Free Library Blog - Posts by Adam F. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/ Recent entries to the Free Library Blog by Adam F. en-us Copyright 2018 Free Library of Philadelphia Sat, 20 Oct 2018 08:52:08 EST FLP Blog https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/global/logoFlp.gif https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/ 34 19 Get Ready for ... Cartoonapalooza! 2018-05-18T14:00:00-05:00 Adam F. <p style="text-align:center"><img alt="" src="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/ComicStripCollage%5F1.jpg" style="height:201px; width:500px" /></p> <p>Now that the Free Library has wrapped up its annual <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/conferences/comiccon/">Comic Con</a>, we&#39;re proud to offer fans of serial art an additional chance to meet some of their favorite artists. The cartoonists of the <a href="http://www.reuben.org" target="_blank">National Cartoonists Society</a> are gathering in Philadelphia this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend for their <a href="http://www.reuben.org/front-page-previews/ncs-awards/" target="_blank">Reuben Awards</a> celebration and they are visiting <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library">Parkway Central Library</a> on <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/77519">Sunday, May 27</a>.</p> <p>As part of the festivities, they are going to stage a live drawing event where you can come meet cartoonists from the <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/comics_games/Comics.html">comics pages</a> of the <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/elecres/phillyinq.cfm"><em>Philadelphia Inquirer</em></a> and <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/elecres/phillydn.cfm"><em>Philadelphia Daily News</em></a>, as well as other newspapers and publications across America, from the <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/368091"><em>New Yorker</em></a> to <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/130181"><em>MAD Magazine</em></a>. Film and television animation will also be represented, such as <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?submit=Search&amp;lookfor=The+Simpsons&amp;searchme=catalog&amp;searchType=simple&amp;site=default_collection&amp;client=flpxslt&amp;proxystylesheet=flpxslt&amp;output=xml_no_dtd&amp;setting_key=English&amp;servers=1home&amp;index=default"><em>The Simpsons</em></a> and <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=disney+cartoons&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Disney cartoon characters</a>. Rounding out the collected art mediums and artists will be editorial cartoonists, caricaturists, and illustrators.</p> <p>There may never be such a collection of cartooning talent in Philadelphia in one room for years to come. So stop by the library, watch them draw, or get a doodle to take home. And be sure to <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Cartooning%22&amp;type=Subject">peruse</a> the Free Library&rsquo;s <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/search/?subcollection=189">comic art archives</a> and <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/explore/topic/graphic-novels">Graphic Novel collections</a>!</p> <p>Tickets are not necessary, but you can let us know you&#39;re coming through <a href="https://cartoonapalooza.eventbrite.com" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a>.</p> <p>Experience Cartoonapalooza! It&rsquo;s going to be, ahem, a really big draw.</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3340 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3340 Embrace the Sacred and Interstellar Through the Art and Poetry of Stellar Masses 2018-05-04T09:29:00-05:00 Adam F. <p style="text-align:center"><img alt="" src="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/StellarMasses_logo.jpg" style="height:281px; width:500px" /></p> <p><a href="http://www.yolandawisher.com/about/" target="_blank">Yolanda Wisher</a> is back! She left us in 2017 as the first <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/poet-laureate/pastpoets.cfm">Poet Laureate</a> since the Free Library assumed responsibility for nurturing our city&#39;s chief word smith. On May 9, 2018 at 6:30 p.m., she&#39;s returning as curator with <a href="http://philadelphiacontemporary.org/" target="_blank">Philadelphia Contemporary</a> to debut the first in a series of <a href="http://philadelphiacontemporary.org/stellar-masses/" target="_blank"><strong>Stellar Masses</strong></a>, a series of site-specific events featuring poetry, video, music, performance, and sermons that embrace the sacred and interstellar.</p> <p>Yolanda has organized this public festival as a series of (as she puts it): &quot;site-specific gatherings that explore the sacred roots and interstellar potential of spoken word practices. Upholding the spoken word as at once ancient and futuristic, capable of testifying, time traveling, and spellbinding, Stellar Masses will feature writers, musicians, and filmmakers guiding attendees through a mind-expanding continuum of ritual and performance.&quot;</p> <p>As the sun sets on the evening, the <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/about/spacerental/event-spaces/skyline">Parkway Central Library&#39;s Skyline Room</a> will serve as the perfect firmament in which to build a launchpad pulpit to the stars from ark of knowledge below it.<br /> <br /> <strong>The Stellar Masses I: Firmament</strong> liturgical order of ceremony will include the following engineers, deacons, cantors, cosmonauts, and preachers:</p> <p style="margin-left:40px">Blessing by <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/poet-laureate/">Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate</a> <a href="https://www.husnaahashim.com/" target="_blank">Husnaa Hashim</a></p> <p style="margin-left:80px">The Stellar Mass Choir directed by <a href="http://www.vshayne.com" target="_blank">V. Shayne Frederick</a></p> <p style="margin-left:120px">Performance by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SiriusJuJu/" target="_blank">Sirius Juju</a></p> <p style="margin-left:160px">Film shorts by <a href="http://terencenance.com/" target="_blank">Terence Nance</a>, <a href="https://vimeo.com/tobogganeer" target="_blank">Frances Bodomo</a>, <a href="http://www.johangrimonprez.be" target="_blank">Johan Grimonprez</a>, and <a href="http://www.sayawoolfalk.com" target="_blank">Saya Woolfalk</a></p> <p style="margin-left:200px"><a href="https://moormothergoddess.