But there is more happening at the library than this week's festivities.
Next month the institution will begin surveying its users, trying to find out just what it is that citizens expect from a 21st-century library.
"We have our own perceptions of what people are using the library for, which may or may not be accurate," said Gloria Twine Chisum, who assumes office as chairwoman of the library's board of trustees in June. "We want the public's perception of what their needs are, and we want to know what they expect to be using the library for in the future. It's a way of serving our clients."
The survey is but one part of the library's attempts to get a handle on the future - a process initiated by the trustees that includes such things as focus group meetings with staff and volunteers and think sessions with community leaders.
In February, a newly formed planning council, including Judges Juanita Kidd Stout and Lois Forer, labor leaders Thomas P. Cronin and James Sutton, educator Herman Mattleman, Dr. Robert Palestini and City Councilwoman Augusta A. Clark, sat down to dinner and listened to Theodore Hershberg from the University of Pennsylvania describe "The Real Philadelphia."
In his speech, Hershberg discussed economic and societal trends that could impact library services.
One purpose of the planning process, Chisum said, "is to identify ways the libary should respond to the public, particularly when we must be careful of how we use scarce resources." Because of cutbacks in library funding in recent years, all the branch libraries are closed two days a week. "We are working very hard to get at least half of them open six days a week," said Chisum.
With its collections totaling 9.6 million books, letters and other items, the Free Library is one of the largest public library systems in the country.
Last year, the library's 800,000 cardholders borrowed 4.8 million books.
Its librarians answer 50,000 reference questions every week.
