Five useful things you didn’t know about the Free Library

The internet is great, but the Free Library, with trained librarians to help you along the way, is even more helpful with these resources:

Business Science and Industry Department at the Parkway Central Library

Are you an entrepreneur? The Free Library of Philadelphia offers information, research assistance, and networking opportunities, as well as programs, lectures and special events. to entrepreneurs and small business owners. The resources are available at all of our neighborhood library locations throughout the city of Philadelphia and on the web.

Government Publications Department

Did you know? The Free Library of Philadelphia is a selective depository library for U.S. Government publications as a participant in the Federal Depository Library Program, and the library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents.

The Library has been a federal depository since 1897 and has the oldest collection of government publications in the Delaware Valley. The department also collects Philadelphia and Pennsylvania publications. Professionally-trained librarians are available to answer your reference questions and help you find the materials you need.

Regional Foundation Center

All of the nonprofit resources Philadelphia nonprofit leaders need can be found at the Free Library’s Regional Foundation Center.

The RFC houses Philadelphia’s largest publicly accessible collection of print and electronic resources on fundraising, nonprofit management, general philanthropy and institutional advancement. In addition, the center provides free access to the Foundation Directory Online–the most comprehensive database of U.S. grantmakers and their grants. RFC promotes responsible nonprofit management and successful fundraising by nonprofit groups at all levels– from grassroots startups to established institutions.

Philadelphia Out-of-School Time Literacy Initiative (POSTLI)

The Philadelphia Out-of-School Time Literacy Initiative (POSTLI) is a literacy technical assistance and professional development service provider for the OST community administered through the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. POSTLI works to improve the literacy skills of youth grades K-12. To do this, POSTLI provides literacy technical assistance and professional development services to out-of-school time providers, including on-site coaching and assistance from trained literacy coaches.

The Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP)

The Literacy Enrichment After-school Program (LEAP) provides homework assistance, computer literacy, and library skills for students in grades K-12. LEAP helps to promote traditional literacy as well as literacy in science, technology, and cultural arts.

LEAP also introduces students to Library resources and materials that are available, free of charge, to help them with school assignments, applying to college, and eventually securing meaningful employment. Students at all levels can also access Homework Help Online which offers everything from live tutoring—in English and Spanish—to specialized test prep and a writing lab.

Image via Flickr user Erica Cherup