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Grip: A Poem, Book, and Raven
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 story on this blog. Now younger readers will…
Celebrating in December | Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa
December is chockful of celebrations, with windows filled with lights and decorations, and a communal feeling of anticipation and joy. Find picture books for the holidays you celebrate and learn about other annual…
New Titles Coming to the Free Library in December!
There’s a lot to explore this December with a mix of new titles coming to the Free Library's shelves! Young Children (up to 2nd Grade) The Real Santa written by Nancy Amanda Redd; illustrated by Charnelle…
Free Library Partners with WHYY to Bring Communities Together
WHYY and the Free Library of Philadelphia are working together to make it a little easier to have difficult conversations. Bridging Blocks: Uniting Neighborhoods Through Conversation is a three-year initiative that will gather…
Christmas Village Storytimes are Back this Holiday Season!
The holiday season is upon us and what better way to celebrate than by bringing your little ones to a storytime at Christmas Village , Philadelphia’s authentic German Christmas market! The Free Library will be returning to the…
Celebrating Five Years of the Musical Instrument Collection at the Free Library
The Free Library’s Musical Instrument Collection is now as old as the number of lines on a musical staff—on September 25, 2021, the MIC turned 5! It was an ominous trek leading up to this milestone. That goes for other…
Quick Tips to Help Care for Your Silverware
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many people have family silver they bring out for special occasions. Did you know that cleaning away the tarnish yearly will eventually wear away the silver? Consider these tips from the…
Picture Book Highlights | Thanksgiving
Sharing a meal is at the heart of Thanksgiving. Be it with friends or family, with new neighbors or with those in the larger community, the act of cooking and eating together brings us all together in gratefulness... just like these…
Reframing Thanksgiving for Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month, as well as a time when many people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving. If this holiday is a part of your family’s tradition, it may be time to give this annual harvest feast a…
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…
Read, Baby, Read Presents Early Literacy Ideas: Colors!
Read, Baby, Read is a Free Library initiative focused on encouraging early literacy development among infants and young toddlers under two years old. We work with 12 participating libraries across Philadelphia to reach caregivers of all…
A Summer of Service: What I Learned on Philly's Play Streets
Marian Sosa spent the summer volunteering for the Free Library, with Youth Services , the Summer of Wonder , and on Philadelphia's Play Streets . Here is what she had to say about her experience... Summer in the streets of…
November is Picture Book Month!
Back in 2012, a group of authors and illustrators came together to promote picture books and... Picture Book Month was born! During this time in November, we celebrate this magical format of text and pictures coming…
Kelly Richards Named New Free Library Director
The Free Library of Philadelphia is excited to announce that Mr. Kelly Richards, Director of the Muskegon Area District Library in Michigan and President of the Michigan Library Association, has been named as its new President and…
Transgender Awareness Week 2021
Transgender Awareness Week , held annually from November 15 – 19, helps to raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face. The week is capped off on November 20 with Transgender Day of…
Nourishing Literacy | Veggie Rap!
If you like sweet beets, nourish your literacy with extra flavor and spice! Brocc out with the Veggie Rap! It's a jam, and it might even make you feel butter. Lime for lime you can farro along. Phyllo ears with some grape…
A Continued Discussion on the Topics of Surrealism and Gender
Written by Lewis Shaw, who conducted extensive research in the Art Department as part of a Friends Select School Senior Internship Project. The following is a continuation of a previous blog post on the topics of Surrealism and Gender.…
Celebrate Young Readers Day!
