Tagged Teens

Free SAT and College Prep Workshops 2024–2025

College and test prep workshops , hosted by  Field Teen Center  in partnership with  The Alexander Advantage , will return to the Free Library for the 2024–2025 school year . This free series is for high school…

Introducing the 2024–25 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate

The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce the 2024–25 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate : Malaya Ulan , a junior at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber! She was selected from a competitive pool of applicants by the…

View Life Through the Lens: Photography Without Borders at the Free Library

Photography is a powerful outlet for expression and creativity in young people. Teens aged 12–18 can explore their abilities as photographers at the Kensington  and Lillian Marrero branches of the Free Library this summer,…

Library Department Highlights: Field Teen Center

Since Parkway Central Library opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming staff. The robust programs and collections available…

Get Ready for an Exciting Summer of Wonder at the Free Library!

Summer of Wonder is the Free Library's flagship summer reading challenge for all ages. Participants can attend library programs, find new books to read, and explore activities to stay engaged throughout the summer. Summer of Wonder…

Teen Job Fair at McPherson Square Library on Tuesday, April 30

Teens often come into McPherson Square Library during the summer months looking for jobs, which inspired the library staff to host their first Teen Job Fair in 2021. Three years later, this has become an annual event. Teens and…

The Philadelphia Parent and Youth Resource Fair is Saturday, April 27

Looking for free and low-cost summer activities that are safe and adult-supervised for children, teens, and families? The 2024 City of Philadelphia Parent and Youth Resource Fair will be held Saturday, April 27 from 10:00…

Want To Learn How to Skateboard?

An adrenaline rush is defined as a physical feeling of intense excitement and stimulation caused by the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands. That’s gnarly! Do you know what else is gnarly? Learning how to…

Explore Neurodiverse Programs and More at the Free Library

April is Autism Acceptance Month ! In 2008, the United Nations declared April 2 as  World Autism Awareness Day . Learn and explore the wide world of neurodivergent minds with great programs and relevant titles from the…

World Book Online is Now Even Better!

World Book Online is   a great resource for children and teens. If you want to go directly to one of the four modules on our database page, now you can! You can find biographies of notable people such as congressman and civic…

Teen Reads for Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor working conditions inside factories. This…

Free SAT Workshops and Other College Prep Resources

Free college and test prep programs continue at Parkway Central Library through the spring semester! Field Teen Center in partnership with The Alexander Advantage is offering five Saturday workshops for youth ages 12 to 18.…

Manga 101: Manga and Beyond at the Free Library

In our Manga 101 series , we’ve covered a lot of manga-related topics. We looked at some commonly asked questions , explored demographic categories , reviewed several popular manga genres, and discussed related types of media . In…

Manga 101: Related Concepts

In our Manga 101 series, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions , defined some common manga terms , and looked at some of the most popular manga genres found at the Free Library. This time, we’ll take a look at other…

Manga 101: Horror

In our last Manga 101 installments, we touched on romance and LGBTQIA+ themes in manga. This time, we’ll take a look at a new genre:  horror . Though the roots of manga can be traced back through centuries of Japanese art,…

¡Nueva colección para jóvenes en español!

El Field Teen Center se une a la celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana con el estreno de su nueva colección en español. Ahora podrás disfrutar de novelas, biografías, manga y novelas…

College and SAT Prep Workshops for the 2023–2024 School Year

This school year, college and test prep workshops return to the Free Library, hosted by Field Teen Center in partnership with The Alexander Advantage. This  free series is for youth ages 12–18 and includes both…

Join Something New: The Intergenerational Teen Book Club at PCI Library

Reading and discussing books is powerful! The connections we make with stories, with ourselves, and with others can bring us closer together and help us understand more about those who experience the world differently…

Introducing the 2023–24 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate

The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce the 2023–24 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate: Oyewumi Oyeniyi, a senior at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School! She was selected from a competitive pool of applicants by the…

Manga 101: BL, GL, and Beyond

In our previous Manga 101 installment, we covered romance manga. This time, we’ll take a look at two subgenres of romance manga (BL and GL), as well as some non-romantic LGBTQ+ manga.  BL BL is an abbreviation for Boys’…

College Prep Workshop Series: How the Brain Learns for Teens

July 7: How the Brain Learns for Teens (4:00-5:30 pm) Presented by Anna Moss: www.mindthetest.com

College Prep Workshop Series: The College Application Essay

June 30: The College Application Essay (4:00-6:00 pm) July 7: How the Brain Learns for Teens (4:00-5:30 pm) Presented by Anna Moss: www.mindthetest.com

Chess Club for Kids and Teens

Learn to play chess, or learn to play better chess! This program is intended for school age children and teens, grades 2-12.          

College Prep Workshop Series: SAT Crash Course for Teens

June 23: SAT Crash Course for Teens (4:00-7:00 pm) June 30: The College Application Essay (4:00-6:00 pm) July 7: How the Brain Learns for Teens (4:00-5:30 pm) Presented by Anna Moss: www.mindthetest.com

Chess Club for Kids and Teens

Learn to play chess, or learn to play better chess! This program is intended for school age children and teens, grades 2-12.          

