik, head of Philbrick Hall, the Fiction and Movie department at Parkway Central. She also cohosts a monthly library Cookbook Club that has been running…

Rabia Chaudry | Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family

Attorney, advocate, and podcaster Rabia Chaudry is the author of the New York Times bestseller Adnan's Story , a true-crime analysis into the 2000 conviction of a young Baltimorean for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Also the executive…

Douglas Rushkoff | Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires

In conversation with Kevin Werbach Acclaimed for their intersectional explorations of cyberculture, religion, currency, and politics,  Douglas Rushkoff’s 20 bestselling books include  Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Program or Be…

Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster | Seen and Unseen: Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice

In conversation with Tracey Matisak, award winning broadcaster and journalist The host of BET News , Black News Tonight , and UpFront , Marc Lamont Hill is the Steve Charles Chair in Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University.…

Ro Khanna | Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us

In conversation with Jonathan Tamari Born in Philadelphia to an immigrant family, Democrat  Ro Khanna  has served as the U.S. representative for California’s 17th congressional district—better known as Silicon Valley— since 2017. The…

Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake | The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats

In conversation with Michael A Smerconish Veteran counterterrorism czar and one of the world’s leading experts on cyberspace security, Richard A. Clarke worked for seven presidents and devoted three decades of his professional life to…

Feminista Jones | Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets with DaMaris B. Hill | A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing

Social worker, public speaker, community activist, and blogger Feminista Jones is the author of the novel Push the Button and the poetry collection The Secret of Sugar Water . She was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in…

Ken Auletta | Frenemies: The Epic Disruption of the Ad Business (and Everything Else)

In conversation with journalist Tracey Matisak Ken Auletta has penned the “Annals of Communications” column for The New Yorker for more than 25 years. His 11 books include the bestsellers Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their…

Michio Kaku | The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth

“Erudite and compelling” ( Chicago Tribune ), theoretical physicist and futurist Dr. Michio Kaku is a renowned popularizer of science and co-founder of String Field Theory, continuing Einstein’s quest to discover a unified field theory.…

Edward Snowden in Conversation with Jeremy Scahill | The Surveillance State Then and Now

Watch the video here . In 2013 NSA contractor Edward Snowden shook the pillars of the worldwide intelligence community when he revealed a trove of highly classified information that exposed astonishingly widespread mass U.S.…

Digital Media Guide

Borrowing ebooks and audiobooks, downloading podcasts, and streaming media such as movies, music, and even comic books, from Free Library has never been easier. In this guide, we'll offer tips and information to get you started or…