Young Readers Day was first created by a collaboration between the Library of Congress and the reading-incentives program with pizza rewards, Book It! We will happily take any excuse to celebrate reading with kids! Why is reading…
The ABCs of the WPA at FLP
As part of his bold New Deal aimed at national reform and recovery in the wake of the Great Depression , President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Work Projects Administration (WPA) . The federally funded program focused on putting…
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with These Author Events Podcasts and Videos
November is Native American Heritage Month, so let’s celebrate with audio podcasts and videos from the Free Library’s Author Events series! Natalie Diaz | Postcolonial Love Poem with Denice Frohman Recorded April 21,…
Environmental Care in the Climate Crisis: A 'Hear Me Out' Dialogue
Join your fellow Pennsylvanians in dialogue across distance and difference! With growing attention towards global natural disasters caused by climate change, loss of hope for the future of our planet and climate doomism is…
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
ACT Prep Workshop for Teens | Virtual
Students will explore the ACT, including what to expect for the English, Math, Science, and Reading portions of the test, practice sample questions, and tips to best prepare. Scholars will be guided through various problems, as well as…
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Fake News & Media Literacy: A 'Hear Me Out' Dialogue
Join your fellow Pennsylvanians in dialogue across distance and difference! The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased our reliance on social media and the Internet for information. This development, combined with underlying…
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
SAT Prep Workshop for Teens | Virtual
Students will explore the SAT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Held within a 2 workshop series, a breakdown of the Reading, Writing and Language, and Mathematics sections of the SAT will be…
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Cryptocurrency: A 'Hear Me Out' Dialogue
Join your fellow Pennsylvanians in dialogue across distance and difference! Cryptocurrency has been receiving significant attention in public discourse, with many left wondering whether to dismiss the buzz or begin investing. In…
Amor Towles | The Lincoln Highway
DETAILS TO COME The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America In June, 1954,…
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Preschool Storytime with Mr. Pagán
Preschoolers and their caregivers are welcome to come to listen to stories, do finger plays and sing songs with children’s librarian Mr. Pagán.
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Virtual Storytime with Miss Sunita
Join us on Facebook Live for Storytime every Friday where we will explore exciting new worlds through stories, songs, and interactive crafts. https://www.facebook.com/events/2908163316112449/
Preschool Storytime with Mr. Pagán
Preschoolers and their caregivers are welcome to come to listen to stories, do finger plays and sing songs with children’s librarian Mr. Pagán.
Sequential Philly’s Bookshelf of Comic Books About Books
Graphic novel readers are book lovers, so here’s a batch of stories celebrating bibliophilia—sometimes obsessive, sometimes mysterious, sometimes alphabetical. Follow Sequential Philly on Instagram to keep up with comics creators and…
Let it Snow (Fishtown)
Books about snow and weather
Rainbow Connection Fall 2021 Reading List
Rainbow Connection Fall 2021 Reading List
Stephen Sondheim
American composer, lyricist, and one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater. Here is just a sampling of his vast body of work.
Sequential Philly’s Strange Trips
Comics can take you anywhere, so let’s hit the road. No luggage or maps needed for these excursions across the country, around the world, and far beyond the norm. Follow Sequential Philly on Instagram to keep up with comics creators and…
Carnivorous plants
Getting started with your carnivorous plants at home
Window Gardens
books to help you get started with a window garden
Home Grown: edible gardening
small scale edible gardening
House Plants
Various books on houseplant care and maintenance
Rainbow Connection Fall 2021Reading list
Titles chosen by the Rainbow Connection at our November 2021 meeting
Sequential Philly’s Focus on the Family
With Thanksgiving dinner less than a week away, here’s a collection of comics that focus on family dynamics: comic, tragic, fictional, actual, blended, extended…maybe your own family drama isn’t as dysfunctional as you think. Follow…
Sequential Philly’s Harvest Hoedown
It’s harvest season, so here’s a handpicked peck of comics set on, or written about, a farm of one type or another…with some farther afield than most. Follow Sequential Philly on Instagram to keep up with comics creators and events in…
Art of the New Deal
A catalog list of FLP materials created for various federal art programs of the WPA shown during the virtual lecture recorded on Wed. Nov 10th, 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikmujLa1DiM
Sequential Philly’s Native American Heritage Reading List
November is Native American Heritage Month, so here’s a small sampling of stories celebrating, spotlighting and explore diverse Native culture, history, and characters.
Fall Feast
Check out this selection of cookbooks, materials about Native American heritage, and fall or food-themed materials at Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library.
Value Line
Research, recommendations, rankings & financial information on 3,500 stocks, more than 2,000 mutual funds, as well as options, convertibles, & OTC special situations.
U.S. History In Context
Covers themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-colonial times to the present. The material also includes access to the citations for over 180 additional history journals from the Institute for Scientific…
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…
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
TrueFlix *
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,…
SimplyAnalytics
A mapping and data visualization application that makes it easy to create interactive maps and reports using powerful demographic, business, and marketing data.
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.
