Where to learn, browse, and eat in Philadelphia during ALA Annual

Conferencegoers may want to take a cue from our cover and check out Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers, or the Liberty Bell. But there are many other historic and literary sites to visit, and some fine dining for those who want to venture beyond Reading Terminal Market. And, of course, the conference itself promises to have an abundance of speakers, programs, and events for every interest. Below, a few options to pique your interest. For a more complete listing, see the full schedule. And don’t forget to stop by LJ’s booth #705 in the exhibit hall to say hello!

WHAT TO ATTEND

Melissa DeWild

Editor, LJ Reviews

Hosted by the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), with discussion led by Claire Kelley, this panel considers how librarians and independent publishers can work together to advocate for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable information ecosystem.

Building Radical Collections: Advocacy, Access, and Alliances with SRRT and Indie Presses
Sat., June 28, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (PCC 123)
 

Moderated by Booklist Senior Editor Susan Maguire and featuring library experts Becky Spratford, Robin Bradford, E.E. Lawrence, Lila Denning, and Jessica Trotter, this panel will focus on the latest readers’ advisory (RA) research, actively anti-racist RA, tools for creating book displays, and how to make RA training available for all staff.

Booklist Presents: The State of RA Today
Sat., June 28, 1 – 2 p.m. (PCC 124)

Matt Enis

Senior Editor, Technology, LJ

Last year’s ALA Annual featured several panels and presentations on artificial intelligence (AI). This year there will be even more, including sessions on facilitating open educational resources authorship with AI; delivering authentic support with artificial tutors; fostering responsible AI use and academic integrity with the help of school libraries; AI as part of the future of library services; AI-powered discovery in special collections; libraries, AI, and the future of learning and work; and exploring AI capabilities in business databases.

The following two panels look promising, with the first bringing together “librarians across varying subject fields to discuss how...AI technologies are impacting practices and services within their areas, focusing on the use of lesser-known tools.” The second features librarians from multiple institutions who are part of the Library Freedom Project’s community of practice discussing “AI in their institution, approaches to assessing the risks AI poses for vulnerable populations, and resources for continued learning.”

AI on the Mind: A Cross-Disciplinary Librarian Panel on AI Applications
Sat., June 28, 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (PCC 114)
 

AI Ethics and the Library
Sat., June 28, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (PCC 108)

Sarah Hashimoto

Editor, LJ Reviews

This event, sponsored by the Reference and User Services Association’s CODES section, is always a favorite. Participants will get a chance to listen to award-winning authors and narrators discuss their craft, literary passions, upcoming projects, and more. Free books available, too! Everyone needs a little feel-good, and this event delivers that in spades.

Literary Luminaries: Celebrating the Best Reading of the Year (ticketed event)
Sun., June 29, 8 – 10 a.m. (PCC 202 A B)
 

The Odyssey Award ceremony honors the tremendous talent of award-winning narrators, authors, and producers of audiobooks for youth and teen audiences. Clips from books and live readings make this event special. What a great way to celebrate this ever-evolving format!

2025 Odyssey Awards
Sat., June 28, 9 – 11 a.m. (PCC Ballroom A)
 

Library workers must sometimes confront challenging and stressful situations which require calm thinking, creativity, and tried-and-true tools. This timely session offers practical ideas for addressing trauma and employing tested techniques for navigating challenging interactions. Vital information on self-care, debriefing, and compassion fatigue is provided as well.

Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: Trauma-Informed Strategies for De-Escalation
Mon., June 30, 1 – 2 p.m. (PCC 105)

Lisa Peet

Executive Editor, LJ

Sometimes it’s all about the panel lineup—here, directors Kimberly Knight (Virginia Beach PL, VA), Jennie Pu (Hoboken PL, NJ), Clint Rudy (Suffolk PL, VA), and Lisa Varga (ALA Public Policy & Advocacy). If anyone can accomplish what the session title promises, it’s these folks. I want to hear more about how.

Leading Passionate, Engaged Staff through Uncertain Political Times
Sat., June 28, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (PCC 122 A B)
 

As more old-guard directors retire—not to mention many less high-profile retirements—I’m interested to see what the ones who don’t leave the profession entirely decide to do with their aggregated knowledge.

Retired Librarians as Changemakers: Working Together on Advocacy
Mon., June 30, 9 – 10 a.m. (PCC 120 A)

Hallie Rich

Editor-in-Chief, LJ

Annual has become one of the only major conferences where libraries can hear from and connect directly with authors. Join me for a sweet and maybe spicy conversation as I moderate a panel of romance writers that includes Laura Piper Lee (Zoe Brennan, First Crush), Xio Axlerod (Girls With Bad Reputations), Susan Lee (Julia Song Is Undateable), and Danielle Allen (Plus Size Player), sponsored by United for Libraries.

Love Stories: An Author Panel
Sat., June 28, 9 – 10 a.m. (PCC 120 A)

WHAT TO SEE

Kevin Howell

Assistant Editor, LJ Reviews

What librarian would want to miss one of several all-day library tours? “A Tour of Philadelphia Academic Libraries” will explore three classic academic library spaces—and a catered box lunch and transportation sweeten the deal for this Friday, June 27, ticketed event that departs the Convention Center at 8 a.m.

