Bestsellers
Find out about the latest bestsellers from many well known resources.
ebooks Fiction Literature Bestsellers
Guides
Links
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Google Play
Enjoy millions of the latest Android apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines & more, including the Overdrive Media Console and Hoopla apps. -
iTunes App Store
Browse and download apps to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch from the App Store, including the Overdrive Media Console and Hoopla apps. -
Kindle App Store
Instant access to thousands of the most popular free and best-selling apps and games, including the Overdrive Media Console and Hoopla apps. -
NOOK Store
Your one-stop-shop for all things NOOK.
New York Times - Bestselling Fiction by Bestsellers
Bestselling fiction titles, updated every week! This list includes bestselling fiction for the week of August 13, 2017.
New York Times - Children's Bestsellers (29 items)
Bestselling Children's titles, updated every week! This list includes bestselling children's fiction, children's series, and Children's Picture Books for the week of August 13, 2017.
New York Times - Bestselling Nonfiction (10 items)
Bestselling nonfiction titles, updated every week! This list includes bestselling nonfiction for the week of August 13, 2017.
Poetry in Translation (6 items)
Take pleasure in reading poets from other languages and cultures.
Poetry - Novels in Verse (5 items)
Poetry with special appeal for tweens and teens.
Poetry - Great Contemporary Poetry (5 items)
Selections from the Literature Department.
Award Winners (20 items)
Award-winning Bestsellers, fiction and nonfiction
Library Reads: Favorite of Favorites 2016 (10 items)
Librarians across the country have chosen their ten favorite books published in 2016.
Oprah's Book Club (73 items)
Bestselling selections from Oprah's Book Club.
Electronic Resources
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Artemis Literary Sources (includes Dictionary of Literary Biography, Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, and Something About the Author)
Search a selection of literary reference sources including the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, and Something About the Author)
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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BookFlix *
Bookflix pairs classic storybooks with related nonfiction books - all in streaming format - to build a love of reading and learning.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Contemporary Authors *
A bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and other fields.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Dictionary of Literary Biography (via Artemis)
Search biographical information about writers and poets
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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eBooks from Overdrive
Available in a variety of formats including epub and pdf, here you will find the Library's Overdrive ebook collection.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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eBooks on EBSCOhost (formerly NetLibrary) *
Approximately 17,000 electronic books in all subject areas from careers to classics to Cliffs notes.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Freading
Downloadable ebooks for Free Library of Philadelphia library card holders.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Free Library Podcasts
The Free Library Podcast is an easy way to participate in the author events and lectures that take place at the Central Library. Visit Author Events for upcoming events and information.
Available To: Unrestricted, free web resource
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Gale Virtual Reference Library
Fully searchable database of over 260 reference titles developed by Gale and other publishers.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Hoopla
Stream movies, TV, music, and audiobooks directly to your computer or mobile device
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Literature Criticism Online (via Artemis)
This extensive, curated compilation of literary commentary presents a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras and genres.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Literature Resource Center (via Artemis)
Access to biographies, bibliographies and critical analysis of authors from every age and literary discipline
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Overdrive Kid's eReading Room
Download ebooks and audiobooks for readers ages 0-12.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Project Gutenberg Ebooks
A curated collection of 34,000 downloadable ebooks in epub format. These classic titles are out –of-copyright. There are no checkout restrictions, waiting lists, or restrictions.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Salem Press Reference
Searchable database of reference titles developed by Salem Press
Available To: All Free Library locations.
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Something About the Author (via Artemis)
Digital version of the popular biographical resource on writers
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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TumbleBooks
TumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
Upcoming Events
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Julius Caesar: A Live Radio Play
Experience the Bard like you never have before. Revolution Shakespeare and the Hear Again Radio Project team up for… more details
Sat, August 19, 2017 6:30 PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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You Be the Judge
Do you like to read the latest and best books published for teens? Do you like to share your opinions about what you… more details
Wed, August 23, 2017 5:00 PM
Philadelphia City Institute
1905 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5730
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West Philly Writers Workshop
Blue Moon Fiction will be hosting a weekly creative writer's group for all ages. Each meeting will be a… more details
Wed, August 23, 2017 6:00 PM
Walnut Street West
201 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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West Philly Writers Workshop
Blue Moon Fiction will be hosting a weekly creative writer's group for all ages. Each meeting will be a… more details
Wed, August 30, 2017 6:00 PM
Walnut Street West
201 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Blog Posts
Take The Free Library Anywhere This Summer!
