Reading period access: From April 30 to May 14, access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library will be limited to PennCard holders and other Penn affiliates. Find more information.

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Need help prepping for finals? Want to know how to find things in the library? Talk to a librarian! Use our "Ask" chat to message us Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and get a real-time response, wherever you are.

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Using the Library

Quick Start Guide

Search the Franklin Catalog

Use Franklin to find books, journal articles, databases, CDs and DVDs, and anything else in the Penn Libraries collections.

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Get Off-Campus Access

Need to access subscription materials like journals, databases, and ebooks when you’re not on campus? Check out our cheat sheet.

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Request Scans

Our library staff can scan book chapters and articles for quick delivery directly to your inbox.

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Receive Books by Mail

When you register for Books By Mail, you can request to have books sent to your off-campus address anywhere in the United States.

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Ask a Question Anytime

Explore our archive of Frequently Asked Questions. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Submit your question anytime, and we’ll respond within 24 hours.

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Book a Consultation

Book an in-person or virtual consultation with a librarian or technology consultant with expertise in your field of study, copyright, digital fabrication, or statistical and design software.

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Browse our spaces

Explore our array of flexible and innovative spaces, from collaborative or quiet study spots to classrooms designed for active learning and equipped with the latest technology.

People studying by the felt wall of the Reading Room. Cushioned seats and reading lamps line the long wooden tables.

Reserve a room

Already know exactly which room you need? Head directly to our room reservation system.

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Explore our library locations

Like to study in the middle of the night? Need specialized databases at your fingertips? Looking for a location close to your classes? Find out how to visit all our library locations across campus—and beyond—and discover which one suits your needs best. 

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Featured Collections

The Penn Libraries' global collections encompass hundreds of languages and scripts across a broad range of subject areas, preserving the rich cultural and scholarly record from Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South Asia. Read about some of our unique recent acquisitions.

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Exploring Chinese Internet Literature

To more accurately reflect the diversity of literature in China, the Penn Libraries has made a special effort to add recent internet novels that have been published in print form to our collection.

Upcoming Events

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Image of handcraft tools on a table; including scissors, cutting board, threads, and a hand-made book binding
  • Workshop
May 1, 2024

Bookbinding Workshop: Sewn Board Binding

Come and bind your own book at Common Press! In this 3-hour workshop, you will learn the Sewn Board Binding, designed by Gary Frost. All supplies are provided freely. No prior bookbinding experience is necessary. 

  • 5:00pm - 8:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library (Lower Level)
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff
Page from Ms. Codex 1071
  • Workshop
May 2, 2024

Coffee with a Codex: Coats of Arms

On May 2, curator Dot Porter will bring out Ms. Codex 1071, The names and armes of all the nobilitie who were in England at the tyme of King William the Conqueror. This book contains coats of arms, some painted and some drawn in ink, for the monarchs and nobles of England from Edward the Confessor to Elizabeth I. Written in England, 1597.

  • 12:00pm - 12:30pm
  • Online
Open to the Public
Close-up of ornamentations on a fifteenth-century Arabic manuscript
May 2, 2024

Words Touching Bodies: Devotional Texts in Late Medieval North Africa

Join us for a presentation by Ali Noori, Ph.D. Candidate in Religious Studies, on a fifteenth-century text called Guide to Goodness (Dalaʾil al-Khayrat) held at the Kislak Center.

  • 1:00pm - 2:00pm
  • Lea Library, Kislak Center, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (6th floor)
Open to the Public