You’ll start by touring the Charles Library at Temple University. Librarians will want to check out the Charles Library’s Scholars Studio, built in 2019, which has 3-D printing capabilities and a virtual reality studio. You’ll also be able to investigate how the library houses additional books in an automated storage and retrieval system known as the BookBot. The next leg of the trip is to the University of Pennsylvania campus. After lunch, you’ll tour the Van Pelt Library, which includes a Research Data and Digital Scholarship Exchange and the Kislak Center for Special Collections and Rare Books. Then, the Fisher Fine Arts Library (originally the Furness Library), a National Historic Landmark built in 1891 as the university’s first library. The bus will return to the Convention Center at 4 p.m.

As for sight-seeing—if you’re a fan of Richard Lawson’s children’s classic Ben and Me or Walter Isaacson’s Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, you might enjoy a 17-minute walk/six-minute cab ride from the Convention Center to Franklin Court (322 Market Street) to see the “ghost structure” of Benjamin Franklin’s home. Although it was torn down several years after he died in 1790, this steel structure outlines the footprint and design of his house. Also nearby is the entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Museum and the Franklin Court Printing Office.

Sarah Wolberg

Associate Editor, LJ Reviews

No trip to Philadelphia is complete without a visit to the artworks at the Barnes Foundation, whose mercurial founder was recently profiled in Blake Gopnik’s The Maverick’s Museum: Albert Barnes and His American Dream (Ecco). Afterward, venture across the street to Book Corner, a secondhand bookstore whose profits support Philadelphia libraries.

WHAT TO DO

Neal Wyatt

Reviews Director, LJ

Behind Independence Hall, a key historical site in the city, is a lovely landscaped garden with benches situated under large shade trees. If you want to take a novel to enjoy the scene, Carmen Maria Machado, Madeline Miller, Liz Moore, Kiley Reid, Jennifer Weiner, and Diane McKinney-Whetstone all have connections to the city. Nonfiction choices might include The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay or The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760–1840 by Akhil Reed Amar. If you can get an ARC of Jill Lepore’s forthcoming We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution, that would be a good choice as well.

Liz French

Senior Editor, LJ Reviews

Every year we write about how ALA attendees should get together, mobilize, work for change, and fight those who seek to eradicate or restrict libraries out of existence. Usually I select a few rabble-rousing, solidarity-building workshops/panels. At this writing, the firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden is making this mandate even clearer. So instead of suggesting a handful of panels and events, I say gather in the hallways and strategize. Reach out to colleagues who are most affected and make a plan for how we can continue to live our library values at a time when they are most under threat.

BEYOND CHEESESTEAK

Philadelphia offers a robust culinary scene that has something to satisfy every palate. Here, we’ve compiled a few of the city’s top foodie destinations and associated cookbooks so you can dine out and call it collection development “research.”

Native Philadelphian Chef Marc Vetri is one of the nation’s most celebrated chefs. His Vetri Cucina (1312 Spruce St.), first opened in 1998, maintains a longstanding reputation of excellence with “outstanding rustic fare, handcrafted pastas, innovative flavor combinations, and artful presentations inspired by Italian cuisine.” The secrets to some of the dishes at Vetri Cucina may be found in his James Beard Book Award–nominated Mastering Pasta (2015). Can’t find a reservation at Vetri? Try Fiorella (817 Christian St.), one of the newest establishments to join the Vetri restaurant family.

Pizza options truly abound in Philly. Once proclaimed the “best pizza in America” by Bon Appetit, Pizzeria Beddia (1313 North Lee St.) developed a cult following for its dough and simple but delicious ingredients. Joe Beddia shares his knowledge of the pizza-making process in Pizza Camp (2017). Looking for pizza with a higher purpose? Make your way to Down North Pizza (2804 W. Lehigh Ave.), a mission-led restaurant founded and owned by Philly-born-and-bred entrepreneur Muhammad Abdul-Hadi. Down North Pizza “exclusively employs formerly incarcerated individuals while providing culinary career opportunities at a fair wage and equitable workplace.” Abdul-Hadi’s We the Pizza: Slangin’ Pies and Savin’ Lives (2025) tells the Down North story while offering dozens of creative recipes.

Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau’s groundbreaking Vedge (1221 Locust St.) was heralded by Food & Wine as one of the most important restaurants of the last 40 years. Their Vedge (2013) and V Street (2016) cookbooks have helped readers explore new and exciting ways to cook vegetables; their newest concoction, The Vedge Bar Book (2024), tackles vegan cocktails and snacks. If you have extra time during your visit to Philly, consider taking the 45-minute trip to West Chester, PA, where Jacoby and Landau’s latest operation, Ground Provisions (1388 Old Wilmington Pike), delivers a locally sourced seasonal menu.

For those craving Thai food, you’ll find ambiance and more at Kalaya (4 W. Palmer St.). In an old warehouse where palm trees grow beneath skylights, James Beard Award–winning chef Nok Suntaranon delivers authentic Thai cuisine “prepared with pride in our Southern Thai family tradition.” Kalaya’s Southern Thai Cookbook (2024) represents the recipes Suntaranon learned while growing up, inspired by her mother, who ran a curry stall.

