June 4, 2019

People often think of public libraries as a place for recreational reading and children's story hours. But public libraries – especially large urban systems like the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) – have far more to offer than just leisure reading books, including many of the databases and resources students use during their studies at Drexel. 

With a Free Library card (or, for other Pennsylvania residents, a POWER Library eCard), any Philadelphia resident can access over 100 academic research databases like Expanded Academic and JSTOR, as well as literary databases, archives of Philadelphia newspapers, and several Hein Online legal collections, to name a few.

Want to research a company before you go for a job interview? The Free Library offers online access to numerous business resources like Reference USA, Mergent Online, Business Insights and Business Plans Handbook. Several Free Library locations also offer resources such as Best’s Library Center (for insurance information) and Gale Small Business Builder (an online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business).

Other online resources for job hunters or lifelong learners available through the FLP include Lynda.com, Philadelphia Works Resume Builder, Glassdoor and Career Cruiser. The Workplace provides current information and resources on changing careers, job searching techniques and emerging employment fields to help career changers and job seekers. Alumni in Philadelphia can take advantage of the group class instruction or one-on-one instruction (by appointment).

The FLP also offers free and low-cost workshops and programs for emerging entrepreneurs or established business owners at its Business Resources and Innovation Center (BRIC). Or visit the Library’s Regional Foundation Center, which provides free access to information on management, fund development, and proposal writing, including on-site access to the Foundation Directory Online, a comprehensive database of U.S. grantmakers and their grants.

Find a book or other resource you need that the FLP doesn’t own? The FLP also offers Interlibrary Loan services. Contact their Interlibrary Loan Department, and they can borrow it from another library.

And of course, the Free Library also has leisure reading books—eBooks, audiobooks, and of course books on paper—as well as streaming movies, music to download, the largest orchestral music collection in the world and even musical instruments to check out.

With 54 locations around the City, if you’re in Philadelphia, there’s a branch of the Free Library nearby. Stop in and explore!

And like a wise childhood friend once said, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!”