Friends Sponsored Programs

The Friends holds two program meetings annually, in the Spring and Fall. The Friends also sponsors a number of programs usually held each year as well as two bus trips of an educational or cultural nature (e.g. Metropolitan Museum of Art; Philadelphia Flower Show). Members receive a preferred rate when there is a charge. Notice of Friends-sponsored programs appears in The Library's newsletter.

Do you have a suggestion for a Friends program? The Friends welcomes ideas from everyone. Remember, all Friends activities and programs are open to the entire community.

Spring and Fall Program Meetings

Two times a year the Friends presents a well-known author or personality as its program speaker. The speakers normally do readings and entertain questions from the audience. Following the free program, copies of the speaker’s books are offered for sale and autographing. Past Spring Program and Fall Program speakers have included Linda Fairstein and Alex Berenson.

Phyllis Noar Puppetry Festival

Puppets bring out the child in all of us. Every February The Library celebrates Puppetry Month with performances by acclaimed professional puppeteers on two Sunday afternoons. Tickets are $2 each. Age requirements for attendance vary from year to year as determined by the artists. The Puppetry Festival celebrates the legacy of the late Phyllis Noar, a former Friends president Phyllis Noar and strong advocate for children’s programming. Check The Library Calendar for more information about this year's festival.

James Hess Folklore & Storytelling Festival

Every late November, the Friends of The Library presents a weekend of performances by a nationally renowned professional storyteller-entertainer. The adult performance (tickets $15) takes place on a Saturday night, with a show for children ages 7 and up and their families (tickets $3 each or a maximum of $7 per family) scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Saturday evening show is followed by a sumptuous dessert buffet. Past performers have included Jackie Torrence, the team of Bill Mooney and David Holt, Syd Lieberman, and John McCutcheon. The festival is named in honor of the late Trustee Emeritus of The Library, James Hess, The Library’s founding Board president.

What's It Worth? Antiques and Collectibles Appraisals

Every year, usually in the spring, the Friends sponsors its own “antiques roadshow”: a fun afternoon of appraisals, a fascinating lecture by an expert, informative handouts about antiques and collectibles, and light refreshments. Tickets are $5 and include having two items (no weapons, please) appraised by a professional appraiser. Observers without items to appraise do not need a ticket. All appraisals are verbal, nonbinding opinions of value. In recent years the appraiser has been Joseph Bodnar of Bodnar Auction Sales, along with his colleagues.

Sponsored Trips

The Friends sponsor day trips, usually in the spring and fall, to popular cultural destinations within driving distance. Those trips, on air-conditioned comfortable coach buses, are open to the public at a reasonable, all-inclusive fee.  Thanks to the Friends, the community has been able to visit museums, art galleries, scenic estates, special shows, and exhibitions—such as the annual Philadelphia Flower Show—on a regular basis. Look for information about any currently planned trips on the News page of The Library website.