One Book, One Philadelphia is a joint project of the Mayor John F. Street and the Free Library of Philadelphia. The mission of the program, which is entering its fourth year, is to promote reading, literacy, library usage, and community-building throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.
This year, as Philadelphia celebrates Benjamin Franklin's three-hundredth birthday, the City of Philadelphia and the Free Library of Philadelphia have an extraordinary opportunity to focus on the life of the legendary Mr. Franklin via our One Book, One Philadelphia project. The Library will be offering several events based on the life and times of Ben Franklin, such as author appearances, writing projects, panel discussions, book groups, children’s programs, theatrical events, and a display of original, amusing illustrations from Robert Lawson’s Ben and Me. Mr. Franklin, himself, will visit several libraries and branches throughout the One Book calendar period, which runs from January 17 to March 15, 2006. Hundreds of Community Partners have developed programs to enhance the public's enjoyment and understanding of the selected books. (See “The Books” for more details about this year’s selections.) There is a complete list of Sponsors and Community Partners on this site. We thank our Sponsors and Partners, and especially our Lead Sponsor for the fourth year, Independence Blue Cross, for their tremendous support. One Book, One Philadelphia promises to be one of the most exciting, community-building, regional projects of 2006. Thank you in advance for helping to support and celebrate One Book, One Philadelphia. |
Join us for a Ben Franklin Chat |
Celebrate Ben Franklin - Do you have a question or comment about Ben Franklin? Join in a lively conversation about Ben Franklin with librarians Jim DeWalt and Mark Draper from the Free Library of Philadelphia. The chat room will be open on Tuesday, February 28, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and Tuesday, March 7, from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Jim DeWalt is Head of the Social Sciences and History Department at the Free Library. He has B.A. degrees in French and Linguistics from Penn State University and an M.S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois. Additionally, Jim has an M.A. in 18th Century Studies (American and European) from Temple University. He coordinated the Free Library's programs, displays, and reference services in connection with the current Franklin Tercentenary. He has been with the Free Library for 28 years. Mark Draper has been a reference librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia for the last five years. He has a B.A. in History from Temple University and an M.S. in Information Sciences from Drexel University. Currently he is pursuing studies in a Ph.D. program at Biblical Seminary to study American Religious History. |
The Autobiography Project |
In partnership with the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, One Book, One Philadelphia presents The Autobiography Project, sponsored by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com. Ben Franklin’s autobiography may be the most widely published of all time. To honor him, we invite you to submit a memoir of your own. Selected pieces will be published in The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and will be reprinted on bus and subway posters throughout Philadelphia. The Autobiography Project will launch in March and you can visit www.freelibrary.org, www.benfranklin300.org, or www.philly.com for more details at that time.
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