Editing Free Library of Philadelphia (section)

== History ==

The Free Library of Philadelphia was established in 1891 following decades of advocacy for a public library serving all Philadelphians regardless of means. Prior library access required membership fees or institutional affiliation, excluding working-class residents from resources that supported education and advancement. The Free Library's founding addressed this inequity, creating publicly funded institution providing free access to books and learning resources.<ref name="freelibrary"/>

The Central Library opened in 1927 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in a Beaux-Arts building designed by Horace Trumbauer. The monumental structure, modeled on Parisian examples, provided fitting home for collections and services that had outgrown earlier facilities. Branch libraries spread throughout Philadelphia neighborhoods during the early twentieth century, many in Carnegie-funded buildings that brought library access within walking distance of residential communities. This branch system remains the Free Library's foundation, though some Carnegie-era branches have been replaced or renovated.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=2016 |publisher=Paul Dry Books |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>