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Moor Mother</a> delivers The Word</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiU5FzrhJTS/" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div> <div style="text-align:center"> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> </blockquote> <p>Please RSVP on <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stellar-mass-i-firmament-tickets-45205593146">Eventbrite</a> for free tickets. Tickets for all three days of the festival are available from <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/philadelphia-contemporary-11451815470" target="_blank">Philadelphia Contemporary&#39;s Evenbrite</a>.</p> <hr /> <p><em>The series is presented with support from the <a href="http://icaphila.org/posts/7605/in-memoriam-daniel-w-dietrich-ii-1941-2015">Daniel W. Dietrich II</a> Foundation. Stellar Mass I is in partnership with The Free Library of Philadelphia.</em></p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3324 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3324 The City of Arborly Love: Flora, Fauna, and Free Trees at Parkway Central Library! 2018-03-27T14:00:00-05:00 Adam F. <p>Throughout Spring and Summer, every corner of the Free Library of Philadelphia will be taking inspiration from <em><a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/search/?exhibition=In%20Our%20Nature:%20Flora%20and%20Fauna%20of%20the%20Americas">In Our Nature: Flora and Fauna of the Americas</a> -</em> an <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/74975">exhibition</a> taking place in our <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/departments/rare-book-department">Rare Book Department&#39;s</a> Dietrich Gallery, <strong>April 9 through September 15, 2018</strong>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/bric">Business Resource &amp; Innovation Center</a> will be the site of the first sneak preview of spinoff plant and animal programming to come. While the BRIC primarily serves entrepreneurs, businesses, and nonprofits, it is also the Parkway Central Library&#39;s main home for books on science, health, technology, trades, and industrial crafts. Consequently, generations of our city&#39;s green thumbs have browsed its shelves for works on botany, ecology, gardening, horticulture, and more.</p> <p><strong>On April 4, </strong>join us for an opening reception and digital sneak preview of a <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/75178">photo exhibition</a> which will be fully mounted in partnership with Philadelphia&#39;s Parks &amp; Recreation Department from <strong>April 24 through September 15, 2018</strong>. In our grand lobby, representatives from Park &amp; Rec&#39;s <a href="http://treephilly.org/">TreePhilly</a> program will have <strong>free yard trees available on a </strong><strong>first-come first-served</strong><strong> basis</strong> from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.&nbsp; Representatives from <a href="http://pecpa.org" target="_blank">Pennsylvania&#39;s Environmental Council</a> will be on hand to explain the connection between our urban canopy and storm water management.</p> <p>Visitors will be able to view a series of photographs celebrating our sister and brother civil servants from <a href="https://beta.phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-parks-recreation/" target="_blank">Philadelphia Parks &amp; Recreation&rsquo;s Urban Forestry &amp; Ecosystem Management</a> divisions. Our city&#39;s arborists care for the trees on 10,250 acres of park land, and the 117,000 trees along the city streets. These men and women are passionate, hardworking, and proud of the work they do to keep Philadelphia&rsquo;s trees healthy and its citizens safe. For this project, photographer <a href="https://sabinalouisepierce.photoshelter.com/index" target="_blank">Sabina Louise Pierce</a> worked with Park &amp; Rec&#39;s TreePhilly program to capture the special relationship between arborists, the trees they care for, and the tools of their trade.</p> <p>All exhibitions are free and open to the public during all open hours, with occasionally limited access during BRIC programs.</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3284 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3284 Remember an Gorta Mór: the Great Famine 2018-03-26T12:00:00-05:00 Adam F. <p style="text-align:center"><img alt="" src="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/GreatFamine%5F1%2Ejpg" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px; height:149px; width:500px" /></p> <p>Now that the fog has lifted from St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day, it occurs to us at the Free Library that the holiday is the moment where the fact of an Irish diaspora is felt most strongly in Philadelphia. However, as St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day transforms into a quasi-official St Patrick&rsquo;s Month in our city&rsquo;s taprooms, the victims of British colonial economic and agricultural policy might look askance at the way we civically remember the life and the land that their descendants fled. Or alternatively, they might laugh with joy at the good <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craic" target="_blank"><em>craic</em></a> (see also <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Irish+language+Dictionaries%22&amp;type=Subject">Irish Gaelic Dictionaries</a>) had in their memory.</p> <p><strong>On Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m.,</strong> <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library">Parkway Central Library</a> will host the <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/75129">Great Famine Voices Roadshow</a>. A consortium of transatlantic academic and governmental agencies will install a pop-up memory station in the Grand Lobby to share stories and to record video of the impressions that we as Philadelphians have of the &ldquo;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Famines+Ireland.%22&amp;type=Subject">Irish Potato Famine</a>&rdquo; and the resulting <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Ireland+Emigration+and+immigration.%22&amp;type=Subject">Irish diaspora</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.strokestownpark.ie" target="_blank">National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park Ireland</a> is especially interested in family stories from Irish Americans in Philadelphia, but also wants to hear from everyone regardless of <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/explore/topic/genealogy">ancestry</a>. They are not only interested in the impressions we might have of Irish-American life and history, but also in hearing the stories of those who took refuge in America from other <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Holocaust%2C+Jewish+%281939-1945%29.%22&amp;type=Subject">disasters</a> or those who survived our own American-made crimes of <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Slavery.%22&amp;type=Subject">slavery</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Japanese+Americans+Evacuation+and+relocation%2C+1942-1945.