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Free Library of Philadelphia Newspapers & Microfilm Center

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Free Library of Philadelphia Newspapers & Microfilm Center

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Historical newspapers and microfilm

The Newspapers and Microfilm Department at the Parkway Central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia has many daily newspapers and over 100,000 reels of microfilm including historical newspapers, magazines and journals.

11/10/2026

Join the Military History Club's monthly discussion group this Thursday, the 12th of November! This month's discussion will cover the British Change of Heart in the American Revolution and the American Peace Commission.

The group meets from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132.

11/03/2026

Join us this Friday at 1:30 p.m. for a talk with Philadelphia journalist Linn Washington Jr., a Temple University Professor Emeritus and award-winning investigative journalist whose work focuses on racial inequities in the criminal justice system, media, and broader issues of social justice. His journalism career has spanned the United States and four continents, including roles from reporter to executive editor, as well as service as Special Assistant to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. At Temple, Washington taught journalism, co-founded Philadelphia Neighborhoods.com, and led the award-winning student news site to more than 50 regional and national honors.

This event is part of the speaker series for Ink & Impact: The Legacy of the Philadelphia Tribune, an exhibit opening October 5th in the News & Microfilm Center.

The event will be held on the fourth floor, Rooms 405-407 (to the left of the Skyline Room).

10/20/2026

Join our monthly discussion group this Thursday, the 22nd! We are continuing a discussion series centered on topics related to Philadelphia history, connecting local history with city planning and development. This month, participate in a thoughtful, guided discussion about the Delaware River Dredging.

The group meets from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132.

10/16/2026

Tuesday, October 20th at 1:30 p.m. join Robert W. Bogle, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Tribune and longtime leader in Philadelphia’s civic and media community, for a conversation on the paper’s history, legacy, and future as a vital voice in Philadelphia’s Black community.

This event is part of the speaker series for Ink & Impact: The Legacy of the Philadelphia Tribune, an exhibit opening October 5th in the News & Microfilm Department.

The event will take place in The Skyline Room.

10/15/2026

Join us tomorrow in Conference Room 131 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for another installment of The Missing. In this series, we explore the story of a missing person case-from the first article to today. Original news articles, retrieved from databases and microfilm, will be presented in a timeline format. After the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session, including tips on investigative research using the library’s resources. This week we will examine the disappearances of Diamond and Tionda Bradley.

On a July morning in 2001, Chicago sisters Diamond, 10, and Tionda, 3, left their mother a note saying they were going to a nearby store and then a playground around the corner from their home. There is no proof the sisters made it to either location and neither has been seen since. The note remains the only piece of physical evidence in the case.

Distrust, underreporting, and fraud have taken a toll on the sister’s loved ones over the years, but their family continues to search for answers and refuses to let their disappearance be forgotten.

(Unrelated photo from the November 11th, 1990 edition of the Baltimore Sun depicts volunteer team searching for evidence.)

10/06/2026

This Thursday, October 8th, 2026 we'll present the last in our series of 250th celebratory "Evening Editions" in the Newspaper and Microfilm Department. This final event presents the weekly editions of the July 2006 the Mt. Airy Times Express and the Main Line Times.

09/30/2026

In December 1777, Morocco was the first African nation to recognize the United States. Almost a decade after Moroccan Sultan Mohammed III decreed that American ships could freely enter his kingdom's ports and enjoy safe passage through its waters, a treaty of friendship was signed solidifying diplomatic and trade relations. Join us next week, 8 October at 11am as the Military History Club will be discussing the Diplomatic efforts between Morocco and the United States.

The group meets from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132.

09/22/2026

Join us on the 2nd floor this Thursday the 24th from 2-4 PM for another hyperlocal Evening Editions: 250. We'll be looking at the July 1986 issues of the Philadelphia Review and The South Street Star where Philly news is given serious coverage at the neighborhood level.

Photo: front page of South Street Star - the Community News of East Philadelphia from 17 July 1986. Cover Story "To Dump or Not to Dump" -- Residents protest location of (dumping) sites chosen by Mayor.

09/16/2026

Join us this Friday in Conference Room 131 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for another installment of The Missing. This week we will examine the disappearance of Steven Kraft Jr.

In 2001, on a chilly Thursday evening in Benton, Michigan, 12-year-old Steven Kraft Jr. told his mother he was taking the family’s two dogs outside to play before dinner. When he failed to return, his father contacted Steven’s older sister, who lived nearby, but he never stopped by there that day. His father searched through the night, finding only a few boot and paw prints in the snow, close to a church near their house. Days later, one of the dogs returned home, unusually skittish and frightened. Steven never did.

(Unrelated photo shows search dogs being trained near Batavia, New York in 1988.)

09/15/2026

Join the City Planning Club we continue our discussion series centered on topics related to Philadelphia history, connecting local history with city planning and development. This month, participate in a thoughtful, guided discussion about the Philadelphia International Airport revised/ post World Cup.

The group meets this Thursday, September 17th, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132.

Address

1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(215) 686-5431

Website

http://www.freelibrary.org/

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