Looking into the Free Library of Philadelphia

The Free Library of Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA

The website is: https://www.freelibrary.org/ The article I found mention of the library was here: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/11/02/black-caucus-of-the-ala-celebrates-50-years/

For starters The Free Library is a collection of libraries throughout Philadelphia, being linked under one common name. One look at the home page of the website, you realize this is one of the most important libraries in the country. The amount of information available is just mind blowing. There’s opportunity to explore just about anything one’s heart would desire from a library website.

“Over the years, numerous neighborhood libraries have been added to the Free Library system, many of them funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who donated $1.5 million for neighborhood library construction in 1903. Today, the Free Library is composed of Parkway Central Library, three large regional libraries, 49 neighborhood libraries, community Hot Spots, the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Regional Research and Operations Center, and the Rosenbach.” (Freelibrary.org)

(Bustleton Library in Philly)

You can learn more about Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and different organizations that support and offer help which is a great thing to get from your library. You also have links to different genealogy websites and organizations. That has really been blowing up over the last decade or so and access to these sites is easier than ever.

When it comes to new forms of media including ebooks, audiobooks and downloads for tablets, the market for digital media has grown exponentially and The Free Library is no stranger to allowing patrons exposure to whatever their hearts may desire. For example, they offer access to sources such as American Song, Audiobooks from Overdrive, Free Library Podcasts, Jazz Music Library and Popular Music Library among many others. These sites offer ebooks, music and so much more and all one needs is their library card number and a PIN of their choice and they’re all set up. I love that there are so many libraries like this that make it easy for patrons to access things they might not have been able to without access to a public library.

The website makes it easy to access newly added materials and you can also look up items by format, whether they be books on tape, nonfiction or CD’s. You can also look up items by call number or by branch which is exciting to see how many libraries are part of this system.

Among the special collections are the Children’s Literary Research Collection, the Map Collection (over 130,000 different varieties of maps), Music Collections, Print and Picture Collection, Rare Book Collection, Theatre Collection and The Rosenbach.

(McPherson Square Library in Philly)

There are plenty of online events and classes for patrons to sign up for, including an intermediate English class, in person storytimes, Covid clinics(!), Latin lessons, an in-person visit from George F. Will and plenty more. “Penn’s Graduate School of Education is partnering with the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Languages and Learning Center to offer adults in Philadelphia free online English Language Learning programs this fall.

The courses, operating between September and December 2021, are conducted over Zoom and taught by Penn GSE students pursuing degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.” (Baghaddy) It seems as if the programs have been steered towards a bit of both in-person and virtual but that’s what helps the patrons figure out everything they would like to do and when it is most convenient for them. There is some outdoor programming but that all depends on the activity. There is plenty for both children and adults to enjoy without feeling like they’re being left out.

A selection of services include the following: limited computer access at select locations, there is email and phone services available with different branches. Book drops are available as are contactless pickup at certain locations. Covid has made some services less than readily available everywhere but the libraries are working diligently to make sure everyone is taken care of and to make sure that patrons are always the top priority.

Ultimately, The Free Library is one of the most impressive system of libraries that could probably be found in America. It’s a model for how a library system should be run and how efficient it can be even in the worst of times.

References

Baghaddy, Isabela. (October 2021) Penn GSE and Free Library of Philadelphia to offer free adult English language courses. The Daily Pennsylvanian. https://www.thedp.com/article/2021/10/penn-gse-free-library-of-philadelphia-partnership-english-language-program

Free Library of Philadelphia. (n.d.) https://www.freelibrary.org

Free Library of Philadelphia-Programs. (n.d.) https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/

Marcotte, Alison. (November 2020). Black Caucus of the ALA Celebrates 50 Years. American Libraries November/December 2020. Pg. 34-38 https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/11/02/black-caucus-of-the-ala-celebrates-50-years/