Even though Philadelphia is only 13 miles away, navigating the city may seem like another world in some sense. With world class institutions, museums, and parks, coupled with a rich history running throughout the city, it is no wonder people can feel overwhelmed when visiting Philadelphia. Luckily Falvey has access to many resources to help navigate and research any topic on Philadelphia. Whether the resource is in print or online, the Library can help resolve any confusion when it comes to researching the City of Brotherly Love.

Books

Falvey has a vast collection of books on Philadelphia; where that collection is located in the Library depends on your subject of research. Start with “Philadelphia” in the subject line to narrow your results.

Use the facets on the right to filter the results down to your area of interest:

In this example, the results are filtered down into books about Philadelphia politics. The picture below displays that books on this subject can be found in the F 158 call number section of the library.

Online Resources

Jutta Seibert, History Librarian and Academic Integration Team Leader, suggests the following free resources readily available online:

Historical Images of Philadelphia – 20,000 historical images of the city dating back to 1841 courtesy of the Free Library.

Library Company of Philadelphia – The Library Company was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and remains to this day an independent cultural institution. Its rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, ephemera, prints, photographs, and works of art are worth a visit to its Locust Street location. The Library Company currently hosts “Fashioning Philadelphia – the Style of the City, 1720-1940.” Selected exhibits such as the “Black Founders: The Free Black Community in the Early Republic” are available online.

Digital Maps of Philadelphia – Digital access to city maps ranging from 1834 to 1962 courtesy of the Free Library.

This is a short, starting point for researching tips on Philadelphia. Remember to always contact your subject librarian for a more in depth search.