%22&amp;type=Subject">internment</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Puerto+Rico+History.%22&amp;type=Subject">colonization</a>, and <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Indians+of+North+America%22&amp;type=Subject">genocide</a>. The intersections of these experiences across cultures are incredibly important to unearth. So too is humor, hope, and every other story of the strategies of success and survival that most of our families used to get us to today.</p> <p>To everyone who wore their festive green or raised a glass and shouted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_go_bragh" target="_blank">&quot;&Eacute;irinn go Br&aacute;ch&quot;</a> (or even <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Community/lists/35973/">&quot;Wakanda Forever&quot;</a>) this past month, we encourage you to visit this upcoming roadshow to listen or to share. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets not required, but RSVP always appreciated via <a href="https://famineroadshowphiladelphia.eventbrite.com" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a>.</p> <p>Until then, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sl%C3%A1inte" target="_blank"><em>sl&aacute;inte</em></a>!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align:center"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9OGKZ8aYt0" width="560"></iframe></p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3280 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3280 Free Tax Preparation and Resource Fair 2018-02-01T11:00:00-05:00 Adam F. <p><strong>On Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.</strong>, <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library">Parkway Central Library</a> welcomes back the <a href="https://www.unitedforimpact.org" target="_blank">United Way</a> and the <a href="https://www.cwfphilly.org" target="_blank">Campaign for Working Families</a> for our second annual <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/73527">Free Tax Prep &amp; Resource Fair</a>. Community organizations will be available to connect tax filers to local, state, and national resources that help individuals and families to grow their financial assets. No cost tax preparation assistance will be available to all on a first-come, first-served basis.</p> <p>Nearly a quarter million Philadelphians qualify for the <a href="http://www.youearneditphilly.com" target="_blank">Earned Income Tax Credit</a>, but each year nearly 40,000 of us don&#39;t apply. The Department of Revenu for our city estimates the combined value of this unclaimed tax credit locally to be nearly $100 million dollars. For those who do apply for the credit, many are paying private tax preparers to collect on their behalf, which in effect turns a portion of the EITC into a subsidy for the tax preparation industry rather than as intended as a direct support to the working class. In many advanced democracies, tax preparation is as simple as mailing a postcard, but in the US <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/filing-taxes-could-be-free-simple-hr-block-intuit-lobbying-against-it" target="_blank">the tax preparation industry lobbies to keep it complex</a>.</p> <p>To combat this complexity under current conditions, and to keep a larger portion of refunds in the pockets of Philadelphians, we encourage everyone to spread the word about the <strong>Campaign for Working Families</strong>&#39; 2018 list of <a href="https://cwfphilly.org/tax-site-locations" target="_blank">FREE Community Tax Sites</a> (also available as a printable flier), where families and individuals can get their taxes prepared by professionals at no cost. The City of Philadelphia also maintains <a href="http://www.youearneditphilly.com/#locate-eitc" target="_blank">a map directory of free tax preparation sites</a> for individuals who may qualify for the EITC.</p> <p>For individuals and families who&#39;d like to file their taxes on their own, there are several options to file Federal and State taxes for free or reduced cost:</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><strong>For families earning under $95,000 or individuals under $65,000 per year</strong><br /> The <a href="https://selfserve.thebenefitbank.org" target="_blank">Self-Serv Tool from Solutions for Progress&#39;s The Benefit Bank</a> not only allows tax filers to file Federal and State taxes for free, but it also allows families to apply for educational assistance through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Benefit Bank also assists with filing the PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate.</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><br /> <strong>For individuals making under $66,000</strong><br /> The United Way works with H&amp;R Block to provide free Federal and State tax filing if users access the service from MyFreeTaxes: <a href="http://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/S260944811" target="_blank">PA residents</a> or <a href="http://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/S26116248" target="_blank">NJ residents</a>. Individuals and households above $66,000 can access below market filing via those sites.</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><br /> <strong>For individuals making under $33,000 or qualifying for EITC</strong><br /> Turbo Tax has a program called <a href="https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom/?vitaSiteId=S14062067" target="_blank">TaxFreedom</a> to provide free State and Federal tax filing to individuals making under $33,000 or to families making up to $53,505 if those families have three or more children.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p>If you go the route of doing your own taxes, don&#39;t miss our <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/1922">Tax Season Mix Tape</a> to keep you company as you shuffle papers and crunch numbers.</p> <p><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/freelibraryphiladelphia/playlist/0IKErlZaZk8KoNeWGowQFU" width="300"></iframe></p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3222 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3222 #MysteryMonday: We, The Librarians, are Detectives 2017-05-22T10:29:00-05:00 Adam F. <p>As a librarian, who coordinates research visits to the <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/parkway-central-library" target="_blank">Parkway Central Library</a> for schools in Philadelphia and beyond, I often tell students that my colleagues constitute a corps of what one might call &quot;intellectual detectives&quot;. Each collection and subject department is akin to a separate investigative bureau specializing in certain genres of mysteries that face our species. How else to describe our mysterious profession to citizens of a commonwealth that guarantees libraries in prisons <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&amp;SPick=20170&amp;cosponId=22917" target="_blank">but not for its schools</a>?