Summer is upon us, and you know what that means: road trips, vacations, relaxing afternoons on the beach, and maybe even a much-needed staycation on your couch. If you’ll be out of town and away from your nearest Free Library…
databases ebooks digital media neighborhood libraries
Pi(e) Day
I admit it: I’ve developed a slight obsession with baking pies. It all started last spring, when I took a hands-on pie class at the Free Library’s Culinary Literacy Center with Holly Riccardi, a baker who runs Magpie , South…
ebooks Holidays How To One Book One Philadelphia culinary literacy Recipes
Updates to OverDrive Mobile Apps
OverDrive , one of our most popular Digital Media platforms for accessing ebooks and digital audiobooks, recently made some changes to their mobile apps. These changes should make your digital reading experience go more smoothly. In…
ebooks tech How To digital media
Literary Scenes from New Orleans
New Orleans is always on my mind at this time of year. Mardi Gras is more than just Fat Tuesday in the Big Easy, and the celebrations extend far beyond Bourbon Street: parades take place all over the city for several weeks,…
Holidays recommendations history fiction
Dena's Favorite Books of 2016
Every year I read a lot of books. This year I’m at 329 and counting (I still have a day left...). This isn’t a strange statement coming from a librarian since it’s pretty much part of the job…
romance recommendations sci fi fiction nonfiction
Happy Hoopla Holidaze!
It's a few days before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa , and all through my house, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. Why? Because it's freezing outside! So, what better time to veg out on the couch and settle in for…
ebooks Holidays music television film digital media
Fantastic Fantasy and Where to Find It
Movie goers will be whisked back into the wizarding world of the Harry Potter -verse this weekend when J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them magically appears across theater screens. The story takes place sixty…
Children's books recommendations film fiction
The Final Word with Ann Patchett
Amid swirls of concern over the death of the independent book shop, Ann Patchett has been bringing "independent" back for the past five years at her Parnassus Books , a thriving book hub in Nashville she owns and runs…
recommendations author events fiction
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in February 2016
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in February 2016. More than 86,290 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! Only one new entry to this month's Top 10, the…
ebooks tech digital media
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in January 2016
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in January 2016. More than 93,000 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! New entries to this month's Top 10 include the 2016…
ebooks tech digital media
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in December 2015
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in December 2015 to close out last year. More than 85,000 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! New entries to this month's…
ebooks tech digital media
Resolve to be healthy in 2016—the Free Library can help!
It's that time again: We reflect on the past year and think about what we want to do for the next year. For most of us, our resolutions have to do with health: getting fit and eating better. But do we keep our resolutions…
Events at the Library ebooks music recommendations culinary literacy Recipes
Holiday eGadget Help Desk Returns to Parkway Central Library
Want to learn how to download some of nearly 120,000 ebooks to your new Kindle or Nook? Looking to discover all the hidden features of your new iPad, e-reader, smart phone, or tablet? Can’t figure out how to turn the darn thing…
ebooks tech Hot Spots
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in November 2015
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in November 2015. More than 82,4000 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! Mystery and Suspense Thriller genre titles from the…
ebooks tech digital media
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in October 2015
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in October 2015. More than 84,400 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! Children's Fantasy and YA Fiction jumped to the top…
ebooks tech digital media
eReading #FLPNoShameNovember
This month the Free Library is celebrating #NoShameNovember by encouraging you to read whatever you like—no shame, no judgement. So let's bust out the bodice rippers and airport thrillers and read to our hearts'…
ebooks reading literacy No Shame November
Top 10 ebooks Downloaded in September 2015
Here are the Top 10 ebooks downloaded from the Free Library's OverDrive Digital Library in September 2015. More than 85,300 ebooks were checked out and downloaded for the month! For the third straight month, the most downloaded…
ebooks tech digital media
Featured Resource: Tumblebooks
The Free Library's mission is to "advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity," and few of our digital resources hit that mark as squarly as Tumblebooks. Tumblebooks began as a collection…
databases ebooks Children's books early literacy literacy digital media
Downloadable Media Helpline at Your Service
Downloading got you down? Overdrive driving you crazy? Through our Digital Media portal and Online Catalog , we offer nearly 120,000 streaming or downloadable ebooks, more than 19,000 streaming or downloadable audiobooks, and more than…
ebooks podcasts digital media
