Do you own special photos, letters, family heirlooms, or other items that you’ve always wanted to organize or better care for?

The ALCTS, a division of the American Library Association, has a Preservation Week site chock-full of free information to help you get started. Learn about:

• How to “Take the First Step“
• “Saving Your Stuff” – Quick tips by format (audio, books, documents and papers, photos, scrapbooks, and more)
• “Advice from Donia” – Ask a question, or read answers to others’ questions on the left-hand side of the page
• Recordings of free preservation webinars – Including the very informative webinar “Caring For Your Family Keepsakes,” and many more!

This year’s Preservation Week officially happened from April 26-May 2, 2020, but you can explore and use the Preservation Week website and resources at any time!

Did you know that you can access the Philadelphia Inquirer with your library card? Stay up-to-date with the most recent news (2018-Current), or explore historical newspapers (1829-1922, and 1981-Current).

To access the Philadelphia Inquirer Collection with Historical, visit chescolibraries.org, select “Tools and Research” from the ribbon of choices at the top of the page, select “All CCLS Databases,” and then “Philadelphia Inquirer Collection with Historical.” Enter your library card number when prompted.

Scanned copies of the complete print issues of the Philadelphia Inquirer are available for 2018-Current and 1829-1922 collections; the 1981-Current collection is available as text articles. Select a “Source Name” to browse issues by date; to access scanned copies of the most current news, be sure to select the Philadelphia Inquirer from 2018-Current under “Source Name.”

For all dates included in this collection, the “Search” or “Advanced Search” features may be used for more specific research.

Have questions about using the Philadelphia Inquirer Collection with Historical? Please feel free to contact us.

Visit digitized Pennsylvania State Archives Collections through Power Library’s PA Photos and Documents to discover a wealth of records from the State Archives, including a Constitutional Convention of 1776 (PA) Minute Book.

In addition to Pennsylvania State Archives Collections, you can also explore thousands of other digitized documents and photographs from many unique collections in libraries across Pennsylvania through Power Library‘s PA Photos and Documents.

You’ll be amazed by what you find!

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a “free, national digital library that provides a single point of access to cultural heritage materials from more than 4,000 libraries, archives, and museums across the United States.” Explore more than 37 million images, texts, videos, and sounds!

Search the collection or browse by topic, visit online exhibitions (including “America During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic“), or read one of the more than 6,300 eBook titles available on DPLA’s Open Bookshelf (no library card required).

Working on genealogical research? Consult The Family Research Guide to DPLA to learn more about using DPLA for this purpose.

Have questions about your car’s service and repair? Use your library card to access the Auto Repair Source (a resource from PA’s Power Library) and find answers!

“Discover the most accurate, authoritative, and up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. All content comes from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins, and recalls.” Search by year, make, model, and engine.

Access the Auto Repair Source through the library by visiting chescolibraries.org, selecting “Tools and Research” from the ribbon of choices at the top of the page, selecting “All CCLS Databases,” and then select Auto Repair Source. Enter your library card number when prompted.

“The Library of Congress National Book Festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities.” 

Booklovers currently staying at home can watch videos from past National Book Festivals. Check to see if your favorite author is featured, or discover new authors to explore! You can “browse and view dozens of presentations by authors, poets, storytellers and illustrators” and more from National Book Festivals from 2001 to 2019.

You can also explore videos from National Book Festival Presents, a series of National Book Festival events held throughout the year that feature “high-caliber authors, their books and related Library treasures.” National Book Festival Presents videos include “John M. Barry on ‘The Great Influenza,'” “Rosa Parks: The History and the Heart,” and much more.

Are you (or a musician you know) in search of new music to play while you’re staying at home? Here a few resources to explore:

International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)/ Petrucci Music Library
“Sharing the world’s public domain music.” Hover over “Scores” at the top of the page to browse by composer, instrumentation/genre, and more.

MusOpen
Provides “recordings, sheet music, and textbooks to the public for free, without copyright restrictions.” You can browse sheet music by composer, instrument, form, or time period.

Mutopia Project
“2124 pieces of music – free to download, modify, print, copy, distribute, perform, and record – all in the Public Domain or under Creative Commons licenses.” Browse by instrument, composer, or style.

Digital Scores: A Guide to Online Notated Music Sources
This very comprehensive guide from Princeton University Library broadly defines “scores” as “all notated music in all formats,” and links to many different types of collections, most of which are freely accessible.

Library Journal brings you “8 Blooming Botanical Gardens To Explore Virtually,” connecting you with some of the many gardens that “have created engaging virtual video tours of their flowers, trees, and greenhouses, allowing virtual visitors to enjoy their soothing sights and sounds from the safety of their homes.”

Highlighted gardens include the New York Botanical Garden, The U.S. Botanical Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden, Chester County’s own Longwood Gardens, and more!

Enjoy the 7th Annual Haverford Spring Fest online from 4:00-10:00 pm each day on May 15, 16, and 17! This 3-day live streaming musical event will feature over 50 performers from many musical styles. For music lineup and viewing options, visit the Haverford Spring Fest page. Admission to the festival is free, with donations appreciated.

Haverford Spring Fest is brought to you by Kelly Music For Life. “Formed in 2012 as an all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization, Kelly Music for Life, Inc. produces and promotes Music and Arts events to benefit community.” Visit their “About Us” page to learn more.