</p> <p>We librarian detectives relentlessly hunt for answers to questions both in response to school projects and also in response to the passions and curiosities of anyone who&#39;s ready to learn. The talented actors, writers, and theater professionals of <a href="http://www.newparadiselaboratories.org/" target="_blank">New Paradise Laboratories</a> took that core lesson and put it to stage this spring. In this instance, the stage was nearly <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Av2lPuG523l2xadTfOQOhUHNqmj34U5QFqKYA8uoxHg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">the entirety of Parkway Central Library</a>. This theater experience was unquestionably a work of art. However, as an educator, I&#39;d like to add that I think it also succeeded as a lesson.</p> <p>To the teachers and students of Philadelphia and its countryside who were unable to make the show and experience the lesson first hand, I&#39;d like to invite you to help your students explore a new way to learn it. <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/detectives/gumshoe" target="_blank">We now have a mobile version</a> of the experience that unlocks some of the core joys of discovery in a well-structured library such as our own. Come try it!</p> <hr /> <p>Our&nbsp;<a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/detectives/" target="_blank"><strong>We the Detectives</strong></a>&nbsp;initiative continues&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="http://rosenbach.org/visit/exhibitions/clever-criminals-and-daring-detectives/" target="_blank"><em>Clever Criminals and Daring Detectives</em></a>&nbsp;at the Rosenbach and&nbsp;<a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/detectives/exhibitions/" target="_blank"><em>Becoming the Detective: The Making of a Genre</em></a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Parkway Central Library&#39;s&nbsp;Rare Book Department. Check out the exhibitions now&nbsp;through September 1!<br /> <br /> And experience the&nbsp;<em><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/detectives/gumshoe/" target="_blank">GUMSHOE</a>&nbsp;</em>immersive adventure by New Paradise Laboratories using your mobile phone any time, now through September 1.</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2889 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2889 Tax Time at the Free Library of Philadelphia 2017-01-19T14:30:00-05:00 Adam F. <p>On Saturday, February 11, 2017, Parkway Central Library welcomes back the <a href="http://unitedforimpact.org/" target="_blank">United Way</a> and the <a href="https://www.cwfphilly.org" target="_blank">Campaign for Working Families</a> for our second annual <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/63597" target="_blank">Free Tax Prep &amp; Resource Fair</a>. Community organizations will be available to connect tax filers to local, state, and national resources that help individuals and families to grow their financial assets. No cost tax preparation assistance will be available to all on a first-come, first-served basis.</p> <p>Nearly a quarter million Philadelphians qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, but each year nearly 40,000 of us don&#39;t apply. The <a href="http://www.youearneditphilly.com/" target="_blank">Department of Revenu</a> for our city estimates the combined value of this unclaimed tax credit to be nearly $100 million dollars. For those who do apply for the credit, many are paying private tax preparers to apply on their behalf, which in effect turns a portion of the EITC into <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/08/hr-block-lobbied-bill-could-make-it-pricier-poor-people-file-taxes" target="_blank">a subsidy for the tax preparation industry</a> rather than a direct support to the working class.</p> <p>We encourage everyone to spread the word about the Campaign for Working Families&#39; 2017 list of <a href="https://www.cwfphilly.org/pennsylvania-locations" target="_blank">FREE Community Tax Sites</a> (also available as a <a href="https://media.wix.com/ugd/7f6440_0106779db3b944a1ace70b5730f25457.pdf" target="_blank">printable flier</a>), where families and individuals can get their taxes prepared by professionals at no cost. The City of Philadelphia also maintains <a href="http://www.youearneditphilly.com/#locate-eitc" target="_blank">a map directory of free tax preparation sites</a> for individuals who may qualify for the EITC.</p> <p>For individuals and families who&#39;d like to file their taxes on their own, there are several options to file Federal and State taxes for free.</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><strong>For families earning under $95,000 or individuals under $65,000 per year</strong><br /> <a href="https://selfserve.thebenefitbank.org" target="_blank">The Self-Serv Tool from Solutions for Progress&#39;s The Benefit Bank</a> not only allows tax filers to file Federal and State taxes for free, but it also allows families to apply for Federal Student Financial Aid through FAFSA.</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><strong>For individuals making under $64,000</strong><br /> The United Way has a relationship with H&amp;R block to provide free Federal and State tax filing if users access the service <a href="http://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/S260944811" target="_blank">MyFreeTaxes</a> (PA residents) or <a href="http://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/S26116248" target="_blank">MyFreeTaxes</a> (NJ residents)</p> <p style="margin-left:40px"><strong>For individuals making under $33,000 or qualifying for EITC</strong><br /> Turbo Tax has a program called <a href="https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom/?vitaSiteId=S14062067" target="_blank">TaxFreedom</a> to provide free State and Federal tax filing to individuals making under $33,000 or to families making up to $53,505 if those families have three or more children.</p> <p>If you go the route of doing your own taxes, don&#39;t miss our <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/1922" target="_blank">Tax Season Mix Tape</a> to keep you company as you shuffle papers and crunch numbers.