Free Library of Philadelphia Newspapers & Microfilm Center

07/13/2025

"It would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time."

Leading American engineer and scientist Vannevar Bush thought that the memex was the answer to information nightmare of the 1940s.

03/16/2025

Reporting has changed a lot.

Here’s the story behind how the media missed the story.

02/11/2025

Here's how to get your own historic newspaper

Missed Monday’s paper? Here’s how to order back issues, high-quality reprints, and plaques of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News front pages celebrating the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory.

01/05/2025

Visit and browse historic newspapers from all over the city!

More than 30 prominent Philadelphians — including philosophers, academics, and executives — described what they thought Philly would be like in 2025. They weren’t exactly dead on.

11/30/2024

Learn more about how newspapers were printed

In the days of printing newspapers from raised metal plates long before photostats and digital scanners, how did a cartoon make its way from an artist's draw...

11/29/2024

Learn more about how newspapers were printed.

"The Saguache Crescent" newspaper in Saguache, Colo., has been printing its news the same way since the 1800s. Publisher Dean Coombs' family has had the busi...

11/28/2024

Learn more about how newspapers were printed.

We mostly use this 1880's Prouty Power Flat Bed Newspaper Press for demonstrations, but we inked it up for a rare look at what the press can really do! This ...

10/31/2024

Here's the conversation that followed our screening of Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project on October 17. You can watch the film on Kanopy with your library card!

10/26/2024

Did you know we have city directories and telephone books on microfilm?

Those of you who joined us in the last 20 years probably don't know how much previous generations relied on telephone directories.

10/10/2024

New blog post about our upcoming screening of Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project. After the film, stay for a panel discussion about her life and work.

On October 17, the Newspapers and Microfilm Center will host a screening of Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project . Stokes was a Philadelphia activist, librarian, public-access television producer,…

07/16/2024

On Wednesday, July 24, we're hosting a panel about Yellow Seeds, a bilingual underground paper published in Chinatown in the 1970s. Register below!

July 24 | 6:00 p.m. | Skyline Room

A panel discussion of Yellow Seeds, an underground bilingual newspaper published in Chinatown in the 1970s.

06/25/2024

Tomorrow/Wednesday at 6 PM in the Skyline Room at Parkway Central.

On June 26, the Free Library will present “Black and Q***r in Philadelphia 2: A Conversation,” the second in a series of events.