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 troubleshoot any issues you may be having access downloadable and streaming media and digital titles from our catalog.
Guides
- New to ebooks? Start Here
- The Simplest Way to Read ebooks: Overdrive READ
- Getting ebooks for Your Tablet, Phone, or Mobile Device (Including Apple, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Nook HD devices)
- How to Add Library ebooks to Your Kindle
- Getting Library ebooks for Your Nook Simple Touch or Similar e-reader
- Downloading audiobooks from the Free Library
- Hoopla: ebooks, audiobooks, Movies, Comic Books, Music, and More
- Request This Download - Discover and Download Digital Items in our Catalog
- Streaming, Downloading, and Listening to Podcasts
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.
ebook Classics by StaffPicks
Great public domain reads you can download for free.
Latest Audiobooks by FreeLibrary
Latest Audibooks added to our collections.
Electronic Resources
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American Song
Listen to over 50,000 recordings from America's past; songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers, and cowboys; songs of Civil Rights, Prohibition, the Civil War, and more.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Audiobooks from Overdrive
Download audiobooks from Overdrive to your PC, Mac, or mobile device
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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Classical Music Library
A comprehensive database of distinguished classical recordings offered in streaming format. The Classical Music Library also includes anthology playlists linked to the major music history and appreciation textbooks.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Contemporary World Music
This resource includes contemporary and traditional world music including tracks of reggae, worldbeat, neo-traditional, world fusion, Balkanic jazz, African film, Bollywood, Arab swing and jazz, and other genres.
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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Input
Input was a local Philadelphia panel discussion program, airing Sunday mornings from 1968 through early 1971
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Jazz Music Library
Jazz Music Library will be the largest and most comprehensive collection of jazz available online.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Kanopy
Stream four movies per month at no cost with your library card! Choose from over 30,000 films. You'll find classics, indies, foreign, and hit movies!
Available To: All Free Library agencies and Internet with authentication.
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Music Online
Find and listen to music from a variety of genres
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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Popular Music Library
Find a wide range of popular music from around the world, including pop music, alternative, country, Christian, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk, new age, R&B, reggae, rock, soundtracks and more.
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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RBdigital Audiobooks (formerly OneClick)
Downloadable best-selling and classic audiobooks. Free software or app install required.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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RBdigital Magazines (formerly Zinio)
Read and download your favorite magazines online.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Upcoming Events
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Saturday Morning Cartoons
Need to get out of the house on Saturday morning but have nothing to do? Come join us at the Field Teen Center for… more details
Sat, January 18, 2020 9:00 AM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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E-Gadget Helpdesk
Do you have a new gadget - iPad, iPod, tablet, smart phone, etc? Come learn how to use it to download… more details
Thu, January 23, 2020 3:00 PM
Northeast Regional Library
2228 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19149-1297
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E-Gadget Helpdesk
Do you have a new gadget - iPad, iPod, tablet, smart phone, etc? Come learn how to use it to download… more details
Thu, January 23, 2020 3:00 PM
Northeast Regional Library
2228 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19149-1297
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Saturday Morning Cartoons
Need to get out of the house on Saturday morning but have nothing to do? Come join us at the Field Teen Center for… more details
Sat, January 25, 2020 9:00 AM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Blog Posts
Newest Additions to the National Film Registry
For Hollywood, the time spanning November through March is known as "film awards season" . Between the People's Choice Awards , Golden Globe Awards , the Oscars , the Golden Raspberry Awards , as well as…
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Spring 2020 Author Events Preview
As we head into the roaring '20s, let’s look forward to the Spring 2020 Free Library Author Events schedule , highlight a few of our guests, and offer up some other important details... Tickets go on sale to the public today,…
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Meet Your Library Staff: Brandon Waddington – Kensington Library Digital Resource Specialist
As part of our ongoing series of blog posts highlighting our awesome staff throughout the Free Library of Philadelphia, today we take some time to speak with Brandon Waddington, a Digital Resource Specialist at the Kensington Library .…
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Digital Media Spotlight | Season's Streamings with These Unique Holiday Television Specials and Movies
The holidays are in full swing, and that means your television, web browser, and anywhere else you can watch video on is currently inundated with holiday programming. And as comforting as A Charlie Brown Christmas or a Rankin/Bass…
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The Free Library's New Center for Digitization | Sharing Treasures Through Technology
" If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday" Pearl S. Buck Putting the contents of libraries and museums on the web makes wonderful, hidden art accessible. The Free Library of Philadelphia has…
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Digital Media Spotlight | New Audiobooks for Holiday Travels
It's getting close to being "the most wonderful time of the year", or, if you have to travel far and wide—over the river and through the woods even—you may need some help getting to where you need to be for…
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Introducing the Free Library’s Author Events YouTube Channel!
We know that not everyone is lucky enough to live in Philadelphia. For those who aren’t able to make it to our diverse line-up of author talks in person—no worries! You can now watch them streamed live on our new Author…
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Digital Media Highlights October 2019 | Streaming Screams Just in Time for Halloween!
At the beginning of each month, we highlight all the great new titles —books, ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music—that have been added to our catalog and will be available to check out at your neighborhood library .…
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Library Card Sign-Up Month | Take a Trip Through Our Digital Media Portal
You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of entertainment. Next stop, the Free Library of Philadelphia's Digital Media Portal ! In these…
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Find Out How Slavery Made Our World with These Free Library Resources
Have you read the 1619 Project yet? It’s the award-winning special issue of the New York Times Magazine all about American Slavery that was published last month. The project’s creator, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones , writes…
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Changes to ebook Lending Coming to a Library Near You
As you may have read in the news, recent changes in the publishing industry will soon impact library customers’ access to some newly released ebook titles. Macmillan Publishers—one of the "Big 5" book publishers in…
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A Library Card Keeps You Movin’ and Groovin’
Thanks to the Free Library’s huge selection of digital media , most of our patrons know that their library cards gain them access to books, music, movies, and more that travel with them—on the trolley, around the…
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Are You Reading Fake News?
If you’re getting your news mostly from social media, your information diet is probably a little lacking. You might even be consuming fake news , which the New York Times defines as "a published news report that can be easily…
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Library Browser Extension Helps Show Book, ebook, Audiobook, and Movie Catalog Availability on Non-Library Websites
Ever been searching for a title on Amazon (or on Google, and then the first search result back gives you a link to Amazon) and wish you could also find out whether that same title is available at your local library ? Check out…
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Remembering Toni Morrison, 1931–2019
When I first read The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison , at 15 years old, I knew it would haunt me. The story fed my soul—I was shocked at its lovely, yet stinging taste, but realized I had always been craving it. Never had my struggle…
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Summer at the Free Library!
Now that summer is upon us, we hope you’ve got the Free Library on your mind! Whether you’re looking for something fun to do outside, plan to cool off at your neighborhood library location , or take us along on your vacation…
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Get Creative Through the DIY Method of Zine Making!
A zine (pronounced zeen) is a small-circulation, self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images. Usually hand-made using found materials and simple supplies, zines can be about any topic and take various shapes and…
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Go Digital! Community Access to Subscription Databases
Tamoul Quakhaan is a Library Supervisor 1 / Training and Development Assistant in the Human Resources Department and a participant in Cohort 1 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries Trainings. After participating in the…
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New Digital Magazines: Glossies from Africa to Latin America
Dive into film, international fashion, current events, and more with the newest additions to our digital magazines subscriptions through RBdigital . New World Language Magazines Read at your leisure in Spanish, Chinese, and French:…
