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What To Get at The Free Library Besides Books

Posted on June 15, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Brittany Valentine

Brittany Valentine

I’m sure you’ve heard that Saturday hours are back at 10 branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia. But did you know there are items you can check out at your local branch besides books?

If you’ve been interested in learning an instrument but want to test it out before investing, you can borrow one for three weeks from Parkway Central’s Musical Instrument Collection program. You can choose from keyboards, bongos, guitars, banjos, and more.

If you want to kick your health care journey up a notch, you can start portioning out your meals with a borrowed food scale from the Health Lending Library at the South Philadelphia branch. You can even check out a blood pressure monitor ⚕️

The weather is warming up, and the birds are certainly singing their songs. Want to catch some of Philly’s 150 species in action? You can pick up birding backpacks that include maps, a field guide, and binoculars from the Cecil B. Moore, Widener, and Andorra branches.

Bird watching is an excellent way to make new friends in the city. (Photo courtesy of Philly Queer Birders)

Bird watching is an excellent way to make new friends in the city. (Photo courtesy of Philly Queer Birders)


Once you’ve got your birding backpack, find out where all the best birding spots in Philly are from Elise Greenberg, founder of Philly Queer Birders 🎧

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