Attention all spirited spellers! The Free Library of Philadelphia is proud to host the Philadelphia Tribune/Scripps Howard Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 14. Open to Philadelphia public, private, parochial, charter, home-schooled, and virtual students in grades 5 – 8, the Spelling Bee gives students the opportunity to compete for a spot at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. The city-wide competition at Parkway Central will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a 5th grade spelldown. Five contestants will advance to compete at the Regional Spelling Bee at 12:00 p.m., and the champion will win an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the National Spelling Bee from May 26 through May 28. Top spellers will be awarded additional prizes from sponsors, including the Philadelphia Tribune and Independence Blue Cross. The anticipation is p-a-l-p-a-b-l-e!
Now entering its sixth week, One Book, One Philadelphia continues to offer engaging events for the whole community. Whether you’re drawn to The Soloist's themes of homelessness or classical music, One Book offers something for everyone! On Wednesday, the Mount Airy Learning Tree will host Leaving No One Solo
—a panel discussion on homelessness, featuring WHYY’s Dave Heller as moderator and representatives from Dignity Housing, Project H.O.M.E, and Ready, Willing, and Able.
Also happening on Wednesday evening is an exploration of Stravinsky’s first major ballet, The Firebird. Held at Parkway Central, A Stravinsky Conversation will feature a musician from the Philadelphia Orchestra and a music historian. And just this past weekend, the Parkway Central Library and One Book hosted approximately 110 people for an interactive ballet demonstration by the Pennsylvania II, an eight-member troupe of pre-professional dancers. Children joined the dancers on stage and shared the spotlight during an audience participation and performance. Check out the photos to the right!
For more One Book events, browse our calendar. In the meantime, check out this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer and find out how
The Soloist resonates with our city's homeless community.
Calling all movie lovers! A special opening night screening at Moore College of Art and Design tonight at 7:00 p.m. marks the official start of the second annual One Film program. Through March 11, Philadelphians are encouraged to watch Basquiat, a film based on the life of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Directed by Julian Schnabel, the movie follows the young graffiti artist through the ups and downs of the ’80s art scene in Manhattan. As he transitions from graffiti art to more conventional art, Basquiat allows himself to be seduced by the promise of fame, only to win it at the cost of his life.
In the coming weeks, community members are invited to dozens of events—screenings, discussions, dinners, readings, and panels—and are encouraged to draw connections between Basquiat and The Soloist, the featured selection of partner program One Book, One Philadelphia. Check out the extensive resources our staff has gathered to further your viewing experience, and search our One Filmevent guide. Have you seen the film already? Leave a comment below—we’d love to know what you liked (or didn’t like) about the film!
For more information about this evening's program, please click here.
Can you believe we’re almost a month into the One Book, One Philadelphia program? In the past several weeks, library locations and community organizations have hosted a variety of engaging events, including book discussions, concerts, open-mic performances, dinners, and more.
Join us this evening when MiND TV comes to the Parkway Central Library for State of MiND: Addressing Social Issues Using Television. The nonprofit that owns and operates WYBE Channel 35, MiND TV promotes the power of community and features programming highlights learning and social issues. The Free Library and MiND TV are featuring a joint screening of five-minute programs from the State of MiND series. MiND CEO Howard Blumenthal and MiND producers Jai Rice and Kathryn Morrison will lead the screening and participate in a discussion of topics presented in the programs, which include homelessness, mental health, and the affordable housing crisis. The producers will also discuss the creative process of developing similar content for television. Details about the events are below. And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! Which events have you attended? Which has left the biggest impact on you? Which event are you looking forward to in the upcoming weeks?
State of MiND: Addressing Social Issues Using Television
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Parkway Central Library, Skyline Room, 4th Floor
1901 Vine Street
215-686-5322
Cost: FREE
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