</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2777 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2777 Tax Season Kick Off and Tax Preparation Resources from the Free Library of Philadelphia 2016-01-26T11:01:00-05:00 Adam F. <p>The Free Library of Philadelphia is a literacy machine, and one of the core literacies we hope to help citizens achieve is<em> financial literacy</em>. That&rsquo;s why each year&nbsp;we help spread the word about opportunities for library patrons to prepare their taxes for free. <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/index.cfm?postid=1689" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>In 2013</u></a>, we first spread the word about <a href="http://www.solutionsforprogress.com/" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Solutions for Progress</u></a>&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.solutionsforprogress.com/products-services/the-benefit-bank/" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>The Benefit Bank</u></a>. This <a href="https://selfserve.thebenefitbank.org/" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>tool</u></a> allows households in Pennsylvania earning less than <strong>$95,000</strong> a year to file state and federal taxes for free. In 2014, we offered a musical <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/index.cfm?postid=1922" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Mix Tape</u></a> to keep taxpayers entertained as they worked their way through the myriad forms and questions. <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/index.cfm?postid=2177" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>In 2015</u></a>, our Government Publications department put budget cuts at the IRS in the context of tax season. They also raised awareness of the community organizations that help citizens navigate <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/08/hr-block-lobbied-bill-could-make-it-pricier-poor-people-file-taxes" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>the unnecessarily complex process</u></a> of filing taxes.</p> <p>This year we&rsquo;re inviting the <a href="http://unitedforimpact.org/" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>United Way</u></a> and the <a href="http://www.cwfphilly.org/" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Campaign for Working Families</u></a> to the Parkway Central Library on <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B88VU4_8sGQUUVliYmhNbkZFWUU/view?usp=sharing" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Saturday, January 30,&nbsp;from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.</u></a> to kick off tax season. All are welcome (but especially those who think they might qualify for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/Credits-&amp;-Deductions/Individuals/Earned-Income-Tax-Credit" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Earned Income Tax Credit</u></a>) to come have their taxes done for free by a professional tax preparer. Please spread the word, and share in your communities:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="docs/TaxSeasonKickOff01302016.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to download or share a flier of the event</a> on Saturday January 30, 2016.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="docs/2016TaxBrochurePhila.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to download or share a bilingual English/Spanish flier</a> describing how to access free tax preparation services for the rest of this tax season.</p> </li> </ul> <p><br /> For those who are comfortable doing their taxes on their own from their own computer, you can access the self-serve tool of the Benefit Bank here:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://selfserve.thebenefitbank.org/" target="_blank">The Benefit Bank Self-Serve</a> for Federal and State Taxes for individuals making under $65,000 or households making under $95,000.</p> </li> </ul> <p><br /> For those who can&rsquo;t make the Saturday tax preparation event at the Parkway Central Library, there are other sites operating throughout tax season where you can get one-on-one assistance:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="http://www.cwfphilly.org/#!tax-site-locations/c1sr6" target="_blank">Campaign for Working Families tax preparation site locator</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://secure.thebenefitbank.org/ums?task=locator" target="_blank">The Benefit Bank tax preparation site locator</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>Good luck this tax season!</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2473 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2473 Mysterious Travelers 2: Great Migrations 2015-10-05T11:11:00-05:00 Adam F. <p>Back by overwhelming popular demand! The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLPMusicDept">Music Department</a> at the Parkway Central Library is again collaborating with the <strong>Philadelphia Jazz Project</strong> and the <strong>Producers&#39; Guild</strong> to present&nbsp;<strong>Mysterious Travelers 2 - Great Migrations</strong>. Through free concerts every fourth Monday night from October 2015 through May 2016, audiences will hear from veteran as well as up-and-coming musicians who are shaping the future sounds of Philadelphia with a sharp ear to the legacies of our past. This season will directly honor and celebrate the past century&rsquo;s brave journey of African Americans to Philadelphia from the South, to which owe we our rich urban musical heritage. Starting in January 2015, each band leader will be presenting a new composition inspired by the Great Migration during his or her set. You&rsquo;ll hear it first&nbsp;here at your Free Library of Improvisation.</p> <p><strong>Mysterious Travelers 2: Great Migrations - the line up</strong></p> <table border="0" cellpadding="15" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/kevinripley.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=52997&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Kevin Ripley</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, October 26, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by drummer, pianist, and composer <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ripples">Kevin Ripley.</a> Ripley hails from Philadelphia&nbsp;and can be heard performing daily at venues across our city and its countryside. He leads a trio at <a href="http://deannasrestaurant.com/music/">Deanna&rsquo;s</a> in the upriver artists&rsquo; village of Lambertville, NJ&nbsp;and performs frequently with <a href="https://illdelta.bandcamp.com/releases">ill </a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ill-delta-music-gmail-com">Delta</a>, <a href="http://hotbijouxx.com/">Hot Bijouxx</a>, <a href="http://triagemusic.bandcamp.com/">Triage</a>, and numerous jazz combos with such local scenesters as&nbsp;Madison Rast, Brian Howell, Timothy Brey, Chris Simonini, Dan Hanrahan, Najwa Parkins, and many others. A rising young talent, Ripley is known for a distinctively intense melodic approach to the drum set and draws inspiration from a vast array of musical idioms.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1493310457648186/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-kevin-ripley-tickets-18352112663">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/bernardsamuel1.