Turophiles may flock to the nearly 100-year-old Di Bruno Bros. specialty stores. Known for its expansive range of international cheeses, Di Bruno Bros. also has charcuterie, prepared foods, bakery, and a coffee shop. Swing by its Rittenhouse flagship (1730 Chestnut St.) to grab fixings for a picnic lunch—and don’t forget to pick up a copy of Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes, and Pairings (2013) by Tenaya Darlington.

No Philly restaurant roundup would be complete without Zahav (237 St. James Pl.), Chef Michael Solomonov’s critically acclaimed restaurant serving Israeli cuisine. Philadelphia Magazine recently called Zahav’s lamb shoulder an “iconic” Philly dish. Those looking to recreate the dishes served at Zahav might find the answers in Solomonov and Steve Cook’s most recent cookbook, Zahav Home (2024), which translates restaurant recipes for the home chef. If you can’t make it to Zahav, try Laser Wolf (1301 N. Howard St,), Solomonov and Cook’s Israeli shipudiya (grill house), or one of their Federal Donuts & Chicken locations (see federaldonuts.com) serving (you guessed it) chicken and donuts.

HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION (AND MORE)

There is enough on tap at this year’s Annual to keep everyone busy, but there are many hours in the day to fill, and Philadelphia has no shortage of cultural and literary hotspots. Here are a few you might not want to miss.

Libraries and Museums

Library people are renowned lovers of the proverbial busman’s holiday, and Philadelphia has a great range of libraries, archives, and museums to visit. First on everyone’s list, of course, should be the host city’s anchor institution, the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP). With 55 neighborhood branches, there should be a location to visit no matter where you’re staying, but FLP’s main branch, the Parkway Central Library (1901 Vine St.), shouldn’t be missed. By June, the renovated Rare Book Department will have reopened, and you can see the library’s collection of cuneiform tablets, Milton’s folio of Shakespeare, and Grip, Charles Dickens’s (taxidermized) talking raven said to have inspired the Poe poem. You can also explore the Culinary Literary Center’s commercial-grade kitchen, world-famous collections of music and maps, and more.

There’s no time like the present to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, and the National Constitution Center (525 Arch St.), the country’s only museum dedicated to the Constitution, is a 12-minute walk from the Convention Center. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia (219 S. 6th St.), in the city’s Society Hill section, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814. Its purpose is to collect materials “connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge.”

For more history, you can visit Carpenters’ Hall (320 Chestnut St.), home of the first Continental Congress, and the Library Company of Philadelphia (1314 Locust St.), founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731.

Conferencegoers will have just missed the June 16 Bloomsday celebration at the Rosenbach Museum and Library (2008–2010 Delancey Pl.), which holds the handwritten manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses, but can check out its many rare books and historical letters.

For collections that go back a bit further, the Penn Museum (3260 South St.), located on the University of Pennsylvania campus across the Schuylkill River, houses more than 1.3 million anthropological and archeological artifacts, including one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Middle- and Near-Eastern art. Also on campus, the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, on the sixth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (3420 Walnut St.), welcomes any visitor with a valid photo ID.

The Barnes Foundation (2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.), next to Parkway Central Library, is home to one of the world’s best collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern paintings; particularly noteworthy are its collections of Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso.

In categories all their own: The offbeat Mutter Museum (19 S. 22nd St.) features a wide assortment of medical oddities—curiosity is a must for this destination, and a strong stomach helps. The Eastern State Penitentiary (2027 Fairmount Ave.), once a massive prison, now serves as a museum and historic site dedicated to the history of incarceration and efforts to minimize it. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (1020 South St.) offers three city lots’ worth of multimedia mosaics and folk art. Less than a mile north of the Convention Center is the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site (532 N. 7th St.), a preserved home once rented by Poe, open from Friday to Sunday.

Bookstores

Conference galleys are enticing, but sometimes there’s nothing like an old(er) book. While visiting Parkway Central, if you take a detour next door to the FLP friends–run secondhand Book Corner (311 N. 20th St.), you’ll be hard pressed to come away empty-handed.

Also across the river, check out Hakim’s (210 S. 52nd St.), the city’s first Black-owned bookstore, and the eclectic House of Our Own Books (3920 Spruce St.) on the Penn campus. On the other side of the city, by the Delaware, Head House Books (619 S. 2nd St.) is a homey spot that might have just what you’re looking for.

Outdoors and Beyond

And since it’s sunny at least some of the time in Philadelphia, you may want to take a walk along the Schuylkill River Trail (get on at Schuylkill Banks, 2501 Walnut St.), visit the Cherry Street Pier (121 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd.) on the Delaware—which has pop-up art sales—or hang out at the festive Spruce Street Harbor Park (301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.).

For amazing views of the city, check out the SkyHigh Bar (One N. 19th St.), at the top of the Comcast Center/Four Seasons, the tallest building in the city, or, if heights aren’t a dealbreaker, go to the top of City Hall (1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd.) and see William Penn’s iconic statue via a Tower Tour.