Free Library of Philadelphia

freelibrary.org

Initiated by the efforts of Dr. William Pepper, the Free Library of Philadelphia was chartered in 1891 as "a general library which shall be free to all."

The first location for the Library was three cramped rooms in City Hall.

On June 2, 1927, the massive Central Library opened for service at its present location on Logan Square. It now serves as the main library and administrative headquarters for the Free Library of Philadelphia system.

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.

Note:  The above descriptive information came from the library's History of the Library page.

In The News

• Free Library's new 'Experience Pass' grants free entry to museums, historical sites around Philly, Philly Voice, December 3, 2019.
• Pokémon Go Brings Exploration to Neighborhood Libraries, Philadelphia Public Record, July 21, 2017.
• Free Movies with your library card Billy Penn November 1, 2017

Info

• Authors: Author Events
• Blog: Blog Articles
• Computer/Internet: Free Library Hot Spots
• Digital Collection: Digital Collections
• Event Calendar: Events
• Facility Rentals: Space Rental
• Locations: Branch Info and Locations
• Programs: Programs and Services
• Volunteer Match profile: Free Library of Philadelphia

See Also

• Business Resource Innovation Center
• Culinary Literacy Center
• Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia
• Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP)
• Maker Jawn Initiative (Now Closed)
• Parkway Museums District
• Philadelphia Reads
• Read by 4th