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53002&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Bernard Samuel</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, November 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by pianist and composer <a href="http://www.fyicomminc.com/cuejazz/samuel.htm">Bernard Samuel</a>. Samuel&#39;s performance history runs deep in&nbsp;our local jazz history. He has played with local treasures such as <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?lookfor=%22Hank+Mobley%22&amp;type=AllFields">Hank Mobley</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Philly+Joe+Jones%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Philly Joe Jones</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Bootsie+Barnes%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Bootsie Barnes</a>, Little <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22jimmy+oliver%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Jimmy Oliver</a>, and many more. With a compositional style influenced both by R&amp;B vocal groups such as <a href="http://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=Harptones+&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">The Harptones</a> and <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Temptations+%28Musical+group%29.">The Temptations</a> as well as by the piano approach of <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Jones%2C+Hank%2C+1918-2010.">Hank Jones</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Garland%2C+Red.">Red Garland</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Flanagan%2C+Tommy.">Tommy Flanagan</a>, and <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Barron%2C+Kenny.">Kenny Barron</a>, Samuel has drawn praise from the <em>Inquirer </em>for his &ldquo;hard speedy rhythmically punchy, yet metrically free&rdquo; style.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1463581363949648/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-bernard-samuel-tickets-18352233023">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/anthony-decarlo.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=52999&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Anthony DeCarlo</strong></a>&nbsp; <div id="date"><strong>Monday, December 28, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by guitarist Anthondy DeCarlo. Trenton made DeCarlo, and Philadelphia has taken him. A founder of South Philadelphia&rsquo;s emergent musical hub&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TaskerHouse">Tasker House</a>, DeCarlo stands at the center of a growing community of young musicians. He has worked with <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Lattimore%2C+Kenny.">Kenny Lattimore</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Dwele.">Dwele</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=Laurin+Talese&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Laurin Talese</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Bradshaw%2C+Jeff.">Jeff Bradshaw</a>, <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tweet-mn0000163213/biography">Tweet</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Nelson%2C+Jason.">Jason Nelson</a>, and <a href="https://mattmcandrewmusic.com/">Matt McAndrew</a>. With his guitar in hand, DeCarlo hopes to change the world with the positive force of music</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1175602705789819/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-anthony-decarlo-tickets-18352617172">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/madisonstreet.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53000&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Madison Rast</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, January 25, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by bassist, composer, and Temple University faculty member&nbsp;<a href="https://turtlestudios.bandcamp.com/album/madison-rast-quintet">Madison Rast</a>. Rast migrated to Philadelphia at the turn of this century, after a long period of intensive study at several prestigious music schools to our south. He is among our city&rsquo;s most in-demand sidemen, whose deeply grounded bass lines have supported <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Mickey+Roker%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Mickey Roker</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Evans%2C+Orrin.">Orrin Evans</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Sean+Jones%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Sean Jones</a>, and <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Joanna+Pascale%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Joanna Pascale</a>. His debut album of his original compositions and&nbsp;a recording of the poetry of Walt Whitman, set to original music in collaboration with pianist <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Garry+Dial%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Garry Dial</a> and saxophonist <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Dick+Oatts%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Dick Oatts</a>,&nbsp;are&nbsp;soon to be released.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/972565109476371/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-madison-rast-tickets-18353239032">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/wali.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53001&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring William &quot;Wali&quot; Bickley</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, February 22, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by globe-trotting musician, writer, and composer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/william.bickley.9">William &ldquo;Wali&rdquo; Bickley.</a> Bickley came up in Philadelphia and blossomed in Spain and Gibraltar, where he formed his multinational group&nbsp;Inner Journey Bands. Another group he led, The Real Live Band, shared the stage with <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Ayers%2C+Roy.">Roy Ayers</a>. Wali has recorded and written songs for <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Jamal%2C+Khan.">Khan Jamal</a>. Recently, Wali has been scoring music for the theater&nbsp;and recording an album with Inner Journey.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/449968521841457/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-william-wali-bickley-tickets-18353272131">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/najwa-photo.