Grip, the Raven (and the FLP Rare Book Dept)

Shhh, this account is sleeping right now. The Rare Book Department is very awake though - visit, email, or call: freelibrary.org/rbd

WAIT THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR SOMEHOW

anyone with internet can view this copy of the shakespeare first folio (once owned & annotated by milton) cover to cover: libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/featur… thanks evermore to the librarians @FreeLibrary / @GripTheRaven (esp @caitlinest) for their efforts to make the book accessible

Help get Hakim’s a historical marker!

This documentary was a fascinating look behind the scenes, and here’s your chance to ask DA Larry Krasner all about it. First screening and panel is 5/23 but check the blog for the full series: libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/4888

It's impossible to highlight all of our programs (30+ on the calendar!) but this should be good: Sunday: Tour the New Africa Center with Abdul Rahim Muhammad as he shares "The History of Islam in the Philadelphia African American Community" libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event…

Also we pushed send too quickly to thank @GuyWithTheBooks who sold it to us! A happy ecosystem of dealers, donors, and libraries keeps our shelves stocked for our patrons.

We like all kinds of books, including some creaky little frankenbooks acquired especially for YOU to paw through in classes and tours. This new-ish acquisition is a printed dictionary, bound in a ms bible fragment reinforced in a ms gradual fragment. Please do touch :)

very tricksy fellow

We've turned our gallery into a showcase for Philadelphians, who have graciously shared their stories and their stuff. "In the Path of Islam" is on the 3rd floor of the main branch @FreeLibrary M-F 9-5, but the exhibit is just a small part of the story freelibrary.org/pathofislam

What does a pig think of the dawn? (Image from Bestiary/Bestiario with woodcuts by Antonio Frasconi paired Pablo Neruda's poetry - RBD HBP 2018-57)

Final camera-ready art for “William’s Doll” (1972) with illustrations by William Pene du Bois.

The most cheerful Kate Greenaway illustration we own. Original pencil and watercolor, recently found in a drawer but purchased in 1998 because someone wanted it but not badly enough to make it findable 🫠

#EidMubarak ! We have a bunch of events around town this week - a couple storytimes with @jtbigelow a couple interactive art-making workshops w Mr. Ali and Mr. Abdul, and Imam Suetwedien’s lecture on Sunday at Masjid Muhammad. Busy bees being busy! libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/tag/m…

Curators shouldn’t pick favorites but if this one WERE to pick a favorite, it would be illustration processes related to children’s book production. Here’s the original cover painting for a 1883 McLoughlin Bros title, plus a proof copy of the finished version.

Sometimes so much time passes between winning an auction lot and receiving the thing that unwrapping it is a surprise! (As long as we don’t check our “tracking acquisitions” document) New to our English literature holdings but soon to be cataloged: Daniel Deronda

We were gonna post something reassuring about the Sixers but a) most of our childrens books are older than basketball and b) we got distracted by this INSANE GOLF BATTLE man golf got boring

milton on shakespeare on the return of the dead 🪶📖🪦👻 shakespeare died #otd in 1616 💀 observe the day by exploring milton’s handwritten notes on his copy of the @FreeLibrary/@GripTheRaven first folio: libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/featur…

calling all book artists, preparators, photographers and others who can plausibly claim conservation experience: the Free Library is hiring! Library Conservation Technician needed to join our amazing Collection Care team. phila.peopleadmin.com/postings/86294

Thursday! Celebrate the Golden Strip of Cecil B Moore for Jazz Appreciation Month! The event was inspired by our dearly departed exhibition, For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited. Live music, activities, and refreshments on offer at 4pm 4/21 facebook.com/events/4951504…