Kevin Birmingham | The Sinner and the Saint: Dostoevsky and the Gentleman Murderer Who Inspired a Masterpiece
In conversation with Michael Gorra, the Mary Augusta Jordan Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College and the editor of the Norton Critical Editions of As I Lay Dying, and The Sound and the Fury , and most…
Rabih Alameddine | The Wrong End of the Telescope with Claire Vaye Watkins | I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness
Rabih Alameddine was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award for An Unnecessary Woman , a “paean to the transformative power of reading” ( LA Review of Books ). His many other works include the…
Jonathan Karl | Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition Jonathan Karl is the author of Front Row at the Trump Show , an instant New York Times bestseller that peered behind the scenes into President Trump and his…
Jorge L. Contreras | The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA
In conversation with Orly Lobel, author of You Don't Own Me: The Court Battles that Exposed Barbie's Dark Side Specializing in intellectual property and science policy, Jorge L. Contreras is a professor of law and ethics of human…
Nikole Hannah-Jones | The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition, and Dr. Anthea Butler, Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and Chair of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania Introduced by…
Tracy K. Smith | Lucille Clifton’s Generations: A Memoir
In conversation with Trapeta B. Mayson Chronicling African American family life and women through 14 celebrated poetry collections, Lucille Clifton won the National Book Award and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, and is the only author ever…
Kristin Henning | The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
In conversation with Marsha Levick, cofounder, deputy director, and chief counsel of the Juvenile Law Center The Blume Professor of Law and director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at the Georgetown University Law Center,…
Robert Costa | Peril
Ellis Wachs Endowed Lecture In conversation with Michael Smerconish A national political reporter at The Washington Post , Bucks County's own Robert Costa has earned a wide readership and praise from fellow journalists for his deeply…
Uwem Akpan | New York, My Village with Kirstin Valdez Quade | Five Wounds
Uwem Akpan ’s Say You’re One of Them , “a startling debut collection” ( The New York Times ) of short stories was a Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, the 2009 Oprah Book Club Selection, and was translated in to 12 languages. It was…
Linda Greenhouse | Justice on the Brink: The Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Rise of Amy Coney Barrett, and Twelve Months That Transformed the Supreme Court
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition Pine Tree Foundation Endowed Lecture The New York Times ’s Supreme Court correspondent for nearly three decades, Linda Greenhouse won the Pulitzer Prize for…
Robby Krieger: | Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors
In conversation with David Fricke, senior editor for Rolling Stone and SiriusXM host One of Rolling Stone ’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”, Robby Krieger is best known as a member of the legendary rock band The Doors. He wrote…
Huma Abedin | Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds
In conversation with Tracey Matisak, award-winning journalist and broadcaster Currently Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff, Huma Abedin began as an intern for the former first lady in 1996. In the interim she has served in the U.S. Senate…
Antonio Damasio | Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Endowed Lecture One of the world’s leading neuroscientists, Dr. Antonio Damasio has made watershed contributions to the understanding of how our brains process emotions, decisions, and conscious. He is the…
Glory Edim | On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library
In conversation with Christine Kendall, author of Riding Chance , nominated for a NAACP Image Award, and The True Definition of Neva Beane Glory Edim is the creator of Well-Read Black Girl, a book club, book, and online community that…
George F. Will | American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008–-2020
Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture Renowned for his “ability to combine high thinking with a shrewd capacity to understand day-to-day American politics,” ( The Economist ) Pulitzer Prize winner George Will has written a nationally…
Woody Holton | Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution
In conversation with Adam McNeil, host of the New Books in African American Studies podcast The McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina, Woody Holton teaches early U.S. history, specializing in economics,…
Joshua Ferris | A Calling for Charlie Barnes with Dana Spiotta | Wayward
Joshua Ferris’s “brash, extravagant, and chillingly beautiful” ( The New Yorker ) novels include Then We Came to the End , winner of the 2008 PEN/Hemingway Award for best first novel and a finalist for the National Book Award; To Rise…
Donald Antrim | One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival
In conversation with Jonathan Franzen, bestselling author of Crossroads , Freedom , Purity , and The Corrections among other works of fiction and non-fiction. “A fiercely intelligent writer” ( The New York Times ), Donald Antrim is the…
Asali Solomon | The Days of Afrekete
In conversation with Nicole Dennis-Benn Asali Solomon is the author of Disgruntled , “a smart, philosophical, coming-of-age” ( San Francisco Chronicle ) novel about the double-binds of race in late 1980s Philadelphia. Her other work…
Anthony Doerr | Cloud Cuckoo Land
In conversation with John Freeman Anthony Doerr won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for All the Light We Cannot See , “a beautiful, daring, heartbreaking, oddly joyous novel” (Seattle Times) about a blind French girl and a German boy…
ZOOM Trivia Games
ZOOM-from PBS Kids! A game to play with your friends or family. For grades 4 and up.
