The Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) at the Free Library of Philadelphia supports entrepreneurs, nonprofits, job seekers, and inventors at every stage, helping to improve their skills through individualized guidance in research, public programs, and curated print and digital resources. We create multiple entry points for those with ideas, plans, skills, and passions, enabling people to make fact-based decisions in order to fulfill their goals.
Visit or Contact Us
Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
Upcoming Events
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Virtual Full Circle Career Workshop: QuickBooks Basics
Tue, October 4, 2022
12:00 P.M.
Parkway Central Library
Get started with QuickBooks by understanding the interface, learning common accounting terms, work with the chart of accounts, and how to add and edit QuickBooks lists. Learn how to create/edit invoices and bills, process payments, reconcile your accounts to verify your QuickBooks account…
Hybrid Keeping Your Business Legal
Wed, October 5, 2022
2:00 P.M.
Parkway Central Library
Running a business can be exciting and empowering, while at the same time creating fear and anxiety. With so much to worry about as a new entrepreneur, how can you take advantage of new opportunities without making a catastrophic mistake? During this in person and virtual workshop, Zane Johnson…
Virtual Full Circle Career Workshop: Job Search Strategies
Thu, October 6, 2022
3:00 P.M.
Parkway Central Library
Have you been concerned that your job search strategy isn’t on target and you are losing exciting opportunities? Well you may be right! Job search is a challenging process requiring many ingredients for it to work well. Most job seekers don’t know all the critical ingredients, and go…
Virtual Ask a Nonprofit Expert: Fundraising
Wed, October 12, 2022
10:00 A.M.
Parkway Central Library
Ask a Nonprofit Expert about fundraising! Raising money for a nonprofit is an important activity for all organizations, yet it can be very challenging. During your session with a consultant, you can discuss the different ways to raise money, how to determine your goals, how to select the…
Blog Posts
Fall into a new Career with Virtual Career Workshops at the Free Library of Philadelphia!
Have you been meaning to revise your resume, but are not sure how to get started? Would you like to learn new skills to conquer your next job interview? Are you interested in making your LinkedIn profile stand out? Check out… continue reading
By Steven D. September 6, 2022
Introducing BRIC's New Business Librarian: Claire
We are so excited to introduce you to Claire Lutz, the BRIC's newest librarian! Claire started in July. Be sure to say hello when you see her in the Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) at Parkway Central Library . Read on to… continue reading
By Gillian R. August 24, 2022 1
August is National Black Business Month
August is National Black Business Month ! Philadelphia is home to a wide array of Black-owned businesses, from art galleries to restaurants and so much more. Just how many Black-owned businesses are there in Philadelphia? In 2019, Pew Charitable… continue reading
By Claire L. August 18, 2022
International Chess Day is July 20th
Chess is thriving! The New York Times recently reported that interest in chess is at a 50 year high, the highest level since the 1972 World Chess Championship between American Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) and Soviet Boris Spassky (1937 - ). Bobby… continue reading
By Sharyl O. July 20, 2022
Press
If you're in the "I have an idea but now what?" stage of entrepreneurship, the Business Resource and Innovation Center at the Parkway Central branch makes for a great first stop. Just don't expect free coffee.
For its 570,441 cardholders, the Free Library system offers thousands of resources, materials, online courses, workshops, and classes.
In the Free Library's new Business Resource and Innovation Center, you can be as noisy as you want, even eat there. You can get free headshots taken for your LinkedIn profile, or a video of you practicing pitches. Or take a class on how to write a business plan.
Check out the latest edition of the Free Library, exult in the beauty of Fairmount Park, or follow the footsteps of African-American artists in North Philly.
The expansion of the Library includes a new teen center with video games; a Manga animation collection, and young adult novels; a small business resource center with powerful wifi and onsite consultants; and 7,200 square feet of undetermined public space with chairs, tables, power outlets, and meeting rooms to be used however one wishes.
In its largest renovation since its opening in 1927, the Free Library of Philadelphia is set open 41,000 square feet of newly reimagined space within the Parkway Central Library after years of planning and renovation.
The Free Library of Philadelphia's renovation is the largest since it was completed in 1927, and increases the building's public space to 68 percent.
There will be three new areas: the Robert and Eileen Kennedy Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement, the Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC), and the Marie and Joseph Field Teen Center.
Taking Care of Business in the 21st Century is the fifth installment in the Association's "Quick Reads for Busy Librarians" series. The Quick Reads series features publications under 100 pages long and covering topics deemed essential to modern public library workers.
The Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC) of the Free Library of Philadelphia is a core partner of Phialdelphia VIP's LawWorks program, the city's only broad-based provider of critical legal support to the small businesses and nonprofits creating employment opportunities, generating tax revenues, and serving their communities.
The Free Library's Business Resource and Innovation Center wants to teach Philly entrepreneurs a thing or two about pitching. Next week, the Parkway Central Library will launch the Pitch Corner, a new resources and space for innovators where they can hone their business pitches and strengthen elevator pitches about their assets and aptitudes.
The Free Library of Philadelphia on Wednesday will launch the Pitch Corner, a new tool for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and job seekers. It's a semiprivate space in the Parkway Central Library's business center where start-ups can practice and record their pitch in front of a video camera.
3rd Place: BRIC librarians represented by Rebekah Ray. The Free Library of Philadelphia, Business Resource & Innovation Center (BRIC) curates information for and fosters the growth of new social enterprises and nonprofits.