Create and chill for teens

​Are you working on a short story, a novel or a poem? Are you an artist looking for a chill space to work on your next piece? Just want to meet up with other teen readers, writers and artists? Join us for an afternoon of creativity and…

Create and chill for teens

​Are you working on a short story, a novel or a poem? Are you an artist looking for a chill space to work on your next piece? Just want to meet up with other teen readers, writers and artists? Join us for an afternoon of creativity and…

Chess Club for Kids and Teens

Learn to play chess, or learn to play better chess! This program is intended for school age children and teens, grades 2-12.          

Teen Video Game Hangout

Join us for gaming and special treats from Small Oven Pastry Shop! Play our Nintendo Switch on the big screen or to try out some old-school Super Nintendo games. Option to BYO Switch for local or online play. Open to all ages…

Exhibition: The Voices of Sisterly Affection

Philadelphia's motto was officially expanded to "The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection" by the efforts of the godmother of Black Music Month, Dyana Williams. To continue amplifying the female voice in…

Mr. Bey’s Builder’s Club

  Can you build a house with running water and lights using cardboard? Come find out on Thursdays at 3:30 pm! This program is geared towards school aged children and teens!

Chess Club for Kids and Teens

Learn to play chess, or learn to play better chess! This program is intended for school age children and teens, grades 2-12.          

Teen Leadership Team

What books and video games do you want to see at your library? What programs and services should we have for teens? Join us for conversation and snacks from Small Oven Pastry Shop! Open to all ages 12-18. *Community service hours…

2nd Annual Field Teen Center Prom | Spellbound: A Night in the Enchanted Forest

✨  Spellbound: A Night in the Enchanted Forest  ✨ An alternative prom hosted by The Field Teen Center   Date:  Friday, May 30th, 2025  Time: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Location:  Skyline Room and Terrace,…

Mr. Bey’s Builder’s Club

  Can you build a house with running water and lights using cardboard? Come find out on Thursdays at 3:30 pm! This program is geared towards school aged children and teens!

LEAP Movie Day!

Join us for a family-friendly movie on the 3rd floor, every Thursday starting at 2:30pm!  This event happens during LEAP ( L iteracy E nrichment A fterschool P rogram), the library's FREE Daily Drop-In After School Program,…

Community Crafting Circle

Bring your crafting hobby of choice to the library and stitch with your neighbors at this low-key crafting circle. This program is intended for teens and adults.

Chess Club for Kids and Teens

Learn to play chess, or learn to play better chess! This program is intended for school age children and teens, grades 2-12.          

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game which relies on imagination and teamwork. Players gather together at a table, using dice, miniature figurines, maps, game rules and their imaginations to tell an exciting…

Spring Migration Bird Walk with Expert Birder, Holger Pflicke!

Please join the Free Library of Philadelphia's Fishtown Community Library and Holger Pflicke for a Spring Migration Bird Walk!  This walk will begin at Penn Treaty Park, 1301 N. Beach Street - meet at the entrance near the…

U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1980)

The bound, sequentially numbered volumes of all the Reports, Documents, and Journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives constitutes a rich source of primary source material on all aspects of American history. Upon…

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is an authoritative, comprehensive Web-based reference work about philosophy, useful to scholars of all levels as well as the general public. Published through Stanford University’s Center for the…

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…

Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture, and Law

This HeinOnline collection brings together a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the U.S. and the English-speaking world. It includes nearly 2,000 titles, with every statute passed by every colony and state on slavery,…

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.

Reference Solutions (Formerly ReferenceUSA)

A powerful tool providing access to in-depth information on businesses and residents. Research companies, locate addresses, phone numbers, conduct market research, and more.

Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982

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,…

Dorothy Roberts | Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World

In conversation with Marc Lamont Hill Addressing social justice issues of policing, state surveillance of families, and science, Dorothy Roberts ’s books include Killing the Black Body , Shattered Bonds , and Fatal Invention . She has…

Christopher Emdin | Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success

Christopher Emdin is the author of The New York Times bestseller For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too , a combination of theory, research, and practical application that offers a helpful approach to…

Paul Tough | The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us

Paul Tough is the author of the bestselling How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character , a “persuasive wake-up call” ( People ) to the deprivations of knowledge suffered by American kids from both extremes…

Leslie Odom, Jr. | Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning

In Conversation with Kalela Williams, Director of Neighborhood Enrichment Programming Philadelphia's Leslie Odom Jr., burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since…

Jennifer Weiner | Little Bigfoot, Big City

Watch the video here . Jennifer Weiner is the “funny, fierce, feisty” ( Glamour ) no. 1  New York Times  bestselling author of more than a dozen novels that dive headlong into the ups and downs of relationships, careers, and family…

Arianna Huffington | The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One, Night at A Time

Ten years ago, Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post , a news and blog site that quickly became one of the most widely read, linked-to, and frequently cited media brands on the internet. In 2012, the site won a Pulitzer Prize…