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53003&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Najwa Parkins</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, March 28, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/najwaparkinsmusic">Najwa Parkins</a>. Parkins is a highly sought after trombonist, vocalist, educator, composer, lyricist, dancer, actress, and performing artist. She leads her own quartet, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NajwaParkinsAndTheAfterHoursTrio">Najwa Parkins and the After Hours Trio</a>, but is also a member of the Emmy-nominated <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Alex+and+the+Kaleidoscope+Band.">Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band</a>;&nbsp;collaborates with&nbsp;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Woods%2C+Phil.">Phil Woods</a> and the <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-celebration-mw0002579948">Festival Orchestra</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://hotbijouxx.com/">Hot Bijouxx</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bachelorboysband.com/">Bachelor Boys Band</a>;&nbsp;and does her own solo projects. She has shared the stage with artists from <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Golson%2C+Benny">Benny Golson</a> to <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Marsalis%2C+Branford.">Branford Marsalis</a>. In 2011 she released her debut album <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/najwaparkins"><em>Not the Next Someone Else</em></a>, and 2015 will see the release of the eagerly awaited <a href="http://deerheadrecords.com/?p=130"><em>Najwa Parkins Live at the Deer Head Inn</em></a>.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1782944795265775/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-najwa-parkins-tickets-18353423584">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/victornorth-frosty.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53004&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Victor North</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, April 25, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by saxophonist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/victor.north.18">Victor North</a>, who migrated south from Alaska to Philadelphia to immerse himself in our rich jazz culture. Since landing he&rsquo;s worked with <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?submit=Search&amp;lookfor=%22Mickey+Roker%22&amp;searchme=catalog&amp;searchType=simple&amp;site=default_collection&amp;client=flpxslt&amp;proxystylesheet=flpxslt&amp;output=xml_no_dtd&amp;setting_key=English&amp;servers=1home&amp;index=default">Mickey Roker</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Charles+Fambrough%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Charles Fambrough</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Swana%2C+John.">John Swana</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Stafford%2C+Terell.">Terell Stafford</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Bruno%2C+Jimmy.">Jimmy Bruno</a>, <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Duane+Eubanks%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Duane Eubanks</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22Jymie+Merritt%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Jymie Merritt</a> and spent five years playing with the Afro-Cuban jazz pianist&nbsp;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Villafranca%2C+Elio.">Elio Villafranca</a>. Most recently, North leads his own group, <a href="http://www.threeblindmicejazz.com/">Three Blind Mice</a>;&nbsp;works with <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Evans%2C+Orrin.">Orrin Evans</a>&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Captain-Black-Big-Band/103205286379384">Captain Black Big Band</a>;&nbsp;and holds court frequently at Chris&rsquo;s Jazz Cafe.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/951465821587034/">Facebook </a>or Reserve <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mysterious-travelers-2-victor-north-tickets-18353642238">Free Tickets</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top"><img src="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/author/general/kimpedro.jpg" style="width:65px" /></td> <td><a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?ID=53005&amp;SeriesID=Myst%20Trav" title="View Event Details"><strong>Mysterious Travelers featuring Kim Pedro</strong></a> <div id="date"><strong>Monday, May 23, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.</strong></div> <p>This month&rsquo;s concert is led by drummer Kim Pedro, who is a visual and performance artist&nbsp;and a builder of community. With the <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=%22sun+ra%22&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Sun Ra</a> Arkestra&rsquo;s DM <a href="https://www.facebook.com/D.Hotep">Hotep</a> and under the mentorship of <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Search/Results?type=AllFields&amp;lookfor=Robert+Kenyatta&amp;submit=Find&amp;searchTech=gsa&amp;limit=20&amp;sort=relevance">Robert Kenyatta</a>, he founded the JazGuardian Musicians&rsquo; Organization. In addition to serving as a Performing Arts Instructor for the <a href="http://www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation/">Department of Recreation</a>, he&rsquo;s the originator and prime mover for the Artists&rsquo; Collective, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KimpedrosNuGruvNetwork/timeline">NU GRuV Network</a>. Over his career he&rsquo;s accompanied <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Herzig%2C+Monika%2C+1964-">Monika Herzig</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/raimundo-santos-9">Raimundo Santos</a>, <a href="http://www.vgail.com/">Vanida Gail</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kaligataband?fref=ts">Kaligata</a>, King Sound Vibration, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/M%C3%A9lange-Jazz-Collective/51914001033">Melange</a>, and even a President of the United States.</p> <p>RSVP on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/497759663727111/">Facebook </a>or Reserve Free Tickets</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="http://www.philajazzproject.org/"><strong>Philadelphia Jazz Project</strong></a><strong> </strong>(PJP) works to inspire a network to support, promote, archive, and celebrate the diverse elements within the Philadelphia jazz community, with the larger goal of connecting to the global community.<strong> PJP</strong> is a sponsored project of the Painted Bride Art Center, with funding provided by the Wyncote Foundation.</p> <p>The mission of the<a href="http://producersguildphiladelphia.net/"><strong> </strong><strong>Producers&rsquo; Guild</strong></a> is to ensure that the appreciation and enthusiasm for the rich cultural heritage of African American arts continues to thrive in Philadelphia, especially Black Classical Music, commonly known as JAZZ.</p> <p>All <a href="http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?SeriesID=Myst%20Trav">events in this series</a> are free.