The Find box on our homepage searches many of our databases simultaneously. The first page of hits will be from our Library catalog, but you will find automatic results from other databases by clicking "Electronic Resources" on the top of the results page.

If you choose Advanced Search under the Find search box on every page, you'll find a comprehensive list of our databases. You can search up to 15 of these resources at a time by selecting them from the list. You can also search the resources (including our catalog) individually by clicking their names.

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A Free Library card is available at no cost to anyone who lives, works, pays taxes, or goes to school in the City of Philadelphia. In addition, anyone who is 65 or older or who has a valid card with an Access PA sticker from another Pennsylvania library can obtain a Free Library card without charge. Out-of-state residents can obtain a card by paying an annual fee of $15.00.

If you're 18 or older, you can get a new Library card by clicking sign up now, which you can find on the top of every Free Library page. Cards should arrive in the mail within 5-10 business days. Keep in mind that you'll need to show ID the first time you use your card.

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In order to renew books, you'll need your Library card number and PIN to log into your Library account. Once you've logged in, you'll see a list of the items you are currently holding. Either click "Renew All" or select only the materials you want to renew and select "Renew Checked Items." Items that can't be renewed will have a gray box next to them.

If you have more than five items checked out, you'll need to select "View All Items" to see the whole list.

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You were most likely assigned a four-digit PIN when you signed up for a Library card. If you can’t remember your PIN, we can e-mail it to you. To change an existing PIN, please login to your account below and select the "Change PIN" button under your address.

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You can locate information about any of our branches by clicking Find a Location in the gray bar on any page. Enter your zip code to find the location nearest to you. You'll find maps, directions, hours, events, and even the histories of our branches.

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Find our collection of audiobooks by clicking Advanced Search on the left side of any page. On the left, you'll see a menu with "Downloadable Audiobooks."

Please be aware that this service will not work on Apple computers or iPods.

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Browse the Free Library's many events on our calendar page. You can always find this link by clicking "Events" at the top-right of every page. Events are listed by location, date, and type.

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The Free Library website now has more content for children than ever. There are a number of specific topics in the green Explore area of our homepage. These topics include books, electronic resources with readings and activities, and web links. Look for these topics to rotate throughout the year.

There are more children's resources in the Ask a Librarian section of our site. You might also want to look at the calendar of children's events at all of our branches. You can always find events for children and teens behind the gray Events link at the top-right of every page.

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