ZOOM
ZOOM from PBS-by kids, for kids. Lots of fun science activities. Grades 2 and up; may need adult supervision.
Ziggity Zoom
This site offers a variety that will appeal to preschool and younger elementary age children. Online and printable activities are available.
Zero to Three
The mission of Zero to Three is to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers. This website provides a breadth of behavioral and developmental information for parents, as well as suggestions for creating positive learning…
Zenkaikon
The Philadelphia-area Anime Convention.
ZDNet
A wholly-owned subsidiary of CNET networks, ZDNet aims to be the "premier 'full service' destination for people looking to buy, use, and learn more about technology." On its site, the company offers news, product reviews, downloads, free…
Zamzar
Free Online File Converter
Yves St. Laurent
Yves St. Laurent launched his label in 1962 and turned the fashion world on its ear with his mix of pantsuits and fitted gowns. The line is now supervised by Stefano Pilati, whose innovative designs continue the legacy of St. Laurent…
Yuckiest Site on the Internet
From Discovery.com - The Yuckiest Site on the Internet! Join Wendell the worm and check out his buggy scrapbook! For grades 3 and up.
Youthspeaks.org
Provides safe spaces to empower the next generation of leaders, self-defined artists, and visionary activists through written and oral literacies.
YouthSpeak Newsletter
YouthSpeak is a grassroots citizen organization working to empower youth and to allow youth to make the democratic choices that affect their lives.
YouthRules!
Information from the U.S. Department of Labor for teens, parents, educators, employers and the public on Federal and State rules regarding young workers, to help ensure a safe and positive work experience for young people.
Youth work Links and Ideas
This site's author has a Master's Degree in Social Work from Boston University School of Social Work, and 20 years experience working with adolescents. The site is comprehensive and contains frequently updated links pages for youth and…
Youth Violence Fact Sheet
This site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists current statistics on youth violence, including risk factors.
Youth United for Change (YUC)
Youth United for Change (YUC) is a democratic organization primarily made up of working class youth of color, which builds the “people power" necessary to hold school officials and government accountable to guarantee the educational…
Youth Service America: National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador Program
Year-long program helps young leaders (ages 16-22) create change around critical issues facing youth today.
Youth Health Empowerment Project (Y-HEP)
Y-HEP's mission is to help young people grow into healthy adults by supporting them in empowering themselves to make healthy choices. They offer outreach and drop-in services.
Youth Health Empowerment Project
Youth Drop-In Center
YourDictionary
Provides an easy-to-use search engine for words and the results are quite detailed. Also offers 400 different language dictionaries.
You Can Play Sax
Community video lessons by and for saxophone players. Watch video lessons to improve your skill or upload a lesson yourself to help others learn the instrument! A space for instructors and students.
American Presidency Series
Join the Free Library for a series of compelling provocative programs that examine the untold stories of, unconventional approaches to, and contemporary concerns about the world's most difficult job. The 2016 American Presidency Series…
Anime and Manga
Anime is an animation style originated in Japan that is characterized by distinctive characters and backgrounds. Storylines may include a variety of fictional or historical characters, events, and settings. Manga is Japanese for "comics"…
Asian Americans
Asian American resources for teens, cultural traditions and celebrations, biographies on famous Asian Americans, history of different Asian ethnic groups in America, lesson plans for teachers to explore a variety of Asian cultures, Asian…
Back to School
The start of another school year is underway here in Philadelphia! Get ready for school with these helpful resources for students, teachers, parents, and caregivers to help make the school year easier. Learn new study skills,…
Bestsellers
Find out about the latest bestsellers from many well known resources.
Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month and African American History as a whole, explore our resources on African American history and culture including famous African Americans From Philadelphia, Poets and Poetry, Speculative Fiction,…
Black Lives Matter
The #BlackLivesMatter movement began in 2013 after a jury acquitted the armed civilian who murdered seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin. Though activists and organizers have resisted the long history of police and state-sanctioned…
Cutting Clutter
Are you constantly trying to find papers you placed down on your desk? Is your closet overflowing with junk? Are you drowning in clutter and don't know where to begin to cleanup? Take charge with these books and resources on clutter,…
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…
Fantastic Planets
The void that exists between celestial bodies is vast. How many rings does Saturn have? Where did galaxies come from? What is Dark Matter? How do astronauts travel through space? Where does science fiction end and science fact begin?…
Fix It Yourself
Resources on how to do your own repairs on everyday items: Grab the scissors for sewing projects, drapery, upholstery, or even a haircut! View a list of do it yourself videos and tackle some of those household chores on your to-do list!…
Freedom Train
From July 1st through November 1st, the Rosenbach will feature Freedom Train 1947-1949, an exhibition on the history of the Freedom Train that toured the continuous 48 states in the post-war years. The topics of freedom, liberty, and…
Genealogy
This series of guides, web links, book lists, and resources will introduce you to the genealogical resources available through the Free Library of Philadelphia and to other important libraries and archives throughout the Philadelphia…
Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are, simply defined, book-length comics. Sometimes they tell a single, continous narrative from first page to last; sometimes they are collections of shorter stories or individual comic strips. Comics are sequential visual…
Green Living
Green living allows you to become an everyday environmentalist. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption, and diet. Go green with these…
Grimm
Explore the world of the Brothers Grimm and their legendary tales.
Halloween
Hello boils and ghouls! It's that time of year again—Halloween! We've concocted a creepy cross section of spooky stories from our chilling collections of boo-ks, mad monsters in macabre movies, and scary soundtracks, as well as links to…
Health
What are your health questions? The Free Library can connect you with resources to help you live a healthier lifestyle, including research tools, cooking classes, resources to help you quit smoking or increase your exercise, and…
Health Literacy Month
October is Health Literacy Month, a month dedicated to promoting the importance of understandable health information. The month was first honored as an annual worldwide event in 1999 and continues to be an important initiative in…
Healthy Communities
Healthy Communities, a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention , increases the library’s capacity to offer free, accessible cooking, physical activity, gardening…
Honeybees
The third Saturday in August is National Honeybee Day, a day to celebrate this small but vital insect. Philadelphians should be especially proud; the modern beehive, known as the Langstroth hive, was invented in the City of Brotherly…
Jerry Pinkney
Philadelphia born and raised, Jerry Pinkney is one of the most beloved artists in children’s literature, illustrating more than 100 books that have delighted children—and adults—for generations. This year, as the American Library…
Job Seekers
The Free Library supports job seekers within the Business Resource & Innovation Center (BRIC). We provide current information and resources on changing careers, job searching techniques, and emerging employment fields to help career…
LGBTQ
The Free Library of Philadelphia celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June with book and film recommendations, events for all ages, and resources in Philadelphia. Through this Explore Topic, you can also find lesbian, gay, bisexual,…
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice, and he never got tired of trying to…
Medieval Manuscripts
Are you interested in learning more about the history of people who lived in Europe between 500 and 1500 A.D.? Below you can find helpful information for your research or check out our Medieval Manuscript Digital Collection with over…
Philadelphia Cooks
Explore diverse cooking styles and cuisine throughout Philadelphia, read cookbooks by renowned Philly chefs, learn about the latest nutritional values and advancements, search or browse through The Philadelphia Inquirer's restaurant and…
Poetry
Poetry in all its forms including classic selections from our Literature Department, Haikus, poetry for children, and poetry with special appeal for tweens and teens. Read poets from diverse cultures and in other languages, as well as…
Remembering September 11th
On September 11th, 2001, the world changed. For those of us who experienced it as a current event, life can be divided between a before and after, and we can clearly remember where we were when the news first reached us. For those not…
Returning Citizens
Resources for returning citizens in the transition from incarceration to society including information on job training, housing assistance, and counseling services. One such resource is Bridges, which offers returning citizens from jails…
Season's Greetings
It's that time of year again, full of many diverse holiday celebrations including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, and New Year's. This Explore Topic features lists of great books, music, and movies to share and learn…
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, born in 1564, was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Poet Ben Johnson wrote “He was not of an age but for all…
STEM
An acronym referring to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields of study. The term was created for schools from kindergarten through college to improve competitiveness in learning and workforce development. "Science"…
Talking About Consent
As librarians, we are frequently asked to offer advice about resources that help explain current events to young children. When a disturbing story appears in the news, parents and caregivers may struggle to find age-appropriate…
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November throughout the United States. It originated as a harvest festival of giving thanks and although it has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions,…
The Olympics
The Olympic Games are the world's foremost sports competition, featuring thousands of athletes from around the world who participate in a variety of events. More than 200 nations participate every four years, alternating between the…
U.S. Elections and Politics
The United States presidential election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. In addition to candidates for U.S. president and vice president, the Pennsylvania ballot includes candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, the PA…