</p> <p><em>For more information, full biographies, and the most up-to-date details, visit freelibrary.org, call the Music Department at 215-686-5316, email erefmus@freelibrary.org, or connect with us on </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLPMusicDept"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>.</em></p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2319 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2319 Information Literacy Games to Explore the Music Department 2015-08-12T14:28:00-05:00 Adam F. <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6Pc8drt2Y3RkwO-o1ajwX4Jh2ScLTIFBKuQiAf6KOT4t1EQQY0fnl4KlRbFR3jjmBrSIth1Zvncuwdy7eRcW2IzXfmwueRk3kp8375D3PPo5rtTTQlX7P0jXLkEcKpMJkZKy0lo" style="-webkit-transform:rotate(0.00rad); border:none; height:352px; transform:rotate(0.00rad); width:624px" /></p> <blockquote> <p dir="ltr">This musical <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/informationliteracy?src=hash">#informationliteracy</a> activity today was very successful! <a href="https://t.co/fAaGY8A7pI">https://t.co/fAaGY8A7pI</a> <a href="http://t.co/Y87oGAhpp9">pic.twitter.com/Y87oGAhpp9</a></p> &mdash; adamleofeldman (@adamleofeldman) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamleofeldman/status/626455906222514177">July 29, 2015</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">What does it mean to command the skills of information literacy? For this generation of students and teachers in Philadelphia the answers are not clear, and few are asking the question. After all, there are <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2015-02-02/news/58679838_1_school-library-librarian-philadelphia-school-district" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>virtually no school librarians on the faculties of the public schools in our city</u></a>. In other words, there are no interdisciplinary experts in our schools to guide teachers in giving assignments to students that would prepare teens to take their place within the globalized conversations of scholars and writers. It follows too that there&#39;s no one in the school who can expertly guide students in completing assignments that require sophisticated inquiry. Success in university or college hinges on the ability to write research papers. To ensure students understand the norms and future of scholarly communication, &quot;<a href="http://www.ccp.edu/college-catalog/course-offerings/english-courses#engl102">English 101</a>&quot; is almost always a gatekeeper course to ensure students have learned those library research skills by high school graduation. To be taken seriously as a peer in the world of research and writing requires using the digital, physical, and human resources of a library (AKA the work of&nbsp;librarians).</p> <p dir="ltr">There are, fortunately, such cross-disciplinary experts at the Central Library&nbsp;as well as at every neighborhood and regional library in the city. We do, however, have an uphill battle in the struggle to teach students the very basic research skills that in less economically&nbsp;austere times were a <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/standards-for-the-21st-century-learner-in-action/oclc/868950022&amp;referer=brief_results">core part of the K-12 curriculum</a> as led by school librarians. From outside the school walls, it can be a challenge to reach school leaders. Teachers in particular are <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/1953014">politically embattled</a> in an unprecedented way by <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/1904592">a&nbsp;skepticism of the utility of a liberal education</a>. Even for those not as swayed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Rhee%2C+Michelle.">business ideologies</a> pushed by&nbsp;<a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Kopp%2C+Wendy.">some school reformers,</a>&nbsp;there&rsquo;s a temptation for college-educated people to have an overconfidence in the limitlessness of <a href="https://know.freelibrary.org/Record/1980761">what can be learned or accomplished online</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">How would we disrupt this grim state of affairs? Recently, the Music Department at the Parkway Central Library hosted an Information Literacy game for 30 music students in a summer enrichment program. Our hope was to open up a window for these students into the wealth of resources available in a conservatory-quality music library, and to do so in a fun way. We divided the students into six&nbsp;groups and set each team on quests to discover the hidden tools that help to unearth clues about the lives of 12 jazz musicians associated with Philadelphia: Billie Holiday, McCoy Tyner, Nina Simone, Sun Ra, Joe Venuti, Pat Martino, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Willie Dennis, Robin Eubanks, Bill Harris, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Benny Golson, and Philly Joe Jones.</p> <p dir="ltr">Try the game for yourself&nbsp;some time! Pick a musician from above, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1txYUxvqXYfVOXTFO-SlhMQUxn5086gJkB2TiiGtAcRE/edit" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>download this game board</u></a>, and set out on the same quest as these young musicians.</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe frameborder="3" height="960" src="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1txYUxvqXYfVOXTFO-SlhMQUxn5086gJkB2TiiGtAcRE/pub?embedded=true" width="749"></iframe><br /> &nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">Just as these students did, we even encourage you to do some focused listening with the aid of <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12iEfNiwfjSdAyI8IdurswFztIiSfkeVlmMIhmaSgino/edit?usp=sharing" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>our critics&rsquo; rubric</u></a>:</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe frameborder="0" height="749" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12iEfNiwfjSdAyI8IdurswFztIiSfkeVlmMIhmaSgino/embed?start=false&amp;loop=true&amp;delayms=60000" width="960"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Finally, if you&rsquo;re interested in hearing more about the work of the librarians in the Music Department, we&rsquo;ll be presenting to members of the <a href="http://www.freelibrary.org/donate/raven_society.htm" style="text-decoration:none;"><u>Raven Society</u></a> on Monday, August 31,&nbsp;at 6 p.m. We&rsquo;ll even offer a Quizzo-like listening game to show off some of the Music Department&#39;s treasures. Please <a href="http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50785/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=82818">RSVP here</a>.</p> https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2315 https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/2315
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